I was halfway through this and lost it. Frustrating.
Anyway, the WEST and NORTH tend to get little attention on this site, except for Trinity, and especially since two prolific Loras posters faded into the sunset roughly parallel to Rothert stepping down as coach after Loras for probably a decade or so was one of the top 5-6 programs in the country. I offer the following weakly researched review with the idea that some attention is better than none.
First, the West, and in no particular order except to start the historical top dog and currently highly rated Trinity Tigers.
Trinity 8-0-0 -- Key results = Willamette (W); Hardin-Simmons W); Texas-Dallas (W); Mary Hardin-Baylor (W); Colorado College W); Centenary (W)
Trinity is always a little hard to place nationally and imo tend to be just a tad over-ranked. Imo the safest bet is to place them #6-#8 at the beginning of the season and just leave them there. No question the Tigers have had one of the premier programs in the country for a very long time, led by a legendary coach and boasting a superb facility. We'll see what happens. Along with Kenyon and F&M, Trinity has had a run of Sweet 16 and Elite 8 finishes, and one of these years they're no doubt gonna break through.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-1-1 -- Key results = UC Santa Cruz (T); Oglethorpe (W); Redlands (W); Whittier Poets (W)
CMS has been good in recent years and interestingly traveled to Gambier, OH in 2019 for the Kenyon Sectional and were bounced in the Sweet 16 by Centre who went on to the Final 4. The only loss so far this year was to Westmont, I assume a NAIA or D2 outfit, 1-0. The win over Redlands separated CMS from Redlands in terms of being ranked nationally.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 5-3 -- Key results = Messiah (L); F&M (L); St Thomas TX (W); Trinity (L); University of the Ozarks (W....and included because I like typing University of the Ozarks)
I know next to nothing about MHB. I don't know the history behind the name or for that matter, Hardin-Simmons. Hardin must mean something, and daggummit now I'm gonna have to look that up. I am curious about the brutal road trip to PA with back to back games vs Messiah and F&M, both ending in 1-0 defeats. That said, the stats suggest MHB held their own against both. However, the Crusaders subsequently got their doors blown off by Trinity 3-0 in a game with very lopsided stats. A showdown today with Texas-Dallas will be one to check on.
Texas-Dallas 6-2-2 -- Key results = Rhodes (L); Southwestern (T); Trinity (L); Centenary (W); Concordia TX (T)
Texas-Dallas is a perennial contender for a NCAA bid. The Comets made the tournament 2014 thru 2016 and then again in 2019. They last garnered a NCAA victory in the 1st round in 2014 versus Pomona-Pitzer. See above re: showdown with MHB today.
Pacific Lutheran 6-2 -- Key results = Gustavus Adolphus (L); George Fox (W); Pacific (W); Whitman (W); Whitworth (W)
Pacific Lutheran caught my eye when doing the poll thing. After losing to NAIA Warner Pacific the Lutes have rattled off a string of blowout wins, besting George Fox (another to research name-wise!), Pacific, Whitman, and Whitworth 18 (EIGHTEEN) to 0. One to watch to see if the Lutes can emerge from the NWC conference.
Colorado College 7-2 -- Key results = Gustavus Adolphus (W); St Olaf (W); Macalester (L); Trinity (L); Texas Lutheran (W)
Oh, the enigma that is Colorado College. Also the Tigers, CC had impressive wins over GAC and St Olaf (two teams with legit shots to make the NCAA tourney), and then got blow out by middling Macalester and Trinity by the same 6-2 scorelines. CC also is usually in the mix for a bid but their nemesis is Trinity kind of like how Loras was a nemesis of Trinity for a few years. But what a cool place to go to school and play soccer!
Redlands 6-1-1 -- Key results = Whitworth (W); Oglethorpe (W); CMS (L); Pomona-Pitzer (W)
See CMS above. Redlands is also a perennial NCAA candidate and knocked hard on the door of Mr. Final Four in 2016 when ousted in the Elite 8 by St Thomas (MN) 3-2. They lost to Trinity in the round of 32 in 2015, and in 2011 got brutally knocked out in the Elite 8 by Calvin in PKs. CMS won round one this year, but there could be re-match in the SCIAC conference final with a NCAA bid on the line as the WEST rarely snares more than one at large bid (and sometimes none).
Don't want to lose this so will post and then do NORTH later. But also put Pomona-Pitzer, Cal Lutheran, Willamette, Whitman, Southwestern, and St Thomas (TX) on your radar.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 02, 2021, 02:44:40 PM
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-1-1 -- Key results = UC Santa Cruz (T); Oglethorpe (W); Redlands (W); Whittier Poets (W)
CMS has been good in recent years and interestingly traveled to Gambier, OH in 2019 for the Kenyon Sectional and were bounced in the Sweet 16 by Centre who went on to the Final 4. The only loss so far this year was to Westmont, I assume a NAIA or D2 outfit, 1-0. The win over Redlands separated CMS from Redlands in terms of being ranked nationally.
Westmont is typically a very good NAIA program, although the Warriors appear to be a little down this season, if their 3-4 record is any indication. Head coach Dave Wolf, who has been there 30 years and owns a .682 winning percentage as the program's mentor, is a legend as far as Wheaton soccer is concerned. He was the tip of the spear when Wheaton won its first D3 national title back in 1983. He was an All-American there, and later played for the Chicago Sting when they moved to the indoor league.
And...the NORTH...
Augsburg 9-1-0 -- Key results = Puget Sound (W); Macalester (W); Carleton (W); St. John’s (L)
Augsburg marched to a 9-0-0 record before falling yesterday to St. John’s. Coach Greg Holker took over in 2004, inheriting a program that had won seven conference games over an eight year span. The Aggies’ finest hour occurred in 2008 when they bested Whitworth and Redlands before bowing out in the Sweet 16 to Loras. In 2010 Augsburg was bounced early by UWW, and the most recent NCAA appearance was in 2018 when the Aggies suffered a 1st round exit at the hands of Wisconsin-Superior 2-1. Messiah Nation I’m sure already is well aware but Falconer-favorite Samuel Ruiz Plaza has graduated to an assistant coach slot at Augsburg after a graduate assistant year. Augsburg has a showdown with GAC on 10/13, and then back to back donnybrooks with UWW and St Olaf on 10/22 and 10/26.
Gustavus Adolphus 8-3 -- Key results = Wartburg (L); Colorado College (L); UW-Platteville (L); Pac Lutheran (W); Luther (W); Carleton (L); St John’s (W)
After stumbling out of the gate with losses to Wartburg and Colorado College GAC has been on a roll briefly interrupted by a home setback at the feet of Carleton. The Gusties still can determine their own fate as a trio gauntlet awaits in rapid succession with Augsburg, St. Olaf, and UWW on 10/13, 10/16, and 10/17 before closing with Macalester on 10/30. GAC has a sterling 18-3-1 record in 2019 and were bounced in the 2nd round courtesy of North Park in PKs (5-4) after a 1-1 draw. The Gusties also made the tourney in 2018 but the stay was brief with a loss to Dominican. Earlier in the decade GAC lost in the 1st round to UW-Platteville in 2012, the second round to Westminster (MO) in 2013, and the second round to Loras in 2014.
Loras 6-4-1 -- Key results = St Norbert (T); North Park (L); UWW (L); Simpson (L)
Sorry Duhawks fans, Kevin Cavers ain’t walking through that door. When your best W is probably over Nebraska Wesleyan and you just lost in-conference to Simpson, you are looking like a shell of your former self. I’m old enough to recall Loras battling Amherst in a NCAA Final just a few years ago after multiple Final Four appearances. Best overall result so far is a 3-2 LOSS to UWW. Can the Duhawks recapture magic in the Rock Bowl? Probably not, but the ARC is still wide open with no teams appearing NCAA-worthy. Loras desperately needs a win at home versus a beleaguered Dubuque on 10/6.
Luther 6-4 -- Key results = Macalester (W); St Norbert (W); GAC (L); North Park (L); Chicago (L); St Olaf (L)
Luther may be the best team in the ARC, the cream of a milkshake that gets sent back after a couple of sips. The Norse looked competitive in back to back losses to Chicago and North Park. but losses to GAC and St Olaf sandwiched around the Chicago trip meant a brutal stretch of four losses out of five fixtures. Luther faces rival Loras on 10/12 before tilts with Dubuque on 10/20, UW-Plattevile on 10/22 and ARC foe Wartburg on 10/26. Luther often has played second fiddle to Loras and occasionally Wartburg, but 2019 brought an Elite 8 run aided by prevailing in a PK shootout in the Sweet 16 versus OWU before becoming another victim of Calvin.
St Olaf 8-1-1 -- Key results = Colorado Coll (L); Chicago (T); Wartburg (W); Macalester (W); Luther (W);Carleton (W)
St Olaf is looking like the best the North has to offer, and that might be quite good. The last time I recall St Olaf on the national radar was ever so briefly while D3 fans were glued to a compelling 2015 Sweet 16 match with Wheaton (Ill) in a blizzard where even Adam Venatiari would have waved a white flag. Especially in the 2nd half, the ball was being played literally through several inches of snow. The Oles fought valiantly but lost 2-1 in OT. But now we’re in the Travis Wall era, the same Travis Wall who danced and dazzled his way to a 2011 national title at OWU. After mentoring as an assistant to the legend of all NCAA divisions himself, Dr. Jay Martin, Wall took his talents to Northfield and has the St. Olaf program on the rise. The Oles got a big win over cross-town rival Carleton yesterday and now look ahead to St John’s on 10/9, GAC on 10/16, and now blemished Augsburg on 10/26.
UW-Whitewater 8-1-1 -- Key results = St John’s (T); Loras (W); Wash U (L); Wisconsin Lutheran (W)
Challenges remaining on the Warhawks slate are Macalester on 10/10, GAC on 10/17, Augsburg on 10/22 and UW-Platteville on 10/27. After a two season hiatus UWW made the NCAA tourney in 2019 but drew Calvin at Calvin to get things started, yielding a quick exit after a 1-0 loss in a tight game despite the Warhawks getting manhandled on the stats sheet. UWW earned NCAA bids in 2009 (L to Dominican), 2010 (T to Calvin), 2011 (L to Wash U), and 2014, 2015, and 2016 during the era of 6’6 behemoth Justin Stanko, losing to Wheaton, Wheaton again on a Hollingsworth 1st half PK, and Benedictine in a game UWW dominated. With all of those appearances the Warhawks failed to advance past the first weekend, with the exception of the crushing Sweet 16 match with Calvin in 2010 that ended in PK shootout agony.
Other North teams to keep tabs on include Carleton, Dubuque, and UW-Platteville.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 02, 2021, 02:44:40 PM
First, the West, and in no particular order except to start the historical top dog and currently highly rated Trinity Tigers.
Trinity 8-0-0 -- Key results = Willamette (W); Hardin-Simmons W); Texas-Dallas (W); Mary Hardin-Baylor (W); Colorado College W); Centenary (W)
Trinity is always a little hard to place nationally and imo tend to be just a tad over-ranked. Imo the safest bet is to place them #6-#8 at the beginning of the season and just leave them there. No question the Tigers have had one of the premier programs in the country for a very long time, led by a legendary coach and boasting a superb facility. We'll see what happens. Along with Kenyon and F&M, Trinity has had a run of Sweet 16 and Elite 8 finishes, and one of these years they're no doubt gonna break through.
[...]
Don't want to lose this so will post and then do NORTH later. But also put Pomona-Pitzer, Cal Lutheran, Willamette, Whitman, Southwestern, and St Thomas (TX) on your radar.
Thanks for giving the north and west some love and representation on the board. I probably post 75% of the Trinity (TX) content here and it's weak sauce compared to your observations. Would agree that #2 is at least a few places high, especially as they deal with an injured starting keeper and a missing (reason unknown, could be injury) striker who had been averaging over a goal per game. Both have been out for the last week. After having to get a golden goal at home to defeat Centenary (LA) on Friday, Trinity travelled to St. Thomas (TX) for a non-conference matchup today. After the teams exchanged two goals each in a span of six minutes in the first half, it was scoreless the rest of regulation and the first OT despite St. Thomas going a man down with 20' left. The Celts were called for no fewer than seven cards on their home pitch to Trinity's one before a Tiger defender headed in the game winner in the fourth minute of the second OT. The sides will play when it counts again in three weeks, this time in San Antonio, and hopefully Trinity (who also lost a starting defender for the season three games ago) will be closer to full strength by then.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 03, 2021, 08:31:54 PM
Thanks for giving the north and west some love and representation on the board.
I second Ron's motion! Great work, Paul!
Great Stuff. Great Read. Thanks, PN!
Much appreciation for the posts. Enjoyed doing it. Sometimes the best thing on this site is getting a simple thank you.
The box score and a recap of 2015 St Olaf vs Wheaton (Ill) Sweet 16 blizzard game follow below where the squads combined in wretched conditions to fire off 41 shots (23 for Wheaton and 18 for St Olaf). I forgot also that the game was played at the renowned Rock Bowl in Dubuque, the home field of Loras.
After surviving with a Max Carey OT GW, Wheaton went on to lose to host Loras 2-1, courtesy of a Johnny Rummelhart tally for Loras in the 64th minute and an OT GW in the 98th minute via Justin Giacotto. Wheaton had leveled in the 76th minute through as assist from D3soccer 2014 Midfielder of the Year, Marshall Hollingsworth, to one of the Wheaton Golz brothers, Stephen.
On a trivia note, the Elite 8 tilt between Wheaton and Loras had to be postponed due to the blizzard...and played on a Monday to determine the last 2015 Final 4 puzzle piece (as Wheaton cannot play on a Sunday).
And of course Loras went on to be denied their 1st national title after a run of Final 4 appearances as Amherst prevailed in a taut national final 2-1, with Loras' Rummelhart putting the Duhawks out front in the 9th minute. Amherst's Jackson Lehnhart (a lot of 'harts' that day and iirc Lehnhart was an Alaska product) leveled in the 14th minute. The GW came through Bryce Ciambella assisted by Greg Singer. Also iirc Amherst's Nico Pascual-Leone was the Final 4 MVP and/or the D3soccer 2015 Midfielder of the Year. That national final occurred at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, MO.
https://athletics.stolaf.edu/sports/mens-soccer/stats/2015/wheaton-college-ill-/boxscore/1656
https://www.d3soccer.com/seasons/men/2015/contrib/20151121epfda4
A PN "under the hood" segment...
The Dubuque Spartans 11-3-1 (7-0-0)
Dubuque entered the 2021 campaign with very high expectations, coming off a 2020 "I didn't know they even played" Covid Spring season that saw the Spartans take the American Rivers Conference (ARC) crown with a 6-1-1 record. Dubuque sputtered out of the gate and after a 9/22 2-1 loss to UW-Platteville the Spartans were sitting at a pedestrian 3-3-1 (with a pair of 1-0 losses to North Central and Grinnell and an earlier draw with Milwaukee School of Engineering. However, since then, Dubuque has ripped off 8 straight wins and is unblemished in the ARC. A solid 2-0 victory over Luther a few days ago cemented the regular season title for the Spartans. There are no other truly signature wins so far given Loras' retreat to mediocrity, but a end of the regular match with a bipolarish Carthage squad on 10/23 may be informative.
Dubuque is led by Brad Johnson, a Loras grad who still holds the Duhawks records for goals and points, and that's saying something because at least up to 2015 Loras had been one of the top 5 programs in the country and a frequent guest of the Final Four for nearly a decade. Loras also of course happens to be in Dubuque, literally .7 of a mile away in the Key City. The Spartans have waited quite a while for town bragging rights. If my quick review was accurate, Dubuque as recently as 2018 was a paltry 4-12, and the only NCAA appearance was a brief one in 2016 when the Spartans were unceremoniously bounced in the first round by Westminster (I'm assuming MO).
A rapid scan of the Dubuque roster shows at least 12 Swedes (with likely more given a handful of players with no origin listed), and players from Italy, Germany, England, and Ireland. How some schools attract so many internationals, including for example North Carolina Wesleyan and other under the radar programs, and how all that works is worthy of a feature article and/or thread in itself, but I digress...
Dubuque is led in goals by senior Luwara and junior Skog-Johansson, and in assists by table-setter sophs Niyibizi and Gray as well as frosh Wooldridge.
I've tried over the years to direct some attention Westward, but for whatever reason except for the primary Trinity (TX) affiliate, we just haven't been able to generate any real West traffic. And since Loras dipped from its status as perennial top 5 program we get little about the North except for occasions when Mr. Sager can offer some information. I don't totally get it, as I hear the internet works pretty well on the West Coast too.
Redlands has been a legit program for years, and just listening to his Youtube clip on their site you can tell that he is one of the greats in D3 coaching. A 1973 grad of Oneonta he was part of an Oneonta national finalist squad (when Oneonta was D1?). Since 2006 he taken Redlands to numerous NCAA tourneys, including two Elite 8 and two Sweet 16 appearances.
Sounds like the Bulldogs lost some key talent and they have an ambitious early start....in Michigan now from Calvin, followed by Hope, and then a tilt with Montclair St followed by chief rival C-M-S. After those four Redlands finally gets a break against hapless Caltech.
I'll throw in a modest amount of intel from California
C-M-S opened at UC Santa Cruz last night before their trip to play at Trinity on Saturday and Southwestern on Monday. It's kind of a brutal road trip to open the season because Santa Cruz is a minimum of a 6.5 hour bus ride from Claremont and then the quick turnaround to fly to Texas. More likely they're doing a three-legged flight to San Jose/Oakland and San Antonio instead. Either way, C-M-S tied Santa Cruz 1-1 on Thursday, which is a decent result, but I would have expected a bit more from C-M-S given that they were voted #1 in the SCIAC coaches' pre-season poll. Santa Cruz was a midtable team last year, although they always have potential (for in-state students, they are massively cheaper than the private D3 options so it's like they can effectively offer scholarships). Part of the challenge for UCSC is that they have such a quirky schedule because they have to travel a lot to find opponents and don't play in-conference until the end of the season in a tourney (which, itself is often far away). So, it's not clear how to read this result. C-M-S also tied Bethesda (a NCCAA school in Anaheim) in an exhibition 0-0 and Bethesda lost to Cal Tech 6-3 in another exhibition and lost 3-0 to Occidental in the first game of the regular season for both teams, so I would have expected C-M-S to trample them even if it was preseason. I don't want to attribute too much significance to trying to triangulate results against Bethesda, especially from exhibition matches, but it feels like C-M-S under its new head coach isn't hitting on all cylinders yet. The Trinity game will be a big test.
Occidental may surprise a little this year. They have scored 12 goals in two exhibition games (Soka and Cal Mirimar) and their regular season opener against Bethesda. Once again, the exhibition games don't deserve a lot of attention, but it is noteworthy that they are playing a decent crop of freshmen, including their new starting GK. One thing that Oxy has going for it this year is that its head coach is director of coaching at a local club that is now MLS Next and he coached the oldest age group last year. They were DA before the pandemic, but the club only had U12 and U13 age groups in DA, so this is his first year he coached a team in the top league at a recruiting age. He brought over three kids from his MLS Next team to Oxy as freshman this year (on a team that also placed kids with D1 schools like University of San Diego, UC Irvine, and Cal State Northridge) and they've all gotten decent playing time thus far, including one scoring a brace in the Bethesda opener.
Laverne lost yesterday to St. Katherine's (an NAIA school) 1-0. That doesn't bode well since St. Katherine's was 3-14-1 last season. It's also not going to help out the strength-of-schedule for Montclair State, which is playing Laverne on Sept 8, although presumably Montclair St is counting on its game against Redlands two days later to do more for it in that department.
Redlands lost some important players, but they will probably still be strong. Grad student Collin Chubbfertal, their leading scorer last year with 14 goals, is out of eligibility. They also lose their grad defender Arian Mogharei, SCIAC defensive player of the year, who started all 21 games and had 5 goals and 3 assists, and another grad student Mikey Flota, who started all 21 games on defense as well. Peyton Menti, who has started every game the last two full seasons on defense, returns for a grad year to help anchor the defense, but he will have to lead a less experienced backline.
@Kuiper, excellent. Thanks.
I can't think of any valid reason why every region doesn't have at least 2-3 regular posters who can provide the kind of info you just did. And one would think the coaches of the programs and/or SIDs would promote that, even if informally encouraging parents to be active posters.
It is well known that I am responsible for Kenyon's success since around 2013 and no doubt my posting has brought in the vast majority of Owls recruits. Alas, if I'm going to take credit I am also forced to own the failures.
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 02, 2022, 06:42:14 PM
@Kuiper, excellent. Thanks.
I can't think of any valid reason why every region doesn't have at least 2-3 regular posters who can provide the kind of info you just did. And one would think the coaches of the programs and/or SIDs would promote that, even if informally encouraging parents to be active posters.
It is well known that I am responsible for Kenyon's success since around 2013 and no doubt my posting has brought in the vast majority of Owls recruits. Alas, if I'm going to take credit I am also forced to own the failures.
@PaulNewman, It's your fault that they looked average today.
SC.
Quote from: SimpleCoach on September 02, 2022, 06:52:54 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 02, 2022, 06:42:14 PM
@Kuiper, excellent. Thanks.
I can't think of any valid reason why every region doesn't have at least 2-3 regular posters who can provide the kind of info you just did. And one would think the coaches of the programs and/or SIDs would promote that, even if informally encouraging parents to be active posters.
It is well known that I am responsible for Kenyon's success since around 2013 and no doubt my posting has brought in the vast majority of Owls recruits. Alas, if I'm going to take credit I am also forced to own the failures.
@PaulNewman, It's your fault that they looked average today.
SC.
Well, sir, that was yesterday. The Owls looked phenomenal in practice today. But yes, I did play poorly yesterday, and I make no excuses.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 02, 2022, 06:00:15 PM
I'll throw in a modest amount of intel from California
C-M-S opened at UC Santa Cruz last night before their trip to play at Trinity on Saturday and Southwestern on Monday. It's kind of a brutal road trip to open the season because Santa Cruz is a minimum of a 6.5 hour bus ride from Claremont and then the quick turnaround to fly to Texas. More likely they're doing a three-legged flight to San Jose/Oakland and San Antonio instead. Either way, C-M-S tied Santa Cruz 1-1 on Thursday, which is a decent result, but I would have expected a bit more from C-M-S given that they were voted #1 in the SCIAC coaches' pre-season poll. Santa Cruz was a midtable team last year, although they always have potential (for in-state students, they are massively cheaper than the private D3 options so it's like they can effectively offer scholarships). Part of the challenge for UCSC is that they have such a quirky schedule because they have to travel a lot to find opponents and don't play in-conference until the end of the season in a tourney (which, itself is often far away). So, it's not clear how to read this result. C-M-S also tied Bethesda (a NCCAA school in Anaheim) in an exhibition 0-0 and Bethesda lost to Cal Tech 6-3 in another exhibition and lost 3-0 to Occidental in the first game of the regular season for both teams, so I would have expected C-M-S to trample them even if it was preseason. I don't want to attribute too much significance to trying to triangulate results against Bethesda, especially from exhibition matches, but it feels like C-M-S under its new head coach isn't hitting on all cylinders yet. The Trinity game will be a big test.
Occidental may surprise a little this year. They have scored 12 goals in two exhibition games (Soka and Cal Mirimar) and their regular season opener against Bethesda. Once again, the exhibition games don't deserve a lot of attention, but it is noteworthy that they are playing a decent crop of freshmen, including their new starting GK. One thing that Oxy has going for it this year is that its head coach is director of coaching at a local club that is now MLS Next and he coached the oldest age group last year. They were DA before the pandemic, but the club only had U12 and U13 age groups in DA, so this is his first year he coached a team in the top league at a recruiting age. He brought over three kids from his MLS Next team to Oxy as freshman this year (on a team that also placed kids with D1 schools like University of San Diego, UC Irvine, and Cal State Northridge) and they've all gotten decent playing time thus far, including one scoring a brace in the Bethesda opener.
Laverne lost yesterday to St. Katherine's (an NAIA school) 1-0. That doesn't bode well since St. Katherine's was 3-14-1 last season. It's also not going to help out the strength-of-schedule for Montclair State, which is playing Laverne on Sept 8, although presumably Montclair St is counting on its game against Redlands two days later to do more for it in that department.
Redlands lost some important players, but they will probably still be strong. Grad student Collin Chubbfertal, their leading scorer last year with 14 goals, is out of eligibility. They also lose their grad defender Arian Mogharei, SCIAC defensive player of the year, who started all 21 games and had 5 goals and 3 assists, and another grad student Mikey Flota, who started all 21 games on defense as well. Peyton Menti, who has started every game the last two full seasons on defense, returns for a grad year to help anchor the defense, but he will have to lead a less experienced backline.
I promise I won't go back to my Bethesda transitive property measuring stick after this weekend, but it's somewhat useful since so many SCIAC teams play them early in the season. Pomona-Pitzer beat Bethesda 8-0 today (as compared with Oxy winning 3-0 on opening day, Cal Tech beating them 6-3 in an exhibition and C-M-S tying them also in an exhibition). Pomona-Pitzer's captain, Matthew Carlson scored 4 goals and their speedy forward Kyle Lau added a brace. P-P was up 1-0 and then exploded in the second half for 7 goals. All sorts of caveats, including that Bethesda played Occidental yesterday (and it was really hot today for a 4 pm game today). Nevertheless, P-P was young last year and so I wouldn't be surprised if they move up a bit this year. Westmont next week will be a good test since they are typically a better NAIA team.
Trinity beat C-M-S 2-0 yesterday. I couldn't watch the game, but the fact that C-M-S had 2 shots, 1 on goal, and Trinity had 20 shots with 11 on goal (C-M-S's GK was credited with 9 saves), does suggest that the score was, if anything, a bit flattering for C-M-S. Both Trinity goals came in the second half.
After that, it was all ties, which is going to make it even harder for teams to build their cases for NCAA invites.
(in a note that is both WEST and NORTH), Cal Lutheran tied Saint John's (MN) 1-1 in the UC Santa Cruz tournament. They play Macalester on Monday in the tourney.
In the same event, UC Santa Cruz tied Macalester, also 1-1. It was interesting to me that both teams only used 5 subs, especially considering it was a high of 92 there and this was a midday game.
As an aside, lots of games are being adjusted because of excessive heat advisories in this area. Oxy's game v. Berry tomorrow has been moved from 11 am to 8 am, because it will be 70s instead of 90s. Farther inland in the San Bernardino/Riverside area, temperatures have been consistently over 100.
LaVerne tied Berry (GA) 0-0. That's a big improvement after losing to St. Katherine's in the opener.
Chapman tied NAIA side Vanguard 0-0. That's a pretty good result. Vanguard was 14-5-1 last year, won their conference tournament, and qualified for the NAIA national tournament.
Thanks @Kuiper.....it is very helpful to have additional posters willing to provide some color including outside of their own teams and conferences.
Occidental lost to Berry 2-1 in an 8 am game moved because of the excessive heat warnings, which may have helped the visitors more than the home side if Berry is still operating off of eastern time. Berry got on the board first in the 9th minute and Oxy was chasing the game for the rest of the way out, going down 2-0 at halftime before getting one back in the 78th minute. The stats are the kind you tend to see when one team gets out front and then sits back, with Oxy getting 20 SOG, 14 in the second half, compared with Berry's 8, only 2 of which were in the second half. Berry's GK made 9 saves to preserve the win.
In a game played at Trinity's stadium this morning, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps tied Southwestern 0-0. C-M-S largely controlled play (and they have a very nice style of play that seeks to possess and bring the ball up the sides -- usually the left in this game), but couldn't find the back of the net. C-M-S outshot Southwestern 25-5 and forced the Southwestern keeper, Jack Viles, to make 9 saves (which may be a career high for the USC First Team All-American in 2021), including a nice double save before half time. None of Southwestern's 5 shots were on frame. C-M-S also had a 16-1 edge on corner kicks. Plus, C-M-S had some chances cleared off the line by the defense, including a great header off a corner in the first few minutes of the game. C-M-S has some good additions this year, including midfielder Patrick Watkins, who is a D1 grad transfer from DePaul and Shaan Malik on the left, who is a pacey freshman coming from Barca Residency Academy's MLS Next squad in AZ. Viles was the difference in this game, although Southwestern's defense as a whole did a good job of desperation defending and just crowding the box and making things difficult for C-M-S.
Park University (Gilbert), an NAIA side from AZ, beat Cal Tech 3-0.
Cal Lutheran beat Macalester 1-0 in Santa Cruz, scoring on a free kick in a game that appears to have been pretty even.
Just to give some time to the Pacific Northwest, I wanted to note that Pacific Lutheran, the 5x winner of the Northwest Conference and the team that upset Trinity in the first round of the NCAA's last year (hosted by Pac Lutheran), has started the season 3-0 after beating Colorado College 3-1 today. They return players who scored 49 of the 57 goals scored last year and most of their defensive starters. They also added a JC transfer in defense who started against Colorado College, so they haven't lost a beat in terms of experience.
A big regional test will come next weekend as Pac Lutheran hosts Cal Lutheran on Friday, 9/9 and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Sunday 9/11.
The other regional news of note is that Lewis & Clark has started a new men's soccer team from scratch that is playing this year. It's not that often that a new D3 program pops up in the West and Lewis & Clark is a really interesting one because it has a beautiful campus in Portland, a city that is considered attractive to a lot of students, it has good academics, and it already has decent soccer facilities because of their women's team. Plus, they've started by having the women's staff coach both teams, which means longtime University of Portland Men's Coach, Bill Irwin, is on staff for Lewis & Clark's men's team this year. Their first roster is all freshmen and sophomores (who were on the L&C club team last year) and I'm sure it will be a bit rough at first, but with the right coaching I imagine they will be able to recruit reasonably well. The first roster has more players from California (7), than from Oregon (2) and Washington (4) combined.
Willamette and C-M-S tied 0-0 in a frenetic end-to-end affair. C-M-S brought the ball up with a bit more flair and passing/movement than Williamette, but ultimately they didn't have anyone who could hammer it home. They had one great shot from a tough angle that hit the cross bar, but otherwise their attacks seemed to fizzle in the final third.
Pac Lutheran beat Cal Lutheran 2-1.
Cal Tech beat San Diego Christian 3-0
Redlands and Montclair St tied 1-1. Redlands went up 1-0 early, but a double yellow about 5 min before halftime changed the game and Montclair was able to equalize midway through the second half. Credit to Redlands for holding on for the tie amidst Montclair's pressure being down a man, but that was the best they could do under the circumstances. All in all, Redlands and C-M-S have had disappointing non conference schedules. The Pacific Lutheran - C-M-S game tomorrow takes on added significance.
Stunning result from St Peter, MN...not necessarily the outcome but the way it happened. Loras was up 1-0 on GAC and it seemed that the game was over...like the stream stopped. GAC scored three times in less than 2 minutes from the 83rd to 85th minute. Big win for GAC that may be extremely valuable in November.
Elsewhere, Trinity (TX) falls to TX-Dallas 2-1, dropping to a a very unfamiliar 1-1-2.
Cal Lutheran - Williamette took a sharp turn in the second half. Cal Lut was up 3-1 in the 65th minute and then was whistled for a penalty in the 66th minute, leading Williamette to bring the score to 3-2. In the 72d minute, Williamette got a third to tie the game at 3-3, which is where it finished. Given all of these ties among and between the SoCal and PNW schools, it's going to make it hard for anyone to make a case for a tourney bid.
Colorado College go 2-0 on their Texas road trip with a 4-0 victory over Univ of Dallas after beating Austin College 3-1 on Friday.
Puget Sound tied NAIA side College of Idaho 1-1.
Lewis & Clark, in their first official varsity men's soccer game since 1991, lost to College of Idaho 6-0 on Friday.
La Verne beat Linfield 5-2
NAIA side Westmont [corrected from Westminster] beat Pomona-Pitzer 2-0
Occidental beat Hope Int'l 2-0 to finish their non-conference schedule 3-1. Only Chapman is ahead of them entering SCIAC play with a 2-0-1 record.
In the big game, Pacific Lutheran, which is undefeated going into Northwest Conference play, beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2-1. The teams were tied 1-1 in the second half before Pac Lut scored the winning goal on a header off a corner in the 78th minute. C-M-S will limp into SCIAC play with 3 ties and 2 losses (albeit to its two strongest opponents - Trinity and Pac Lutheran), while Pac Lutheran is on a 5 game winning streak.
I think westminister is going D2 next year
Quote from: BigSoccerFan on September 11, 2022, 09:44:15 PM
I think westminister is going D2 next year
Sorry. I typed Westminster, but meant Westmont.
Here are the first USC Region X rankings for the season. It may be the first time in recent memory that not a single California team makes the top ten
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 1 - September 13, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University NR 4-0-0
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) NR 4-0-0
3 University of Texas-Dallas NR 3-0-1
4 Concordia University (Texas) NR 4-1-0
5 University of Puget Sound NR 3-0-1
6 Willamette University NR 1-0-2
7 Trinity University (Texas) NR 1-1-1
8 Colorado College NR 2-2-1
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps v. Redlands, which would normally be considered the big game in SCIAC, kind of matched the two teams' performance in non-conference games with the teams tying 0-0. C-M-S had a little more offense and forced the Redlands GK to do a little more, but neither team was able to generate any goals and both teams remain winless. It's possible, even likely, that one of them will win the conference since none of the other teams in the conference really have a win against a strong opponent either, but we'll see.
Chapman and Occidental tied 2-2, with Oxy pulling even on a goal from freshman Tyler Na-Nakompanom in the 87th minute (his second of the night). This is Tyler's second brace of the season and he's proven to be a handful for defenders. Incidentally, I didn't go to this game, but the reported attendance was 835. I believe it. The lowest Oxy has drawn this season thus far is 638 and the highest is 1209 (on Labor Day). Oxy has a great stadium and gets pretty good community support. Since the school ended football, soccer has been the main draw (at Jack Kemp Stadium for those who remember him as a football player). It's a fun atmosphere and I'm sure that helped the team. For comparison's sake, the CMS-Redlands game, played at Redlands at the same time as the Oxy-Chapman game, had a reported attendance of 91.
If someone other than CMS or Redlands wins SCIAC this year, it could be Cal Lutheran. They opened with a 4-1 victory over Cal Tech and played Pac Lutheran close (losing 2-1) and tied Williamette 3-3 on their trip up to Oregon.
Occidental beat Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 on a late goal in the 80th minute. It feels like these are two mid-table teams, but at this point Oxy is sitting on a 4-1-1 record at the top of the SCIAC when non-conference schedule is included.
Redlands took out their frustration on Cal Tech, winning 5-0 for their first victory of the season. Any team that was doubting Redlands without looking at the degree of difficulty of their non-conference schedule did so at their own peril.
Colorado College's defeat of Trinity is a really big win for them. It comes on the heels of a sweep of Austin College and University of Dallas in a Texas road trip. This is also Colorado College's first home game of the season. Last year, their only home loss was to Trinity, so they could go undefeated at home this year given their quality and the difficulty for other teams playing them at altitude.
C-M-S beats La Verne 2-1, but it wasn't easy and took a late goal for C-M-S to pull ahead. Things still aren't right in Claremont, although, like Redlands, they at least find their first win of the season.
Chapman beat Whittier 1-0.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 17, 2022, 06:10:31 PM
Occidental beat Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 on a late goal in the 80th minute. It feels like these are two mid-table teams, but at this point Oxy is sitting on a 4-1-1 record at the top of the SCIAC when non-conference schedule is included.
Redlands took out their frustration on Cal Tech, winning 5-0 for their first victory of the season. Any team that was doubting Redlands without looking at the degree of difficulty of their non-conference schedule did so at their own peril.
Colorado College's defeat of Trinity is a really big win for them. It comes on the heels of a sweep of Austin College and University of Dallas in a Texas road trip. This is also Colorado College's first home game of the season. Last year, their only home loss was to Trinity, so they could go undefeated at home this year given their quality and the difficulty for other teams playing them at altitude.
Is this the Astec of D3?
Quote from: camosfan on September 18, 2022, 01:02:28 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on September 17, 2022, 06:10:31 PM
Occidental beat Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 on a late goal in the 80th minute. It feels like these are two mid-table teams, but at this point Oxy is sitting on a 4-1-1 record at the top of the SCIAC when non-conference schedule is included.
Redlands took out their frustration on Cal Tech, winning 5-0 for their first victory of the season. Any team that was doubting Redlands without looking at the degree of difficulty of their non-conference schedule did so at their own peril.
Colorado College's defeat of Trinity is a really big win for them. It comes on the heels of a sweep of Austin College and University of Dallas in a Texas road trip. This is also Colorado College's first home game of the season. Last year, their only home loss was to Trinity, so they could go undefeated at home this year given their quality and the difficulty for other teams playing them at altitude.
Is this the Astec of D3?
It's not quite Mexico's Azteca (which is 7200 feet), but it is reportedly 6035+ feet. Not sure any other D3 team could come close to that given the absence of D3 programs in the Rockies. There's a reason cycling and so many other sports train at the USOC training center in Colorado Springs, which is about 5 minutes from Colorado College's campus.
Damn! Pac Luth goes down. Happy for Willamette but have to adjust my ballot again!
There are a few non-conference games in the North this week that could have national rankings/tournament implications.
This afternoon, Luther is playing at St. Olaf. Luther is 5-1-1, while St. Olaf is only 4-3, but St. Olaf has played a pretty strong non-conference schedule with two of their losses to University of Chicago and North Park. Luther and St. Olaf both lost to Chicago by identical 2-1 scores, so this game could be fairly evenly matched.
Tomorrow, 6-0 and #1 ranked (D3Soccer) University of Chicago plays at 5-0-2 and #9 ranked (D3Soccer) Calvin. Calvin is coming off a 2-2 tie with Cornerstone on a PK by Cornerstone to tie it up in the 87th minute. Calvin outshot Cornerstone 30-10 and forced Cornerstone's keeper to make 13 saves, so I expect Calvin were frustrated with the result and are eager to rebound, especially against Chicago. One interesting thing to watch is whether Chicago defender Griffin Wada plays. He sat out the last game against Luther.
Bunch of games in the SCIAC tonight.
Cal Lutheran beat Whittier 2-0.
La Verne beat Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 in what has to be considered a disappointment for P-P, which had a number of chances in the final minutes and couldn't find the net. It was the kind of game where at least 3-4 P-P players were lying on the pitch at the end of the game after expending so much effort in the second half to try to claw back after La Verne's goal just before the end of the first half.
Claremont-Mckenna-Scripps found their shooting boots and crushed a decent Chapman team that had been undefeated (albeit with 3 ties) by a 4-0 margin. The game was tight in the first half and C-M-S only led 1-0 at the break, but they exploded for 3 goals in the second, including 2 within one minute of each other in the 63rd and 64th minutes to put things to bed early.
Redlands might have thought they were cruising to a similar result as C-M-S in their game against Occidental after being ahead 2-0 at the break, but Oxy had different ideas in an entertaining game. In the second, Oxy scored on a breakaway in the 54th minute and applied pretty steady pressure on Redlands throughout the second half. It really took Redlands' GK Seth Lawrence standing on his head (almost literally) on a couple of chances at the end of the game to preserve the 2-1 win. It will be interesting to see the rematch for this game (SCIAC teams play each other twice a season), because Oxy looked to be the more dangerous team in the second half, while Redlands was firmly in control in the first half.
A couple of upsets last night in the SCIAC have really left the league up for grabs this season and suggest the possibility of a changing of the guard. Both winning teams played at home, though, so the losers will have the chance for revenge when they play at their home parks later in the season in the SCIAC's round robin format.
Occidental beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2-1 in a game that snapped C-M-S' 19 game unbeaten streak in league play, which dated back to the 2019 season (with the 2020 season cancelled). Oxy continued their strong play from the second half of their 2-1 loss to Redlands by jumping out to a 2-0 lead at halftime. One of those goals was scored by sophomore Andrew Notter, who is quickly becoming the Tigers' most dangerous player after scoring the lone goal for Oxy v. Redlands. Notter played for De Anza Force's Development Academy teams at U17/U19, but only got two games as a freshman at Oxy. He's a big midfielder with speed and technical ability. C-M-S made a run in the second half and scored on a flicked on long throw-in, but this was not a game where Oxy nipped a few lucky chances and just held on. They outshot C-M-S 20-13 and had 12 corner kicks to C-M-S' 6. C-M-S was the one trying to muck up the game by fouling, committing 17 to Oxy's 9.
At the same time Oxy beat C-M-S, Cal Luthern beat Redlands for the first time since 2017 by a score of 1-0. Unlike in the Oxy-C-M-S game, this was a game where Redlands failed to put away their chances as much as Cal Lutheran capitalized on their best opportunity. Redlands outshot Cal Lutheran 17-13 and had 14 corner kicks to Cal Lutheran's 6. Cal Lutheran was the one trying to slow Redlands down by committing fouls at a clip of 25 to 16. Regardless of how they did it, though, Cal Lutheran sits on top of the SCIAC standings with a 3-0 record in conference and 4-1-2 record overall, while Occidental, Chapman, Redlands, and C-M-S are in a four way tie for second at 2-1-1.
In other games, Whittier notched their first win of the season (albeit non-conference) away against UC Santa Cruz by a 2-1 score, Chapman beat La Verne 4-0, and Pomona-Pitzer beat Cal Tech 3-1.
In the Northwest Conference, Willamette beat Pacific 5-0 on Saturday and George Fox 7-0 on Sunday to run it's conference record to a league-leading 4-0 and 6-0-2 overall. With wins over Colorado College, UC Santa Cruz, and Pacific Lutheran, plus ties to Cal Lutheran and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, they are in contention for being one of the best of a weaker west coast this year, even though C-M-S's down year won't help Willamette's strength of schedule.
The rest of the middle tier of the Northwest Conference are just beating each other up and treading water. Puget Sound beat Whitman 3-1 on Saturday, but lost to Whitworth 2-1 on Sunday, while Pacific Lutheran beat Whitworth 3-1 on Saturday, and lost to Whitman 2-1 on Sunday
I watched the first half of the Willamette - Lewis & Clark game and feel like I should get some kind of merit badge for going above and beyond the call of duty. I was kind of curious about it, though, since Willamette played games on Saturday and Sunday, making this the team's third game in three days. Willamette's schedule doesn't indicate it is anything but a regular game, but Lewis & Clark's schedule lists it as an exhibition game. L&C has to be correct since Willamette is playing a whole bunch of underclassman with high numbers who rarely get any playing time and maybe 1 defender and 1-2 other players who don't get to start much. Willamette is up 1-0 at half on a goal early in the first half that exploited a breakdown in L&C's defense and they do look more organized and more skilled generally, but they give the ball up pretty cheaply and L&C can muck up the game enough to bother them. The best player on the L&C team might be their GK, a tall (6'4") player who made one decent 1 v 1 save (although I would be remiss if I didn't mention that he committed my cardinal sin of coming out for a cross and weakly punching it one handed to the side rather than going for the uncontested catch).
After the first half, my conclusion is that the gap between (1) last year's L&C club players who were willing to play varsity + some freshman who were recruited at the last minute by the coaches of the women's team who couldn't have had much time to spend on recruiting for the men since they were recruiting for the women's team too, and (2) Willamette's reserves is not that large. I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't true at a lot of schools, although Willamette's freshman are more likely to be contributors eventually than many players on true reserve teams.
UPDATE: After typing that, L&C scored the tying goal on a breakaway and it is now 1-1. Lots of excitement. Might be one of their first goals of the rebirth.
The big game in the North tonight is #4 North Park at #1 Chicago at 7 pm local time. Chicago has met all challengers thus far, but North Park will be a tough out to be sure in the last of Chicago's string of tough non-conference games.
In the West, Cal Lutheran at Chapman is an opportunity to see if either team can really start to separate itself from the pack, especially with Occidental likely feasting on Cal Tech later that evening and Redlands/CMS having winnable games too v Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier, respectively. A 4 pm (local) game on a Wed isn't going to draw much of a crowd for Chapman, so I'm not sure it gets much of a home field advantage other than avoiding a bus trip on the 101/405 interchange (which is no fun at any time of day!)
More chaos and near-chaos in SCIAC tonight.
Occidental beat Cal Tech 2-1, but the game was tied 1-1 at halftime and Oxy had to work for it. Given that Cal Lutheran beat Cal Tech 4-1, Redlands beat them 5-0, and Pomona-Pitzer beat them 3-1, this score doesn't exactly inspire confidence in Oxy moving up in the national rankings. It did leave Oxy tied for first in SCIAC on points, although not in PPG, at 3-1-1. This wasn't the biggest game of the night, but it did bring out the fans as they had 783 in attendance on a Wednesday night at Oxy.
CMS beat Whittier 3-0. The game was tied 0-0 at half, but CMS came out inspired and scored three goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Despite CMS' rocky start to the season, it's now 3-1-1 and tied for first in points and tied for second with Oxy in PPG.
The game that should have been the big game in the conference tonight - Cal Lutheran at Chapman - was kind of a dud and finished 0-0. Cal Lutheran looked a bit more threatening offensively in the first half, and Chapman looked more threatening in the second, but neither team really distinguished itself. Cal Lutheran maintains its hold on first in the conference, but only narrowly.
The best game of the night turned out to be Pomona Pitzer at Redlands. This was the first real barnburner of the season, with Pomona-Pitzer winning 4-3 in a game that was tied 2-2 at half. I would say that this was a game for two great offenses, but it's more like this was a game for GK errors and leaky defenses. Redlands' senior keeper had one ball go through his hands for a goal in the first half. Pomona-Pitzer's freshman keeper then tried to catch a cross at the corner of the box with his body rather than his hands and it bounced back to the onrushing striker who kicked it home for a goal in the first half. Pomona brought in a different keeper in the second half, a sophomore, and he was caught between a hold and a parry on a diving save of a shot on the ground and left it in the path of an onrushing Redlands striker, who hit it home. Then, Pomona scored two goals in the second half on set plays, one of which was headed in by Pomona's big 6'3" freshman defender Niclas Ulrich from Bethesda, MD and a second by Ulrich again for the win on a poor clearance from a free kick that went right to him at the top of the six yard box and he calmly one-timed it to the opposite corner of the goal. This was Pomona-Pitzer's first win over Redlands since 2018.
More importantly, this means Pomona holds the tie-breaker over Redlands for playoff purposes since it's the only time they play each other this year. I recently realized that SCIAC is no longer completely round robin (presumably to allow for more non-conference play). They play four schools twice and four schools once. For example, Pomona plays Oxy, Redlands, Cal Tech and La Verne once, but Cal Lutheran, Chapman, Whittier, and CMS twice. CMS, by contrast, plays La Verne, Whittier, Oxy, and Chapman once, but Redlands, Cal Lutheran, Pomona-Pitzer, and Cal Tech twice. That could impact qualification for the conference playoffs (and SOS for NCAA purposes) since some teams will have harder conference schedules than others, but this is also what allowed schools like CMS and Redlands to schedule challenging non-conference teams to try to up their SOS.
Here are United Soccer Coaches' regional rankings for Region X as of Sept 27. Cal Lutheran and Chapman tied on Wednesday and Occidental beat Cal Tech, so those results wouldn't affect these rankings. Mary-Hardin-Baylor did tie LeTourneau Thursday, though, which could hurt them in the next poll. St. Thomas plays at Colorado College this afternoon. So does Pac Lutheran against George Fox, but that can't help them and can only hurt them if they don't get the full three points or underwhelm.
Region X - Poll 3 - September 27, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 7-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-1
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 6-2-0
4 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-2
5 Occidental College 8 4-2-1
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 4-1-1
7 Chapman University NR 4-1-2
8 Colorado College 6 4-2-2
St. Thomas tied Colorado College 1-1 this afternoon. CC started out fast and got a goal on a quick breakaway with a chip over the keeper in the 5th minute, but the striker was called offside. Instead, about 5 minutes later, St. Thomas scored on a free kick (which looked to be deflected) that left the CC keeper standing still. I don't know whether St. Thomas was already feeling the effects of the altitude or whether the plan was always to nick a goal as quickly as possible and then hang on in-between sucking in air for the rest of the game, but the time wasting and other ****housery began even though it was only 10-11 minutes into the game. First, on a missed shot the St. Thomas GK went back and got a drink of water, moved his towel and water bottle, went in search of a ball (the farthest away no doubt) etc and the ref gave him a talking to. Then, while the ref was sorting things out near the goal on a free kick for St. Thomas near midfield, the camera, which stayed on the ball, showed the St. Thomas player casually moving the ball up about 15 yards, leading a CC player to challenge him and the ref had to intervene and gave the St. Thomas player a yellow. The time-wasting stopped when Colorado College scored on a well-worked play to the right side of the box for a left footed shot over the GK to the right corner of the goal to tie it at 1-1 in around the 15th minute, but the other nonsense continued. For example, when the ref called a foul for St. Thomas, the St. Thomas played mock clapped for the ref and he got a yellow. Basically, the St. Thomas players were chirping at the ref all half whether the call was in their favor (asking for a card) or not, and the ref was taking none of it. When they weren't doing that, they were using all of the dark arts on the sly.
Most of that, however, stopped for the second half. I credit St. Thomas' coaches in part, who probably calmed their players down at half, and the ref, in part, who likely looked at the 5 yellow cards handed out to St. Thomas to 1 to Colorado College on one half, and realized he might have been overreacting to things (St. Thomas has only gotten 14 yellows and 1 red in the 8 games prior to this one, so 5 in a half was out of character for them). In the second half, the ref may have wanted to even things out and started handing out yellows to CC and cards ended up tied at 5-5. Otherwise, it was a decent game, if not a pretty one. The GKs started punting back and forth to each other's boxes (apparently forgetting that the ball carries better in altitude), which was annoying, but St. Thomas had a few chances to win it toward the end, including a dangerous free kick in the 87th minute, forcing the CC keeper to make a great top-hand save.
A couple of minor notes that might only be of interest to me:
- There was one play in the 89th minute that illustrates the danger with the GK punching the ball in the box. On a high bouncing ball that had emerged from a scrum at the top of the box, the CC GK realized he needed to come off his line to make a play with a striker onrushing alongside a defender. The GK tried to awkwardly punch the ball with one hand and it looked like he ended up catching the striker in the jaw. I wasn't sure because the ****housery wasn't quite over and the striker went down in the kind of exaggerated fashion that generates suspicion, but the ref had called a foul before that anyway so the play was dead and he decided to do nothing further. I suspect the GK got kind of lucky on that.
- St. Thomas only used 3 subs the whole game, one of whom was a defender who came on a played the remainder of the game for a player who I think came out with injury before halftime. That's kind of insane at altitude. Maybe they aren't very deep or brought a thin roster, but they might just be very well conditioned. The only player who looked like he really was struggling at times was their striker #9, who was a big powerful guy that CC lost at times early in the game and fouled later in the game on plays where it looked like the big fella was going down a bit easier than he might have normally because of the exhaustion.
@Kuiper, I was trying to think about how I would describe a gut feeling that STU would be unlikely to escape the first weekend of the NCAA tourney (if they get there) and certainly would not prevail at the Sweet 16 level. And your post explains it really well.
Despite everything you said, STU should have won that game. They had two steals not that far out of the box basically putting them 1v1 with the GK at close range, and for whatever reason the player each time drifted left (once with a move and once with a pass) and essentially snuffed themselves out when should have scored (definitely at least once). And then there was the free kick Kuiper mentioned.
The 1-1 result leaves me about where I was at before the game...so still cloudy, except for the part about not being Sweet 16 ready.
Keep it rolling Kuiper.
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 30, 2022, 07:16:54 PM
@Kuiper, I was trying to think about how I would describe a gut feeling that STU would be unlikely to escape the first weekend of the NCAA tourney (if they get there) and certainly would not prevail at the Sweet 16 level. And your post explains it really well.
Despite everything you said, STU should have won that game. They had two steals not that far out of the box basically putting them 1v1 with the GK at close range, and for whatever reason the player each time drifted left (once with a move and once with a pass) and essentially snuffed themselves out when should have scored (definitely at least once). And then there was the free kick Kuiper mentioned.
The 1-1 result leaves me about where I was at before the game...so still cloudy, except for the part about not being Sweet 16 ready.
I agree. I don't know if St. Thomas makes it out of the SCAC. Southwestern and Trinity both won their first SCAC games and could make a run. Also, St. Thomas tied Southwestern 1-1 in what was called a non-conference game on 9/16, with a conference game upcoming on 10/7. If St. Thomas does win the SCAC, though, they have to play a lot more as a team rather than relying upon individual skill to beat stronger and more organized teams.
A couple of underwhelming results in the Northwest Conference tonight.
Pacific Lutheran beat George Fox 2-0. The result was expected, but the score was underwhelming. George Fox is 1-6-2 and lost to Willamette five days earlier by a score of 7-0. George Fox has played other teams more tightly, but it does suggest that the gap between Willamette and Pacific Lutheran is legit.
Puget Sound tied Pacific 1-1. Pacific was 0-7-1, while Puget Sound was 5-2-3 coming into the game. Pacific's one tie was to Bushnell, an NAIA team that is 3-6-1. Puget Sound is already 1-2-2 in conference, but a tough 2-1 loss to Willamette suggested they might be better this year.
SCIAC action tonight
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps broke a 1-1 tie in the 73rd minute to beat Cal Tech 2-1 and go 4-1-1 in conference (4-3-4 overall). Despite an inability to put the ball in the back of the net on their shots -- they outshot Cal Tech 26-4 -- CMS continues to get results and are back in their familiar spot at the top of the table because of the other results tonight.
In the biggest shocker of the night, Whittier beat Redlands 2-1. Whittier, which came into the game 0-4 in conference and 1-5-1 overall, came back from being down 1-0 at half to tie it up early in the second half on a corner kick. Redlands wasted a lot of opportunities in the first half while out-shooting Whittier 15-3. That came back to haunt them as Whittier dialed up a long range shot to the top right corner in the 89th minute to secure the win. Redlands is now 2-3-1 in conference and 2-4-3 overall. They are currently two spots out of the playoffs. While it's too early to close the book on Redlands this year, they have dug themselves a serious hole.
In the second biggest shocker of the night, and on another late-game winner, Pomona-Pitzer beat Cal Lutheran 1-0 to hand the Kingsmen their first conference loss of the season and displace them from the top of the standings. The game was fairly even both statistically and otherwise. Pomona tends to like to play the ball on the ground, keep possession and make good passes into the final third, but in the first half and much of the second half the ball was in the air far too often to suit their game. They scored the goal, though, on a well worked shot with about 10 minutes to go that the Cal Lutheran GK parried into the path of an onrushing striker who did what you're supposed to and pushed the ball to the opposite corner of the net. This is Pomona's 3rd win in a row, following a 4 game losing streak, so it's not clear yet whether Pomona is streaky or has just started to put everything together.
In the last game for SCIAC over the weekend, Oxy beat La Verne 3-0 to move into a tie with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps for first place in the conference. La Verne held serve in the first half, which ended 0-0. In the second half, a goal off a corner kick for Oxy in the 62d minute started to unlock the game and they tacked on two PKs later in the game. I was impressed with freshman Vicente Navarro for Oxy, who was playing the 6 as a deep-lying playmaker and he pulled the strings on a lot of nice incisive, line-busting plays rather than just operating as a ball circulator from that position. He had one cross field lofted ball that was inch-perfect for a first time finish for a goal that was unfortunately called back for offside. He also disrupted a lot of La Verne attacks in a smart way, edging his hip in front of the attacker to force him in the direction he wanted him to go rather than the bungling rugby style you see from many 6's (and, frankly, that I saw from several of his Oxy teammates who are not at his level).
In the Northwest Conference, a two game weekend leaves Willamette up top with Pacific Lutheran close by them in second. Willamette beat Whitworth 2-1 on Saturday and Whitman 3-2 on Sunday. The first game was a better effort from what I watched. After falling behind 1-0 early on a breakaway against the run of play, Willamette scored a beautiful right-footed strike from the left side of the box to the right corner of the net. That was the shot that showed me Willamette has some skill, because most of the rest of that game and the Whitman game were less than convincing. I didn't watch the whole Whitman game because it was hurting my eyeballs, so maybe I just saw the worst parts, but there were periods where I honestly felt like I was watching a JV game in high school or even an older age group rec soccer game. It was a bad combination of poor passes, awkward challenges, wild kicks, etc from both teams that are the product of not enough skill to dribble or pivot out of challenges and not enough athletic ability to press without running into and over each other.
In the other notable game, Pacific Lutheran beat Pacific 4-2. That's not really a particularly impressive result (2 goals is the most 0-8-2 Pacific has scored all season) and it's hard for me to believe Pac Lutheran lost to Whitman 2-1 a few games ago. So, at the moment I'm not quite convinced they are back. Nevertheless, they are 9-2 overall and 4-2 in conference, with some rematches awaiting, so Pac Lutheran could still end up back in the NCAA's with the auto bid from the conference or even without it if they keep getting results.
Sort of random but two lines I loved from the very good Trinity (TX) announcer in game versus the Southwestern Pirates...
After a shanked Southwestern GK punt...."Horrible kick that landed in the backyard of the house across from the field"
And after a Trinity 2nd half goal to put the Tigers up 3-1...."After 20 minutes in choppy waters the Pirate ship has sunk"
Quote from: Kuiper on September 30, 2022, 12:32:52 AM
Here are United Soccer Coaches' regional rankings for Region X as of Sept 27. Cal Lutheran and Chapman tied on Wednesday and Occidental beat Cal Tech, so those results wouldn't affect these rankings. Mary-Hardin-Baylor did tie LeTourneau Thursday, though, which could hurt them in the next poll. St. Thomas plays at Colorado College this afternoon. So does Pac Lutheran against George Fox, but that can't help them and can only hurt them if they don't get the full three points or underwhelm.
Region X - Poll 3 - September 27, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 7-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-1
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 6-2-0
4 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-2
5 Occidental College 8 4-2-1
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 4-1-1
7 Chapman University NR 4-1-2
8 Colorado College 6 4-2-2
Some movement in the Region X rankings for Oct 4 from United Soccer Coaches. Cal Lutheran drops out after tying Chapman 0-0 and losing to Pomona-Pitzer 1-0. Occidental moves from 5th to 4th after beating Cal Tech 2-1 and La Verne 3-0. Colorado College moves up 1 after tying St. Thomas 1-1 and beating Centenary 3-0. University of the Ozarks enters the poll with a decent record (8-1-2), but nothing that would count as a good win I think and their one loss on 9/23 is to Belhaven (3-5-3), which would count as a bad loss. Seems like they were just trying to find an 8th team there and wanted someone from a different region/conference of the West.
Region X - Poll 4 - October 4, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 8-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-2
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 8-2-0
4 Occidental College 5 7-2-1
5 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 6 5-1-2
6 Chapman University 7 4-1-4
7 Colorado College 8 5-2-3
8 University of the Ozarks NR 7-1-2
In a result that may only interest me, UC Santa Cruz, which was 1-6-3 coming into the game, beat Fresno Pacific, which was 2-6 coming into the game, 3-0. Why is that interesting? UCSC is D3, obviously, but Fresno Pacific is D2. We often wonder whether a top D3 team could compete in D1 and at what level, but few ask about D2 (some even speculate that D2 is harder) or ask how we might compare teams at different levels that are both lower down in the rankings. For those lesser asked questions, here's a data point. Fresno did force UCSC' keeper to make 6 saves, and had more possession, but UCSC has scored less than a goal a game this season, so it's not like they just got one lucky bounce and held on for dear life.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 05, 2022, 12:27:52 AM
In a result that may only interest me, UC Santa Cruz, which was 1-6-3 coming into the game, beat Fresno Pacific, which was 2-6 coming into the game, 3-0. Why is that interesting? UCSC is D3, obviously, but Fresno Pacific is D2. We often wonder whether a top D3 team could compete in D1 and at what level, but few ask about D2 (some even speculate that D2 is harder) or ask how we might compare teams at different levels that are both lower down in the rankings. For those lesser asked questions, here's a data point. Fresno did force UCSC' keeper to make 6 saves, and had more possession, but UCSC has scored less than a goal a game this season, so it's not like they just got one lucky bounce and held on for dear life.
My first question concerning a D2 is the same question I always ask of an NAIA program: Are they giving out scholarships, and, if so, how many and how much? While it's much more likely that a D2 will be giving out scholarship money, and more of it, than an NAIA program, it's not a given. Based upon what I've read on wiki regarding the athletic alumni of the Sunbirds, my guess is that Fresno Pacific did give out scholies as an NAIA school, which means it more than likely still does as a D2 school. So, even if the Sunbirds are having an off year, nevertheless there are probably scholie players on that Sunbirds team that the Banana Slugs just beat. So ... good win for UCSC, a team for whom I have a soft spot -- and not just because of their wonderful mascot. You talk about the West Coast teams being on an island as far as D3 geography goes ... well, UCSC is on an island within that island. There isn't another D3 school within hundreds of miles of the UCSC campus.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2022, 10:52:59 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 05, 2022, 12:27:52 AM
In a result that may only interest me, UC Santa Cruz, which was 1-6-3 coming into the game, beat Fresno Pacific, which was 2-6 coming into the game, 3-0. Why is that interesting? UCSC is D3, obviously, but Fresno Pacific is D2. We often wonder whether a top D3 team could compete in D1 and at what level, but few ask about D2 (some even speculate that D2 is harder) or ask how we might compare teams at different levels that are both lower down in the rankings. For those lesser asked questions, here's a data point. Fresno did force UCSC' keeper to make 6 saves, and had more possession, but UCSC has scored less than a goal a game this season, so it's not like they just got one lucky bounce and held on for dear life.
My first question concerning a D2 is the same question I always ask of an NAIA program: Are they giving out scholarships, and, if so, how many and how much? While it's much more likely that a D2 will be giving out scholarship money, and more of it, than an NAIA program, it's not a given. Based upon what I've read on wiki regarding the athletic alumni of the Sunbirds, my guess is that Fresno Pacific did give out scholies as an NAIA school, which means it more than likely still does as a D2 school. So, even if the Sunbirds are having an off year, nevertheless there are probably scholie players on that Sunbirds team that the Banana Slugs just beat. So ... good win for UCSC, a team for whom I have a soft spot -- and not just because of their wonderful mascot. You talk about the West Coast teams being on an island as far as D3 geography goes ... well, UCSC is on an island within that island. There isn't another D3 school within hundreds of miles of the UCSC campus.
As to UCSC's Banana Slugs, they make up for being geographically isolated by effectively operating as a de facto affiliate member of SCIAC. They make the 400 mile trip to Redlands tonight and La Verne Sunday in the second and third of 7 games against SCIAC opponents - 2 in Santa Cruz and the other 5 by traveling down to SoCal. The only SCIAC teams they miss this year are Cal Tech and Occidental. They then play a couple of games against Northwest Conference opponents by making a trip up there (Willamette and George Fox this year) and the rest of their games are NAIA or DII local opponents until they play in the Coast-to-Coast conference tournament in Maryland this year. I give them a lot of credit for sticking it out in D3 and not joining its UC sibling UC Merced in NAIA.
Willamette continued its run through the Northwest Conference, beating Linfield 4-1 to go 9-0-2 overall and 7-0 in conference. At first glance, this is a pretty good result. Linfield came into the game with a 3-2-1 conference record and they beat Whitman a few games ago. Upon closer examination, however, the result is slightly less impressive. Linfield picked up a red card in the 13th minute, but still was only down 1-0 at halftime. Moreover, one of the three goals Linfield gave up in the second half was an unfortunate own goal where the Linfield GK made the save, but the rebound deflected off of a defender and the GK into the goal. Linfield scored their one goal on a long-range shot in the 76th minute. So, nothing that would lessen Willamette's spot in the rankings, but not so impressive that they should move up significantly on the strength of this result either.
Similar kind of win for Pacific Lutheran, which downed Lewis & Clark 5-1. As those who have been reading my West/North reports know (and that may be presumptuous to think that anyone actually reads these!), Lewis & Clark is a brand new men's soccer program and the team is basically a collection of sophomores who were on the L&C club team last year and the few recruits the women's coaches who are running the team as interim coaches found in the spring. They are not officially in the Northwest Conference this year, but operating as an affiliate and some of their games against conference members have been classified as scrimmages. Lews & Clark's one recorded win thus far was a scrimmage against a local community college. So, Pac Lutheran emptied their bench. Nevertheless, some of the Lutes regular starters or first line bench players were in this game from the beginning and/or played decent minutes and yet Pac Lutheran was only up 1-0 at half and Lewis & Clark actually tied the game up 1-1 in the 63rd minute before the deluge started for Pac Lutheran. So, like with Willamette, a good win, but one that was expected (and good on them for scheduling the game and giving lots of bench players playing time).
In the SCAC, St. Thomas tied Texas Lutheran 2-2 after losing to Southwestern 1-0 on Friday. St. Thomas was up 2-1 and gave up a late tying goal in the 86th minute. Not sure St. Thomas can retain their #18 spot in the rankings after this evening. Texas Lutheran is a decent team though (6-3-3 coming into this case, and 2-1 in conference), but they lost to St. Thomas 2-1 the first time the two teams faced each other. With Southwestern beating St. Thomas on Friday and Centenary 2-0 today, they jump up to second in the SCAC behind Trinity, which beat Austin 3-1 today. St. Thomas, which has the best overall record in the conference at 7-1-3, is in 7th in the conference with a 0-1-2 record.
Kuiper thanks for enlightening me about Lewis and Clark College. I was watching a game the other day and It appeared that the center ref was a player with a color vest on and the linesmen did not have flags.
I do agree with Williamette winning but not as convincing as it looked.
Where would you place Pacific Lutheran in the top 25.
What are your thoughts on Trinity TX?
Quote from: Coach Jeff on October 09, 2022, 11:32:25 PM
Kuiper thanks for enlightening me about Lewis and Clark College. I was watching a game the other day and It appeared that the center ref was a player with a color vest on and the linesmen did not have flags.
I do agree with Williamette winning but not as convincing as it looked.
Where would you place Pacific Lutheran in the top 25.
What are your thoughts on Trinity TX?
Pacific Lutheran is 11-2 and they've beaten Colorado College, Claremont-McKenna-Scripps and Cal Lutheran in non-conference play. Those are all pretty good teams that are in contention for winning their respective conferences, even if none of them are likely to be in contention for national rankings. They played Northwest Conference leader Willamette tough, losing 2-1, and their only "bad" loss was to Whitman, a very up and down team. I think Pacific Lutheran at least deserves some votes and maybe should sneak into the rankings somewhere in the 20s. They won't have an opportunity to really convince any voters (except in regionally-focused sense like in the USC rankings), though, until they play Willamette again at the end of the month.
Trinity TX is the definition of streaky. They have won 5 in a row, but before that they were winless for five games in a stretch where they tied two and lost three in a row. Since four of their latest wins have come in conference, they sit on top of the SCAC at 4-0 and there is a decent chance they will win the conference. I think they are a team starting to put it together, beating some of the conference's better teams recently in Texas Lutheran and Southwestern, rather than a team just feasting on the bottom of the teams in their conference. The big wildcard is their sophomore forward Michael Meese, a D1 transfer from William & Mary last year and SCAC offensive player of the year in 2021, who scored three goals in Trinity's first five games (including a win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) and hasn't played since. I'm assuming he's injured, but I don't know the story there. They've adjusted after a rough patch, although Meese is still the second leading scorer despite missing the last six games. If there was a chance they got him back this season and in-form, that would greatly increase their ability to make noise come tournament time.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 04, 2022, 04:26:29 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on September 30, 2022, 12:32:52 AM
Here are United Soccer Coaches' regional rankings for Region X as of Sept 27. Cal Lutheran and Chapman tied on Wednesday and Occidental beat Cal Tech, so those results wouldn't affect these rankings. Mary-Hardin-Baylor did tie LeTourneau Thursday, though, which could hurt them in the next poll. St. Thomas plays at Colorado College this afternoon. So does Pac Lutheran against George Fox, but that can't help them and can only hurt them if they don't get the full three points or underwhelm.
Region X - Poll 3 - September 27, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 7-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-1
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 6-2-0
4 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-2
5 Occidental College 8 4-2-1
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 4-1-1
7 Chapman University NR 4-1-2
8 Colorado College 6 4-2-2
Some movement in the Region X rankings for Oct 4 from United Soccer Coaches. Cal Lutheran drops out after tying Chapman 0-0 and losing to Pomona-Pitzer 1-0. Occidental moves from 5th to 4th after beating Cal Tech 2-1 and La Verne 3-0. Colorado College moves up 1 after tying St. Thomas 1-1 and beating Centenary 3-0. University of the Ozarks enters the poll with a decent record (8-1-2), but nothing that would count as a good win I think and their one loss on 9/23 is to Belhaven (3-5-3), which would count as a bad loss. Seems like they were just trying to find an 8th team there and wanted someone from a different region/conference of the West.
Region X - Poll 4 - October 4, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 8-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-2
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 8-2-0
4 Occidental College 5 7-2-1
5 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 6 5-1-2
6 Chapman University 7 4-1-4
7 Colorado College 8 5-2-3
8 University of the Ozarks NR 7-1-2
Region X - Poll 5 - October 11, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 9-0-2
2 Pacific Lutheran University 3 10-2-0
3 Occidental College 4 8-2-1
4 Chapman University 6 6-1-4
5 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-1-3
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 5 7-1-2
7 University of the Ozarks 8 8-1-3
8 Colorado College 7 5-2-3
St. Thomas drops from 2d to 5th. I'm not sure why they are still in the top 8 at all after ties to Colorado College and Texas Lutheran and a loss to Southwestern in the last three games.
Hey @D3Navy and @Ron Boerger....any info on Meese and whether he will be back at all?
Upset brewing in Minneapolis around 79th min...Augsburg 1 GAC 0
OMG. GAC equalizes with 7.5 seconds left. Another draw.
Does the draw help GAC or Augsburg? This is becoming an interesting topic.
Quote from: Coach Jeff on October 12, 2022, 10:34:41 AM
Does the draw help GAC or Augsburg? This is becoming an interesting topic.
Not sure what you mean. Before the game one would have said Augsburg would have benefitted more from a draw, but since Augsburg was 7.5 seconds away from getting all 3 points one would think the draw was more helpful to GAC. Augsburg in theory would benefit from getting a "ranked draw" but that would only help if Augsburg ends up being regionally ranked at the end of the regular season/conference playoffs. GAC may get knocked a bit in polls for the draw but any impact on the rest of their season I would think is negligible.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 12, 2022, 02:10:23 PM
Quote from: Coach Jeff on October 12, 2022, 10:34:41 AM
Does the draw help GAC or Augsburg? This is becoming an interesting topic.
Not sure what you mean. Before the game one would have said Augsburg would have benefitted more from a draw, but since Augsburg was 7.5 seconds away from getting all 3 points one would think the draw was more helpful to GAC. Augsburg in theory would benefit from getting a "ranked draw" but that would only help if Augsburg ends up being regionally ranked at the end of the regular season/conference playoffs. GAC may get knocked a bit in polls for the draw but any impact on the rest of their season I would think is negligible.
I agree with Paul N. I was thinking the same thing. However Augsburg missed on a golden opportunity to steal a big win. Would have been very beneficial in their region and national rankings.
In SCIAC action tonight, the big game was between Occidental and Cal Lutheran. Oxy was up 1-0 for most of the second half, but gave up a poor 87th minute goal to allow Cal Lutheran to tie them and deny Oxy sole possession of first place. I hate to blame the GK -- and it might not have been deserved because the video was grainy and it could have deflected slightly -- but it was a shot from the far left of the goal that went right into the GK's breadbasket and i think it just hit off of him and into the goal. Even if deflected, he needs to be able to react better to that. Nevertheless, Oxy let Cal Lutheran hang around too long basically because they started reverting to boot ball when the Lutes dialed up the pressure and some of Oxy's players weren't really skilled enough to continue to play out. They have about 5-6 regulars who are very skilled (their 6 - Vicente Navarro - is really good getting out of pressure and delivering line-breaking passes on the ground), so when those players are on the ball Oxy looks like one of the top teams around. When they aren't, though, they look very mediocre.
The Cal Tech - La Verne won't matter for playoffs or rankings or tournament bids, but it was exciting nonetheless as Cal Tech pulled out a 2-1 win with a goal in the 89th minute for Cal Tech's first win in SCIAC play this year. Hard to figure out La Verne, which tied Cal Lutheran 1-1 on Saturday and then lost to Cal Tech on Wednesday. It's possibly they had injuries or general fatigue since they played UC Santa Cruz on Sunday (and lost 1-0). Three games in five days may have done them in here.
Pomona-Pitzer beat Whittier 2-0 in a game that really wasn't that close. When Pomona-Pitzer is on, they may be the most impressive team in the conference in terms of skill and possession-based play. Their downfall is their inexperience and sometimes their goalkeeping, but none of that was an issue against Whittier. With the technical win granted to them for tournament seeding purposes because of C-M-S cancelling their game scheduled for this past Saturday, Pomona should be in third place in the conference if I'm understanding how that "win" will count.
Chapman beat Redlands 1-0 on a penalty kick in the 76th minute. The result vaulted Chapman to a tie for first and left Redlands in danger of not qualifying even for the SCIAC tournament for what is probably the first time in awhile. They are now 3-4-1 in conference.
Big win for Colorado College away at Southwestern by a 2-1 score. Colorado College was down 1-0 at half and came back with two scores in the second half to pull out the win. They jump to third in the SCAC, just behind Southwestern with two games in hand and the tiebreaker over Southwestern.
Upset brewing in Salem, Oregon. Whitman up 2-0 on Willamette early in the second half. We'll see if Whitman can hang on with about 40 minutes left.
UPDATE: Whitman beats Willamette 3-1. Willamette scored a PK after it was already 3-0, but couldn't break down the bunker any further. The last undefeated team out West falls.
One of the reason Whitman can beat a team like Pacific Lutheran and (maybe Willamette after losing to them 3-2 the first game), while tying a bottom dweller like George Fox, losing 1-0 to Linfield, and beating Pacific only 1-0 is that Whitman is very strong on the counterattack. They seem to have more trouble with teams that are more likely to sit.
The Northwest Conference heats up the second time through opponents. Sometimes in the second game of a round robin format, familiarity allows weaker opponents to adjust tactically and play closer games. Other times, the better teams improve and the weaker ones get worse through a combination of fatigue, injuries, and low morale.
Willamette experienced some of the first this weekend, losing to Whitman 3-1, although it came back on Sunday to beat Whitworth 1-0 in a game that wasn't quite as close as the score with Willamette outshooting Whitworth 22-11 and 17-3 in the second half when they scored their lone goal. Still, they only put 9 of their 22 shots on frame and their goal came off a rebound of a shot that hit the post.
Pacific Lutheran seems to be experiencing some of the latter, although they are in the weaker part of their schedule. Pacific Lutheran beat George Fox 5-1 on Sunday, after beating Pacific 5-1 on Saturday. In fact, today's win was their 6th in a row and is the fifth game in a row that they have scored at least 4 goals. They are averaging 4.6 goals/game over that 5 game stretch. In the first round of conference games, Pac Lutheran only beat George Fox 2-0. This next stretch of three games will be the true test for Pacific Lutheran (at Whitman, at Whitworth, and home to Willamette).
In the SCAC, Trinity continues to pull away from the other teams, beating Schreiner today 8-0. This is their sixth win in a row and their second 8-0 victory in the last three games. The team now has 25 goals for and only 4 against in conference. This Friday's game against St. Thomas could be a big one, especially since St. Thomas finishes with two weaker opponents and Trinity still has to play Colorado College, who beat Trinity the first time in Colorado Springs.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2022, 01:30:09 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 04, 2022, 04:26:29 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on September 30, 2022, 12:32:52 AM
Here are United Soccer Coaches' regional rankings for Region X as of Sept 27. Cal Lutheran and Chapman tied on Wednesday and Occidental beat Cal Tech, so those results wouldn't affect these rankings. Mary-Hardin-Baylor did tie LeTourneau Thursday, though, which could hurt them in the next poll. St. Thomas plays at Colorado College this afternoon. So does Pac Lutheran against George Fox, but that can't help them and can only hurt them if they don't get the full three points or underwhelm.
Region X - Poll 3 - September 27, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 7-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-1
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 6-2-0
4 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-2
5 Occidental College 8 4-2-1
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 4-1-1
7 Chapman University NR 4-1-2
8 Colorado College 6 4-2-2
Some movement in the Region X rankings for Oct 4 from United Soccer Coaches. Cal Lutheran drops out after tying Chapman 0-0 and losing to Pomona-Pitzer 1-0. Occidental moves from 5th to 4th after beating Cal Tech 2-1 and La Verne 3-0. Colorado College moves up 1 after tying St. Thomas 1-1 and beating Centenary 3-0. University of the Ozarks enters the poll with a decent record (8-1-2), but nothing that would count as a good win I think and their one loss on 9/23 is to Belhaven (3-5-3), which would count as a bad loss. Seems like they were just trying to find an 8th team there and wanted someone from a different region/conference of the West.
Region X - Poll 4 - October 4, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 8-0-2
2 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-0-2
3 Pacific Lutheran University 3 8-2-0
4 Occidental College 5 7-2-1
5 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 6 5-1-2
6 Chapman University 7 4-1-4
7 Colorado College 8 5-2-3
8 University of the Ozarks NR 7-1-2
Region X - Poll 5 - October 11, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 9-0-2
2 Pacific Lutheran University 3 10-2-0
3 Occidental College 4 8-2-1
4 Chapman University 6 6-1-4
5 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 2 7-1-3
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 5 7-1-2
7 University of the Ozarks 8 8-1-3
8 Colorado College 7 5-2-3
St. Thomas drops from 2d to 5th. I'm not sure why they are still in the top 8 at all after ties to Colorado College and Texas Lutheran and a loss to Southwestern in the last three games.
Region X - Poll 6 - October 18, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 10-1-2
2 Pacific Lutheran University 2 12-2-0
3 Occidental College 3 9-2-2
4 Chapman University 4 7-1-4
5 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 5 9-1-3
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 6 9-1-2
7 Colorado College 8 6-2-4
8 University of the Ozarks 7 8-2-4
Virtually the same as last week except Colorado College and the University of Ozarks switch places. Kind of interesting that Willamette's loss to Whitman didn't affect it at all.
Big news in the SCIAC. I've been wondering for awhile what the conference was going to do with the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps games with CMS cancelling the rest of their games. Half the teams had played C-M-S at least once, but the other half had not. While CMS was not having it's usual season, it did have some big wins in conference, including crushing Chapman 4-0 and tying both Redlands and Cal Lutheran. Rather than doing forfeits for the rest of the season, but allowing the prior games to count, the conference just removed CMS entirely from the conference schedule, which involves wiping out games that teams lost against them. This has shaken up the SCIAC standings, with Chapman now undefeated and taking the top spot and Pomona-Pitzer currently occupying the last playoff spot in fourth. That makes Redlands game against La Verne tonight at 7 pm Pacific pretty meaningful. If it can win, it will tie P-P for the last playoff spot with two games remaining, while if La Verne wins it can put itself in contention.
What I don't know is how they are sorting out the fact that the teams will have played a different number of conference games because it isn't fully round robin and half the teams were playing CMS twice and half only once. So, Chapman, Occidental, La Verne, and Whittier will have 11 games at the end of the season, while Cal Lutheran, Pomona-Pitzer, Redlands, and Cal Tech will only have 10. Maybe they will use Percentage?
2022 SCIAC Men's Soccer Standings
Conference Overall
GP WL PCT Pts PF PA GP W-L PCT Pts PF PA L10
Chapman 8 6-0-2 0.875 20 22 8 13 8-1-4 0.769 28 42 18 6-1-3
Occidental 8 5-1-2 0.750 17 20 7 13 9-2-2 0.769 29 30 11 7-1-2
Cal Lutheran 8 4-1-3 0.688 15 11 5 13 5-2-6 0.615 21 20 14 4-1-5
Pomona-Pitzer 8 4-4 0.500 12 14 13 11 5-6 0.455 15 22 18 4-6
Redlands 7 3-4 0.429 9 13 9 12 4-5-3 0.458 15 20 16 4-4-2
La Verne 8 2-5-1 0.313 7 5 14 16 3-11-2 0.250 11 14 27 2-7-1
Whittier 9 2-6-1 0.278 7 6 18 13 3-8-2 0.308 11 10 28 3-6-1
Caltech 8 1-6-1 0.188 4 8 25 11 2-8-1 0.227 7 12 30 2-7-1
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0 0-0 0.000 0 0 0 12 4-3-5 0.542 17 17 12 4-2-4
After an 8 day break after their 1-0 loss to Chapman, Redlands was well-rested, crushing La Verne 5-0 tonight. With only two games left (at Whittier and home to Chapman) and C-M-S out of the picture, this is probably the last gasp for Redlands to regain their mojo and make some noise in the SCIAC playoffs. I wouldn't count them out just yet.
Willamette beat George Fox tonight 2-0, but they were pretty unimpressive doing so against a clearly weaker, but determined and organized opponent. The second goal was scored when the GK was up on a corner in the last minute and the first on a wonder strike from to the top corner about midway through the second half. George Fox was beaten 5-1 by Pacific Lutheran last game and 7-0 by Willamette earlier in the season, so I came away from the game giving them kudos for effort and improvement. My guess is that this was one of those games where Willamette thought they could waltz in and pad their stats and I'm not sure they ever really figured out how to break George Fox down. I'm sure Willamette's coach is telling them they need to up their game if they want to beat Pacific Lutheran in Tacoma next Saturday.
In the SCIAC, first place Chapman blew a golden chance to solidify its conference lead, tying last place Cal Tech by a 3-3 score. Just allowing Cal Tech to score 3 goals in a game is kind of mind-boggling. The only times Cal Tech has scored more than 1 goal in a SCIAC game this season were in a 2-1 win over fellow bottom dweller La Verne and in a 7-2 loss to Chapman. Part of the issue this game was Chapman, like Willamette last night against George Fox, sat some of their regulars at the start of the game. Chapman has a non-conference game scheduled for tomorrow against UC Santa Cruz, so I'm not sure why they didn't rest some of their starters for that game instead. Regardless, 2 goals were given up by their normal GK starter, who came in during the second half, and Chapman's leading scorer played 69 minutes and got a brace in the game, so it's not like they didn't use their top players.
Chapman's last two conference games are home to Occidental and away to Redlands. They could lose both and lose home field advantage in the SCIAC playoffs. Considering that Chapman is 6-0-2 at home and 2-1-3 away, that could be costly.
In the Northwest Conference, Whitman is a giant killer again, beating Pacific Lutheran 2-1 for the second time this season. At 6-3-1 in conference, Whitman is now up to third, only a couple of points behind the Lutes for second place. I would say they have a good chance of overtaking Pacific Lutheran given that the rest of Whitman's schedule consist of bottom feeders like George Fox and Pacific, as well as mid-table teams like Whitworth and Puget Sound. Problem is that most of those teams are the ones that sit back and give Whitman, a counter-attacking team, some trouble. Whitman beat Whitworth, but lost to Puget Sound, squeaked by Pacific, and tied George Fox during the first round of conference games.
In the SCIAC, Occidental lost a really bad game to La Verne, 2-1. It was only Occidental's second loss of conference play and La Verne's third win. This was a team Oxy beat 3-0 the first time and Oxy had just come off a 5-0 win against Whittier, so they have to be frustrated at the missed opportunity. La Verne lost their last game 5-0 to Redlands, so this surely feels like a huge victory for them. In fact, the last time La Verne won a game was September 21. This breaks an 8 game skid where they lost 7 (including the last 4) and tied 1.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the winning goal was scored on a header off a looping cross where the GK decided to stay on his line and defend rather than use his 6'4" height to go out and claim or punch it it - example #infinity that tall goalkeepers aren't necessarily good in the air. BUT, the goal was basically a free header, AND Oxy missed countless chances to score at the other end, including a header of their own.
In the Northwest Conference, Willamette and Pacific Lutheran both take care of business, with Willamette beating Pacific 3-1 and Pac Lutheran beating Whitworth 3-1, setting up a showdown beat Willamette and Pacific Lutheran next Saturday @ the Lutes home in Tacoma. I think , with a two game lead over Pac Lutheran, Willamette already has first place wrapped up regardless of how the game goes between the two (which means the AQ since the Northwest Conference doesn't have a tournament). The interesting scheduling quirk is that after the Willamette and Pac Lutheran game, they each play Puget Sound and Linfield to conclude the season. That kind of makes Puget Sound and Linfield the kingmakers. if Pacific Lutheran beats Willamette and beats Puget Sound and Linfield, while Willamette is tripped up by one or both of them, the Lutes take the title. Even if Pacific Lutheran loses to Willamette, which would lock up the title for Willamette, I think the Lutes will need to win both the Puget Sound and Linfield games to finish 16-4 overall and have a chance at a Pool C bid.
Big game in the SCIAC on Wednesday at 4 pm local time as Chapman hosts Occidental. Oxy has work to do after losing to La Verne on Saturday, but if they beat Chapman and Cal Lutheran and Chapman loses to Redlands the last game of the season, Oxy can jump up to first seed for the conference tournament.
The other big game is Cal Lutheran at Pomona-Pitzer, also at 4. If P-P wins, they would move up to a tie with Cal Lutheran and presumably hold the tie breaker by virtue of beating them twice. Otherwise, Pomona-Pitzer likely is going to find itself on the outside looking in at the conference tourney.
In the USC rankings for Region X for Oct. 25, there's a bit of a shakeup. Occidental drops from 3 to 6 after the loss to La Verne and St. Thomas jumps from 5 to 3 after the win over Trinity (TX). I'm unconvinced by Concordia (TX), which hasn't really had a strong win and seems to benefit more from the University of Ozarks losing to LeTourneau. If Concordia (TX) beat Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday, though, that would definitely move it up.
Region X - Poll 7 - October 25, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 12-1-2
2 Pacific Lutheran University 2 13-3-0
3 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 5 11-1-3
4 Chapman University 4 9-1-5
5 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 6 11-1-2
6 Occidental College 3 9-3-2
7 Colorado College 7 8-2-4
8 Concordia University (Texas) NR 9-3-3
Here are the NCAA regional rankings for Region X. None of the Southern California teams are on the list, which isn't exactly surprising given that none of them have a very strong resume. It is a little surprising to have Whitman on there given their conference and overall record, but they have beaten both Willamette and Pacific Lutheran. The problem for the SCIAC right now is that you can't incur expensive out of conference trips every year and so teams have to pick the right year to build up their SoS and the wrong teams (C-M-S, Redlands, and Cal Lutheran) picked this year to do it and both didn't get results and haven't dominated in conference.
Region X
1 Willamette 12-1-2 12-1-2
2 Mary Hardin-Baylor 9-1-2 11-1-2
3 Pacific Lutheran 13-3-0 13-3-0
4 St. Thomas (Texas) 11-1-3 11-1-3
5 Whitman 8-5-1 10-6-1
6 Colorado College 8-2-4 8-2-4
7 Trinity (Texas) 8-4-2 8-4-2
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2022, 02:44:13 AM
Big game in the SCIAC on Wednesday at 4 pm local time as Chapman hosts Occidental. Oxy has work to do after losing to La Verne on Saturday, but if they beat Chapman and Cal Lutheran and Chapman loses to Redlands the last game of the season, Oxy can jump up to first seed for the conference tournament.
The other big game is Cal Lutheran at Pomona-Pitzer, also at 4. If P-P wins, they would move up to a tie with Cal Lutheran and presumably hold the tie breaker by virtue of beating them twice. Otherwise, Pomona-Pitzer likely is going to find itself on the outside looking in at the conference tourney.
Chapman and Oxy tied 0-0, which means Chapman clinches the top seed in the tournament for what is apparently the first time in school history, while it leaves Oxy vulnerable to losing the second seed since they are only three clear of a group of three schools behind them.
In the second game, Pomona-Pitzer beat Cal Lutheran 3-2 to move into a three-way tie for third place with Cal Lutheran and Redlands. Pomona-Pitzer played some beautiful soccer at times, looking dominant when playing their pass and move game, but remain vulnerable to crosses and set plays with the shorter GK and less experienced central defenders. Cal Lutheran is now at risk of falling out of the conference tournament completely with a tough game at Occidental on Saturday night, especially since Oxy will have an incentive to play to win given that the second seed and staying at home for the semifinals is on the line. Redlands also has a tough game hosting Chapman, but with Chapman already wrapping up the top seed, Redlands may have the upper hand in terms of motivation. Pomona-Pitzer has arguably the easiest last game of the three, at least on paper, at Whittier, but the Poets did beat Redlands earlier in the season and played P-P somewhat close in a 2-0 loss the first time they played.
In the American Southwest Conference, Concordia (TX) had a statement game, crushing Mary Hardin-Baylor 5-1. The loss ended MHB's 12 game unbeaten streak (and 7 game win streak) and ran Concordia (TX)'s own unbeaten streak to 9. MHB was ranked #2 in the NCAA Regional Rankings for Region X, while Concordia (TX) was unranked. Presumably, both of those things will change for next week. It doesn't change anything for the ASC standings, though, as MHB finishes #1 in conference and Concordia (TX) finishes #2.
In the Northwest Conference, Pacific Lutheran beat Willamette 2-1. Willamette remains in first in the conference, but Pacific Lutheran is now only one game back. Both teams have two games remaining against the same opponents - Puget Sound and Linfield. If Willamette falters against either and the Lutes win out, then they will end up tied (and I don't know the tiebreakers after they split the season series 1-1). That's important because there's no tournament in this conference. Moreover, with NCAA Regional #3 Pacific Lutheran now 15-3, #1 Willamette 12-2-2 and #2 Mary Hardin-Baylor losing to land at 11-2-2 overall, it's not clear how things will shake out at the top of Region X. For the Northwest conference schools, it will probably depend upon their games tomorrow.
In the SCIAC, Redlands soundly beat Chapman 3-0 in a game that clearly meant more to Redlands than it did to Chapman, which had already clinched first seed in the conference tournament. For Redlands, I think it means they vaulted into third place. I say I think because the whole situation with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps really screwed things up. Some teams are finishing the season with 11 conference games, while others only have 10. That's because the C-M-S games were simply wiped out, but this year not every team played every other team twice. So, the teams that only were scheduled to play C-M-S once end with 11 games and the teams scheduled to play them twice ended up with 10 games. It appears they will be using winning percentage, but I'll have to wait and see how they populate the conference tournament. Even that format is itself highly unclear because it appears they aren't just going straight to semifinals. They can't go to quarterfinals either though because there are only 8 teams left without C-M-S. It looks like there may be bye(s), but I can't tell or find an explanation.
In other games, Occidental and Cal Lutheran tied 0-0. That point was enough to keep Oxy at second, but it dropped Cal Lutheran down to fifth.
Pomona-Pitzer beat Whittier 3-2 in a back-and-forth game where Whittier channeled their inner-NYU and may have played better after a player was ejected with a red card in the 57th minute. Pomona-Pitzer ends up 4th (I think) and Whittier finishes just behind Cal Tech in last.
We have some clarity on the SCIAC tournament, although the website is still fairly screwed up on the schedule page with place holder games not taken out. Nevertheless, it looks like they are giving byes to the 1st seed (Chapman) and 2d seed (Occidental). Four teams will then play in the quarterfinals
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, Nov. 1:
LaVerne (#6) and Pomona-Pitzer (#3) at 2:30 pm
Redlands (#5) at Cal Lutheran (#4) at 7:00 pm
Semifinals - Friday, Nov. 4:
Pomona-Pitzer/LaVerne winner at Occidental (probably at 7 pm, but it's TBA right now)
Redlands/Cal Lutheran winner at Chapman at 7:00 pm
Finals, Sunday Nov. 6
Quote from: Kuiper on October 30, 2022, 06:41:30 PM
We have some clarity on the SCIAC tournament, although the website is still fairly screwed up on the schedule page with place holder games not taken out. Nevertheless, it looks like they are giving byes to the 1st seed (Chapman) and 2d seed (Occidental). Four teams will then play in the quarterfinals
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, Nov. 1:
LaVerne (#6) and Pomona-Pitzer (#3) at 2:30 pm
Redlands (#5) at Cal Lutheran (#4) at 7:00 pm
Semifinals - Friday, Nov. 4:
Pomona-Pitzer/LaVerne winner at Occidental (probably at 7 pm, but it's TBA right now)
Redlands/Cal Lutheran winner at Chapman at 7:00 pm
Finals, Sunday Nov. 6
A few morning observations in advance of the (partial) quarterfinal round tomorrow.
(1) This is a winner-take-all conference tournament. With none of these teams being regionally ranked and Chapman/Occidental not having strong non-conference schedules or even dominant conference performances, I don't expect any bids outside the tournament winner.
(2) LaVerne is the last seed, but they may be a sneaky darkhorse on their side of the bracket. Despite being a dreadful 4-13-2 overall (3-7-1 in conference), they beat Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 in their only meeting and they beat Occidental 2-1 in their only meeting. I'm not predicting an upset (they lost to Cal Tech, after all, twice), but for whatever reason they seemed to give those teams a little trouble and they are scheduled to play both of them if they advance. Of course, even if they do somehow get by both teams playing in hostile territory, they lost to Chapman 4-0 and Redlands 2-0 and 5-0 (although they did tie Cal Lutheran 1-1 in their most recent meeting after losing the first game 2-1).
(3) Redlands may be the hottest team coming into the tournament. They are on a three game winning streak, out-scoring opponents 13-2 in those games, which includes a 3-0 win over Chapman, their potential opponent in the semifinals. Redlands also has the most experience in tournament settings, having won the SCIAC tournament and advanced far in the NCAA tourney last season. Chapman was the hottest team down the stretch, but they stumbled with a couple of ties (3-3 to Cal Tech and 0-0 to Occidental) and then got blasted by Redlands. Occidental hasn't won the last three games. More concerning is that they have only scored 1 goal the last three games and that was in a loss to LaVerne.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2022, 07:09:48 PM
If Willamette falters against either and the Lutes win out, then they will end up tied (and I don't know the tiebreakers after they split the season series 1-1). That's important because there's no tournament in this conference.
The NWC's second tiebreaker is win-loss record versus the next team in the standings, which is Whitman. Willamette holds the tiebreaker because the Bearcats went 1-1 against the Blues while PLU went 0-2.
So Willamette wins the NWC with a win, a draw + a PLU draw, or a loss + a PLU draw. PLU wins the NWC with a win + a Willamette draw/loss.
Quote from: Bearcat Press on October 31, 2022, 02:07:16 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2022, 07:09:48 PM
If Willamette falters against either and the Lutes win out, then they will end up tied (and I don't know the tiebreakers after they split the season series 1-1). That's important because there's no tournament in this conference.
The NWC's second tiebreaker is win-loss record versus the next team in the standings, which is Whitman. Willamette holds the tiebreaker because the Bearcats went 1-1 against the Blues while PLU went 0-2.
So Willamette wins the NWC with a win, a draw + a PLU draw, or a loss + a PLU draw. PLU wins the NWC with a win + a Willamette draw/loss.
Thanks for the very helpful information (and confirming that
someone else is reading this thread). I've been keeping tabs on the Northwest Conference because they generally play a few California teams each year, but I'm a little more plugged in to the SCIAC.
Willamette tied Puget Sound 0-0 and Pacific Lutheran beat Linfield 4-0 on Sunday. They switch opponents on 11/5. One would think Willamette has the upper-hand since are playing the weaker Linfield squad, who they beat 4-1 earlier in the season, but Pacific Lutheran beat Puget Sound 4-0 earlier in the season and Linfield has been known to frustrate stronger opponents, like when they beat Whitman 1-0.
Since this seems to be the catchall thread including the ASC and the SCAC, the SCAC tournament, which will be held on the campus of non-qualifier Austin College (https://scacsports.prestosports.com/tournament/fall/msoccer/22championships/index) (Sherman, TX) was set last weekend:
#4 Colorado College (8-2-6/4-0-4 SCAC) vs. #1 Trinity (8-4-3/6-1-1), 5:00pm CT Nov 4
#3 Southwestern (8-5-2/6-2-0) vs. #2 St. Thomas (12-1-3/5-1-2), 7:30pm CT Nov 4
Finals: Winner Match 2 vs. Winner Match 1, 1:00pm CT Nov 6
Pretty wide-open tournament this year and I daresay the only SCAC team to participate in the NCAAs will be the one who wins the conference championship. Right now the championship website is indicating only live stats will be available; there are no broadcast links.
Hello! Brand new to the board. Just got approved this morning. New to the D3 college landscape as I have a freshman son playing for UWEC. From what I have read, I believe the team has a good chance of capturing the Group B invite, if not Group C. As an independent they don't have an AQ but finished 18-2 and the two losses started when UWEC lost a starting forward to a broken leg during the first loss. Came at a tough time just as UWEC started playing some of the stronger MIAC teams. Another positive for the team (unrelated to receiving a berth) was beating all 4 of the teams that they lost to last year when they finished 15-4.
Quote from: MNBob on November 01, 2022, 09:56:16 AM
Hello! Brand new to the board. Just got approved this morning. New to the D3 college landscape as I have a freshman son playing for UWEC. From what I have read, I believe the team has a good chance of capturing the Group B invite, if not Group C. As an independent they don't have an AQ but finished 18-2 and the two losses started when UWEC lost a starting forward to a broken leg during the first loss. Came at a tough time just as UWEC started playing some of the stronger MIAC teams. Another positive for the team (unrelated to receiving a berth) was beating all 4 of the teams that they lost to last year when they finished 15-4.
Welcome and congratulations! UWEC absolutely should make the tournament field.
The info about the injury also is helpful. That's the kind of info most are in the dark about and helps put some results in context.
Quote from: MNBob on November 01, 2022, 09:56:16 AM
Hello! Brand new to the board. Just got approved this morning. New to the D3 college landscape as I have a freshman son playing for UWEC. From what I have read, I believe the team has a good chance of capturing the Group B invite, if not Group C. As an independent they don't have an AQ but finished 18-2 and the two losses started when UWEC lost a starting forward to a broken leg during the first loss. Came at a tough time just as UWEC started playing some of the stronger MIAC teams. Another positive for the team (unrelated to receiving a berth) was beating all 4 of the teams that they lost to last year when they finished 15-4.
Welcome MN Bob...the lack of an IR report is what makes D3 soccer difficult at times.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2022, 11:11:19 AM
In the USC rankings for Region X for Oct. 25, there's a bit of a shakeup. Occidental drops from 3 to 6 after the loss to La Verne and St. Thomas jumps from 5 to 3 after the win over Trinity (TX). I'm unconvinced by Concordia (TX), which hasn't really had a strong win and seems to benefit more from the University of Ozarks losing to LeTourneau. If Concordia (TX) beat Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday, though, that would definitely move it up.
Region X - Poll 7 - October 25, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Willamette University 1 12-1-2
2 Pacific Lutheran University 2 13-3-0
3 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 5 11-1-3
4 Chapman University 4 9-1-5
5 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 6 11-1-2
6 Occidental College 3 9-3-2
7 Colorado College 7 8-2-4
8 Concordia University (Texas) NR 9-3-3
Region X - Poll 8 - November 1, 2022
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University 2 15-3-0
2 Willamette University 1 12-2-3
3 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 3 12-1-3
4 Chapman University 4 9-2-6
5 Concordia University (Texas) 8 10-3-3
6 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 5 11-2-2
7 Colorado College 7 8-2-6
8 Trinity University (Texas) NR 8-4-3
Not surprised Willamette and Pacific Lutheran flipped spots given their head to head result, but sort of surprised Chapman didn't suffer at all for their 3-0 loss to Redlands.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 31, 2022, 02:26:34 PM
Thanks for the very helpful information (and confirming that someone else is reading this thread). I've been keeping tabs on the Northwest Conference because they generally play a few California teams each year, but I'm a little more plugged in to the SCIAC.
Willamette tied Puget Sound 0-0 and Pacific Lutheran beat Linfield 4-0 on Sunday. They switch opponents on 11/5. One would think Willamette has the upper-hand since are playing the weaker Linfield squad, who they beat 4-1 earlier in the season, but Pacific Lutheran beat Puget Sound 4-0 earlier in the season and Linfield has been known to frustrate stronger opponents, like when they beat Whitman 1-0.
On paper, Willamette is much better than Linfield, but Bearcats/Wildcats is a heated rivalry no matter what the sport, plus it'll be senior day in McMinnville. I wouldn't be at all shocked to see it come down to the wire.
As an alum from a time when Willamette was consistently the worst team in the NWC, it's been very fun to watch the program slowly, steadily get built up over the past decade into a consistent contender. I really hope they can finish it off this weekend.
At 2:30 pm (Pacific), LaVerne takes on Pomona-Pitzer in the first game of the SCIAC quarterfinals. On paper, Pomona-Pitzer is the stronger team, finishing 7-6 overall and 6-5 in conference, while LaVerne was 4-13-2 overall and 3-7-1 in conference. Nevertheless, LaVerne upset Pomona-Pitzer in their only matchup, 1-0 back on 9/21. Pomona-Pitzer plays a beautiful passing style when they are on their game and they have creative passing out of the back, particularly from freshman Niclas Ulrich, that they have probably scored some of the best passing sequences for goals in the conference. Lots of diagonal runs etc. LaVerne can pass reasonably well, but they've only scored 8 goals in conference all season, compared to 20 for Pomona-Pitzer.
One other curiosity. SCIAC has updated their standings and they now list the second team in the conference as "TBD" instead of "Occidental"
https://www.thesciac.org/sports/msoc/2022-23/standings
I'm sure it's just a typo, that will be changed by the time anyone checks the standings, but with the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps situation this year, I'm never quite sure. Maybe Occidental has decided their oil baron namesake has become embarrassing and they are changing their name? LOL
Quote from: Kuiper on November 01, 2022, 02:37:38 PM
At 2:30 pm (Pacific), LaVerne takes on Pomona-Pitzer in the first game of the SCIAC quarterfinals. On paper, Pomona-Pitzer is the stronger team, finishing 7-6 overall and 6-5 in conference, while LaVerne was 4-13-2 overall and 3-7-1 in conference. Nevertheless, LaVerne upset Pomona-Pitzer in their only matchup, 1-0 back on 9/21. Pomona-Pitzer plays a beautiful passing style when they are on their game and they have creative passing out of the back, particularly from freshman Niclas Ulrich, that they have probably scored some of the best passing sequences for goals in the conference. Lots of diagonal runs etc. LaVerne can pass reasonably well, but they've only scored 8 goals in conference all season, compared to 20 for Pomona-Pitzer.
One other curiosity. SCIAC has updated their standings and they now list the second team in the conference as "TBD" instead of "Occidental"
https://www.thesciac.org/sports/msoc/2022-23/standings
instead of TBA to be announced later....maybe it should TBN....to be named :)
I'm sure it's just a typo, that will be changed by the time anyone checks the standings, but with the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps situation this year, I'm never quite sure. Maybe Occidental has decided their oil baron namesake has become embarrassing and they are changing their name? LOL
Quote from: Kuiper on November 01, 2022, 02:37:38 PM
At 2:30 pm (Pacific), LaVerne takes on Pomona-Pitzer in the first game of the SCIAC quarterfinals. On paper, Pomona-Pitzer is the stronger team, finishing 7-6 overall and 6-5 in conference, while LaVerne was 4-13-2 overall and 3-7-1 in conference. Nevertheless, LaVerne upset Pomona-Pitzer in their only matchup, 1-0 back on 9/21. Pomona-Pitzer plays a beautiful passing style when they are on their game and they have creative passing out of the back, particularly from freshman Niclas Ulrich, that they have probably scored some of the best passing sequences for goals in the conference. Lots of diagonal runs etc. LaVerne can pass reasonably well, but they've only scored 8 goals in conference all season, compared to 20 for Pomona-Pitzer.
Tied 1-1 in regulation and going to OT. LaVerne scored an early goal, beating the GK to the near post (on a shot from the far side of the box where he does have to worry about the far post and likely got beat leaning that way) and then packed it in. Pomona-Pitzer's goal was on a 1 v. 1 after a great pass on a diagonal run. Difference in the game has been LaVerne gets to the ball first more often than not and Pomona-Pitzer's passing game requires precision that hasn't always been there. Apparently, Sean Donovan, one of their regular starters at MF, is injured, so that has hurt them. If this gets to PKs, LaVerne's keeper might have the edge. He's made at least two great saves, while Pomona-Pitzer's keeper is a freshman playing in only his second game (which is an interesting situation we saw with Wesleyan and other teams this year).
UPDATE: Pomona-Pitzer advances on PKs. They hit all of their kicks and the freshman P-P GK saved one of LaVerne's. They play at Occidental Friday evening.
MIAC conf tournament today:
Bethel 1 Carleton 0
Saint John's 1 Macalester 0
Tomorrow:
Saint John's vs Gustavus
Bethel vs St. Olaf
Second SCIAC game tonight between Redlands and Cal Lutheran also goes to OT 1-1. Regulation ended in chaos as a Redlands player was drawn over to the corner flag in defense of a corner kick because the Lutes had two players over there. One pulled out right before the kick though and the Redlands player was too close and it hit him. Ref gave him a yellow, which was apparently his second and Redlands will have to play OT down a man.
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout. They advance to play at Chapman on Friday.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
All of them were good saves. One was all the way to the post and he just tipped it around. The other two were more like 1/3 of the way in and at the right height, which is the GK's sweetspot, but the GK still had to go the right way. It was an impressive shootout performance.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 11:14:02 AM
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
All of them were good saves. One was all the way to the post and he just tipped it around. The other two were more like 1/3 of the way in and at the right height, which is the GK's sweetspot, but the GK still had to go the right way. It was an impressive shootout performance.
You just reminded of something I wanted to post last night but didn't want to admit I was watching Redlands @ Cal Lutheran at almost 1:00 am.
Not sure if the right words for the Cal Lutheran announcer are "next level" or "fantastic" or just "wildly entertaining." He got extremely excited about goals for both teams, but he was almost beside himself as they moved into the PKs...paraphrased, lines like "you can feel the thickness of the tension in the air," "this place is electric," etc. But the grand moment was immediately after the Cal Lutheran player buried the last PK to win the shootout with a classic Yankees call, ecstatic and probably with tears in his eyes...."Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN!" The 75 or so students there stormed the pitch for a raucous celebration. @Kuiper will know the details, but advancing against Redlands clearly was considered a huge deal for the Kingsmen program.
It's almost like the soccer matters to the teams on the West Coast just as much as teams on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Who knew??!!!
MIAC Saint Mary's coach resigns (https://miacathletics.com/news/2022/11/1/bowers-steps-down-as-cardinals-mens-soccer-coach.aspx).
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2022, 11:26:23 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 11:14:02 AM
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
All of them were good saves. One was all the way to the post and he just tipped it around. The other two were more like 1/3 of the way in and at the right height, which is the GK's sweetspot, but the GK still had to go the right way. It was an impressive shootout performance.
You just reminded of something I wanted to post last night but didn't want to admit I was watching Redlands @ Cal Lutheran at almost 1:00 am.
Not sure if the right words for the Cal Lutheran announcer are "next level" or "fantastic" or just "wildly entertaining." He got extremely excited about goals for both teams, but he was almost beside himself as they moved into the PKs...paraphrased, lines like "you can feel the thickness of the tension in the air," "this place is electric," etc. But the grand moment was immediately after the Cal Lutheran player buried the last PK to win the shootout with a classic Yankees call, ecstatic and probably with tears in his eyes...."Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN!" The 75 or so students there stormed the pitch for a raucous celebration. @Kuiper will know the details, but advancing against Redlands clearly was considered a huge deal for the Kingsmen program.
I appreciated the enthusiasm of the CLU student PBP broadcaster, but he needs to step up his game. It didn't bother me that he doesn't have much of a grasp of soccer lingo (every long pass was "a clearance" and every penalty kick in the shootout was "a shootout"), but it
did bother me that he didn't identify the Redlands players. He usually called each of them "the Redlands player" and occasionally identified them by number. The task of the PBP announcer is to describe the action on the pitch, and you're not doing it properly if you're not identifying the players involved in that action.
Nobody asks you to memorize the opposing team's entire roster. Simply have an online or printed roster in front of you, and identify the players by looking at it as you go. A soccer game is 90 minutes in duration, so it won't take you that deep into it to learn the names of the opposing team's starters as you identify them by number and (generally) by where they are on the pitch. It typically takes me about 10 minutes of game time before I stop looking at the roster, although I have to start re-checking it once subs come in.
It's not rocket science. But you're not doing your job if you're not identifying the players.
Sorry for the OT, but just wanted to say a couple of things:
* - The guy that called the Hopkins - Dickinson game last night was very good. Clearly not a student-run operation. Special props for pronouncing this guys name properly all night: Will Sangpachatanaruk. And there are some other tricky names on both rosters and he did a good job, not just with numbers but calling players by name regularly. Very professional call and it was clear he was familiar with both teams.
* - I didn't hear it as much last night, but one thing has struck me with guys that don't really know the game that well... Constantly telling me how much time is left in the half/game. Like... I've got a clock/timer right there on my screen. I guess you can give them grace and say they are helping out those listening to just audio, but... Nah. :D
And I still marvel at how accessible all these games are now. As recently as 2017 (when I started on this board) it was so much more difficult to find the streams and they were often behind a paywall. At this point, it's the rare game at a neutral site that aren't streamed... And of course, there's PayWall U up in New York.
Greg, I had the sound down low until the PKs but I did repeatedly hear him refer to, I suppose generically each time, "a Bulldog" or "the Bulldogs." I also would have never guessed he was a student PBP guy. He sounded older to me and like he embraced being "the voice of the Kingsmen."
And yes, the JHU guy was excellent.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2022, 12:58:19 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2022, 11:26:23 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 11:14:02 AM
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
All of them were good saves. One was all the way to the post and he just tipped it around. The other two were more like 1/3 of the way in and at the right height, which is the GK's sweetspot, but the GK still had to go the right way. It was an impressive shootout performance.
You just reminded of something I wanted to post last night but didn't want to admit I was watching Redlands @ Cal Lutheran at almost 1:00 am.
Not sure if the right words for the Cal Lutheran announcer are "next level" or "fantastic" or just "wildly entertaining." He got extremely excited about goals for both teams, but he was almost beside himself as they moved into the PKs...paraphrased, lines like "you can feel the thickness of the tension in the air," "this place is electric," etc. But the grand moment was immediately after the Cal Lutheran player buried the last PK to win the shootout with a classic Yankees call, ecstatic and probably with tears in his eyes...."Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN!" The 75 or so students there stormed the pitch for a raucous celebration. @Kuiper will know the details, but advancing against Redlands clearly was considered a huge deal for the Kingsmen program.
I appreciated the enthusiasm of the CLU student PBP broadcaster, but he needs to step up his game. It didn't bother me that he doesn't have much of a grasp of soccer lingo (every long pass was "a clearance" and every penalty kick in the shootout was "a shootout"), but it did bother me that he didn't identify the Redlands players. He usually called each of them "the Redlands player" and occasionally identified them by number. The task of the PBP announcer is to describe the action on the pitch, and you're not doing it properly if you're not identifying the players involved in that action.
Nobody asks you to memorize the opposing team's entire roster. Simply have an online or printed roster in front of you, and identify the players by looking at it as you go. A soccer game is 90 minutes in duration, so it won't take you that deep into it to learn the names of the opposing team's starters as you identify them by number and (generally) by where they are on the pitch. It typically takes me about 10 minutes of game time before I stop looking at the roster, although I have to start re-checking it once subs come in.
It's not rocket science. But you're not doing your job if you're not identifying the players.
It gets better when you are then hoping for decent pronunciation, but don't get it. Most of the rosters have guides for that, but it may as well be in a foreign language...
Question for those of you who have followed the rankings process for a long time. Does Wartburg stay in the rankings above Loras because of its superior RvR (2-0-3 compared to 0-5-1) even though they finished 3 spots lower in the conference standings? Loras vs Wartburg ended in a tie. If Loras had won, would that have been enough to overcome the RvR difference?
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 03:49:50 PM
Question for those of you who have followed the rankings process for a long time. Does Wartburg stay in the rankings above Loras because of its superior RvR (2-0-3 compared to 0-5-1) even though they finished 3 spots lower in the conference standings? Loras vs Wartburg ended in a tie. If Loras had won, would that have been enough to overcome the RvR difference?
Conference standings/finish/seeding does NOT factor into the NCAA Regional Rankings. Here are the criteria for the Regional Rankings from Section 2.4 of the Pre-Championships Manual (https://d3soccer.prestosports.com/ncaa-publications/2022/2022-NCAA-Division-III-Soccer_Pre-Championships-Manual.pdf):
QuotePrimary Criteria (not listed in priority order)
- Win-loss percentage against Division III opponents
- Division III head-to-head competition
- Results versus common Division III opponents
- Results versus ranked Division III teams as established by the final ranking and the ranking preceeding the final ranking
- Division III strength of schedule
Secondary Criteria (not listed in priority order)
- Non-Division III win-lost percentage
- Results versus common non-Division III opponents
- Division III non-conference strength-of-schedule
For more information you can check out D3soccer.com (https://d3soccer.com/)'s webpage about the NCAA Regional Rankings (https://d3soccer.com/rankings/2022/about).
Wartburg and Loras have almost identical SOS, Wartburg has a little better win pct. and they have a much better set of results versus ranked teams--2 wins and 4 ties out of 7 games versus Loras' 1 win and 1 tie out of 6 games. A Loras win in the head-to-head would certainly have narrowed the gap. It's very hard to say if it would have been enough to put them in front on Wartburg. It would have given Loras the better win pct., the head-to-head win, and a more favorable RvR comparison (2-5-0 vs. 2-2-3 for Wartburg). Would seem a very close call.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2022, 11:26:23 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 11:14:02 AM
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
All of them were good saves. One was all the way to the post and he just tipped it around. The other two were more like 1/3 of the way in and at the right height, which is the GK's sweetspot, but the GK still had to go the right way. It was an impressive shootout performance.
You just reminded of something I wanted to post last night but didn't want to admit I was watching Redlands @ Cal Lutheran at almost 1:00 am.
Not sure if the right words for the Cal Lutheran announcer are "next level" or "fantastic" or just "wildly entertaining." He got extremely excited about goals for both teams, but he was almost beside himself as they moved into the PKs...paraphrased, lines like "you can feel the thickness of the tension in the air," "this place is electric," etc. But the grand moment was immediately after the Cal Lutheran player buried the last PK to win the shootout with a classic Yankees call, ecstatic and probably with tears in his eyes...."Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN!" The 75 or so students there stormed the pitch for a raucous celebration. @Kuiper will know the details, but advancing against Redlands clearly was considered a huge deal for the Kingsmen program.
I wasn't there, but I've been at Cal Lutheran games before. It's a beautiful stadium and they get a good crowd for their night games. They get people from the community, youth soccer teams coming as a group, and lots of families of players. Cal Lutheran has a lot of local kids and their parents show up and are LOUD. It has a LigaMX feel at times, with parents shouting at the refs and players in English and Spanish, which was definitely audible in the stream of the game against Redlands. They don't always have students showing up, but they did a good job getting them out there last night.
The Redlands game is also a massive game for everyone in conference. Redlands are like the Yankees of the SCIAC. The last time Redlands didn't finish in either first or second in SCIAC in men's soccer before this year was 2009, when they finished third (and still got to the Conference Finals and lost to C-M-S) and they finished first the three seasons before 2009 and the two seasons after. The win had special significance for Cal Lutheran, which lost in the SCIAC semifinals to Redlands last year, and, except for one year (2017) has consistently been behind the big two of C-M-S and Redlands. Plus, Cal Lutheran is a bit more of a working class school. Two of the top scorers went to the same big public school in Oxnard, which is largely a farmworkers community, GK started at a local community college, etc. They have a chip on their shoulder and it kind of shows when they play a soccer blue blood like Redlands.
Excellent, Kuiper. Thx. Exactly what I was looking for.
Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 02, 2022, 01:38:23 PM
Sorry for the OT, but just wanted to say a couple of things:
* - The guy that called the Hopkins - Dickinson game last night was very good. Clearly not a student-run operation. Special props for pronouncing this guys name properly all night: Will Sangpachatanaruk. And there are some other tricky names on both rosters and he did a good job, not just with numbers but calling players by name regularly. Very professional call and it was clear he was familiar with both teams.
That one's above and beyond the call of duty. North Park has a men's basketball player from India named Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak. He played JV last year as a freshman and will probably play JV again this season, and, while I never want to root against any kid who wears a Vikings uni, I'm dreading the day that he suits up for the NPU varsity and I have to say his name on the air. His teammates call him "LC", so it's not as though I can use his nickname.
Polish names are the bane of my existence, because, Chicago being Chicago, NPU gets a lot of student-athletes from Polish immigrant families. In women's basketball I've had to learn how to authentically pronounce the names of Nikki Przybyslawski and Emily Czuhajewski, and in men's soccer I've had to negotiate Przemyslaw Zabielski, Arkadiusz Szlachta, and a few others whose names blur in my memory into a jumble of consonants. That actually made them a nice change of pace, in a weird way, from the NPU football team, which used to have a lot of Samoans on the roster -- and in Samoan names the consonants are lonely islands sticking out of a vast sea of vowels.
Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 02, 2022, 01:38:23 PM
* - I didn't hear it as much last night, but one thing has struck me with guys that don't really know the game that well... Constantly telling me how much time is left in the half/game. Like... I've got a clock/timer right there on my screen. I guess you can give them grace and say they are helping out those listening to just audio, but... Nah. :D
I have to differ with you on that. I announce time and score pretty regularly, and my reasoning is twofold. First, the "listening to just audio" thing is real. Plenty of people listen to the game while they have something else up on the screen, or while they're away from the computer doing other tasks. Second, and just as importantly, a pretty high percentage of people follow the game on their phones. Scoreboard inserts can be frustratingly difficult to read on a small cellphone screen, especially for older people. My aim is to make things easier for viewers, no matter what medium they're using.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Greg, I had the sound down low until the PKs but I did repeatedly hear him refer to, I suppose generically each time, "a Bulldog" or "the Bulldogs." I also would have never guessed he was a student PBP guy. He sounded older to me and like he embraced being "the voice of the Kingsmen."
Hmm. He sounded like a kid to me. Perhaps he isn't. CLU doesn't list an announcer in their staff directory or indicate who's calling the game on their Watch Live page, so it's hard to know for sure.
MIAC Conference Tournament
2022-11-01:
Bethel 1 Carleton 0
Saint John's 1 Macalester 0
2022-11-02:
Saint John's 0 vs Gustavus 1
Bethel vs 0 St. Olaf 3
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2022, 12:58:19 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2022, 11:26:23 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 11:14:02 AM
Quote from: MNBob on November 02, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2022, 12:09:09 AM
UPDATE: Cal Lutheran wins in PKs as their GK, Davis Sharts, saves three shots in the shootout.
That's impressive! Was it more of a case of bad shots or great saves?
All of them were good saves. One was all the way to the post and he just tipped it around. The other two were more like 1/3 of the way in and at the right height, which is the GK's sweetspot, but the GK still had to go the right way. It was an impressive shootout performance.
You just reminded of something I wanted to post last night but didn't want to admit I was watching Redlands @ Cal Lutheran at almost 1:00 am.
Not sure if the right words for the Cal Lutheran announcer are "next level" or "fantastic" or just "wildly entertaining." He got extremely excited about goals for both teams, but he was almost beside himself as they moved into the PKs...paraphrased, lines like "you can feel the thickness of the tension in the air," "this place is electric," etc. But the grand moment was immediately after the Cal Lutheran player buried the last PK to win the shootout with a classic Yankees call, ecstatic and probably with tears in his eyes...."Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN! Kingsmen WIN!" The 75 or so students there stormed the pitch for a raucous celebration. @Kuiper will know the details, but advancing against Redlands clearly was considered a huge deal for the Kingsmen program.
I appreciated the enthusiasm of the CLU student PBP broadcaster, but he needs to step up his game. It didn't bother me that he doesn't have much of a grasp of soccer lingo (every long pass was "a clearance" and every penalty kick in the shootout was "a shootout"), but it did bother me that he didn't identify the Redlands players. He usually called each of them "the Redlands player" and occasionally identified them by number. The task of the PBP announcer is to describe the action on the pitch, and you're not doing it properly if you're not identifying the players involved in that action.
Nobody asks you to memorize the opposing team's entire roster. Simply have an online or printed roster in front of you, and identify the players by looking at it as you go. A soccer game is 90 minutes in duration, so it won't take you that deep into it to learn the names of the opposing team's starters as you identify them by number and (generally) by where they are on the pitch. It typically takes me about 10 minutes of game time before I stop looking at the roster, although I have to start re-checking it once subs come in.
It's not rocket science. But you're not doing your job if you're not identifying the players.
I agree with you (although I was annoyed that he referred to every kick in the shootout as a "shootout"). I thought it was particularly bad he kept referring to "the Redlands keeper." The guy's name is Seth Lawrence. Not exactly a challenging name to say.
By contrast, the Pomona-Pitzer student announcing team earlier in the day was miles better (even though the second guy's mike was too low until later in the broadcast). Not only did they know something about soccer, but they referred to every player on either team by their name and knew which players had just been named to the All-SCIAC teams.
UMAC Tournament:
2022-11-02:
Crown 1 @ UW-Superior 6
Northland 1 @ Bethany Lutheran 2 (2nd goal for BL involved 3 shots within the 6-yd box. First blocked by GK. Second deflected by defender. 3rd shot scored.)
2022-11-05:
Bethany Lutheran @ UW-Superior
Welp. Apparently MHB is out of their whatever....crushing Tex-Dallas 5-1.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 03, 2022, 02:09:43 PM
Welp. Apparently MHB is out of their whatever....crushing Tex-Dallas 5-1.
UT-Dallas' biggest loss of the season up until now was a 3-0 defeat to Mary Hardin-Baylor. For whatever reason, MHB has their number. Plus, MHB just lost to Concordia (TX) 5-1 in the last game of the season. That may have woken them up a bit.
SCIAC semifinals Friday night at 7 pm (Pacific)
#4 Cal Lutheran at #1 Chapman
The teams tied in their first meeting 0-0. Cal Lutheran is coming off an emotional win against Redlands in PKs, while Chapman's last game was a 3-0 loss to Redlands on Oct. 29. It's hard to read too much into that loss, though, because Chapman rested a bunch of players and played their 2d and 3rd string GKs. That extra rest can be a double-edged sword though. The last time some of Chapman's starters played was over a week ago in a 0-0 tie to Oxy. The Lutes will probably be tired after their double OT game on Tuesday, but they won't have to get up to speed to match the intensity of playoff soccer. One small wildcard that people in LA can appreciate is traffic. SCIAC games usually aren't scheduled for Friday evenings. Traveling from Thousand Oaks on the 101 to the 405 or 5 freeways to get to Chapman in Orange County for a Friday evening game could take between 2-4 hours (even leaving at 1 pm for a 7 pm game) for a 70-80 mile drive.
#3 Pomona-Pitzer at #2 Occidental
Oxy won the first meeting 1-0. Pomona-Pitzer is coming off it's own PK victory over LaVerne on Tuesday, while Oxy hasn't played since Saturday and hasn't scored a goal since a 2-1 loss to LaVerne two weeks ago. Oxy had 0-0 ties to Chapman and Cal Lutheran, so not exactly easy opponents, but Chapman outshot them 15-5 and had a 7-1 edge on corner kicks and Cal Lutheran outshot them 10-7, so it's fair to say that Oxy's offense hasn't been clicking on all cylinders for awhile. Pomona-Pitzer is not exactly an airtight defense that packs it in, so that could allow Oxy to get untracked, especially if Andrew Notter or Tyler Na-Nakornpanom get some breakaway opportunities. Incidentally, the drive won't be as big a deal as for Cal Lutheran. Pomona-Pitzer is only 32 miles away from Oxy and the drive is west, which is in the opposite direction from most traffic coming home from work, so it could be between 40-75 minutes.
On the odd chance that anyone here might be interested, due to storms expected to move through the area in the afternoon, semis of the SCAC tournament have been pushed back to 6:30 and 9:00 pm CDT. Matches will be played on the turf at Austin College's Apple Stadium, so while it might be wet the teams will not have to deal with mud.
https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1588324546050142208
Let's go Tigers (the Trinity University version)
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 04, 2022, 09:10:22 AM
On the odd chance that anyone here might be interested, due to storms expected to move through the area in the afternoon, semis of the SCAC tournament have been pushed back to 6:30 and 9:00 pm CDT. Matches will be played on the turf at Austin College's Apple Stadium, so while it might be wet the teams will not have to deal with mud.
https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1588324546050142208
Third match of the season between Colorado College and Trinity and between Southwestern and St. Thomas (TX). Those always are tough. There are few surprises. Everybody knows everything about their opponents. Should be slugfests.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 04, 2022, 09:10:22 AM
On the odd chance that anyone here might be interested, due to storms expected to move through the area in the afternoon, semis of the SCAC tournament have been pushed back to 6:30 and 9:00 pm CDT. Matches will be played on the turf at Austin College's Apple Stadium, so while it might be wet the teams will not have to deal with mud.
https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1588324546050142208
It appears that the Colorado College v. Trinity game was moved back to 7:15 CDT and the Southwestern v. St. Thomas (TX) game was moved back to 9:45 pm CDT. Seems like they are really trying to get those games in despite the weather channel's warning for Sherman, Texas that "There is a likely risk of severe weather today. Wind, tornadoes and hail are possible. Look out for powerful tornadoes. Have a plan and be prepared."
Not sure if the "plan" they were talking about was to play a couple of soccer games.
Game got underway in Sherman Texas between Colorado College and Trinity and Colorado College just scored two goals in quick succession on a long throw-in into the box and a breakaway a minute or so later by the same player. CC up 2-0 midway through the first half. As the announcer said in an understated Texas drawl, "Holy Cow."
UPDATE: Game is officially in the bonkers category. Trinity scores two goals a minute apart (and only a couple of minutes after CC's last goal). Now, it's 2-2 with 17 minutes left in the half.
Occidental beat Pomona-Pitzer 3-1 in 2OT to advance to the championship. Electric atmosphere and huge crowd. The attendance was 3,689 according to the box score, which is kind of amazing for a Friday night and for a game where they actually sold tickets ($8 in advance and $10 at the door) because SCIAC requires it for the semifinals and finals. Oxy got off to a quick start with an early goal on a free kick. It was 1-0 at half, but a couple of minutes into the second half a Pomona defender got a second yellow and they went down a man. Credit to them for leveling later in the half on a beautiful top bin free kick and then hanging on against a barrage of shots from Oxy the last 20 minutes of regulation. Eventually, they just got worn down and Oxy went up at the very end of the first OT and added another in the second OT to win 3-1.
In the other semifinal, Chapman beat Cal Lutheran 1-0 on a goal in the fifth minute. Big crowd for Chapman (555), although nowhere close to Oxy's crowd. It's a shame that Champan will host on Sunday, since Oxy draws so much better, but well deserved for both teams to make it to the finals. They tied in their two previous meetings this year (2-2 and 0-0), so I anticipate this will be a battle.
UWS up 1-0 early over Bethany Lutheran
Gustavus up 1-0 early over St Olaf
Bethany Lutheran 0 @ UWS 3 at the half
St Olaf 0 Gustavus 1 at the half
Red card given to Gustavus so now playing with 10.
St Olaf scores from way outside with a blistering shot to take a 2-1 lead with 1:00 left.
St Olaf wins and gets the AQ. Be pretty surprising if Gustavus does not get an at large berth.
UWS still up 3-0 with less than 3 minutes left in UMAC championship.
Both games played in beautiful < 40 degree MN weather.
Willamette demolishes Linfield 5-0 in McMinnville. Bearcats take the NWC title and the AQ to the NCAA tournament.
Quote from: Bearcat Press on November 05, 2022, 07:11:30 PM
Willamette demolishes Linfield 5-0 in McMinnville. Bearcats take the NWC title and the AQ to the NCAA tournament.
Pacific Lutheran beats Puget Sound 1-0 and has to hope it's resume is strong enough for a Pool C bid
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2022, 07:49:48 PM
Quote from: Bearcat Press on November 05, 2022, 07:11:30 PM
Willamette demolishes Linfield 5-0 in McMinnville. Bearcats take the NWC title and the AQ to the NCAA tournament.
Pacific Lutheran beats Puget Sound 1-0 and has to hope it's resume is strong enough for a Pool C bid
I was wondering about that because scoreboard had PS winning. Gut tells me Lutes are in BUT by my count only one ranked win and a below average SoS. I do think the cmte tends to give West Coast teams a bit of a break because of challenges to get ranked wins and higher SoS. If they don't get a bid they'll regret dropping both games to Whitman.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2022, 07:59:12 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2022, 07:49:48 PM
Quote from: Bearcat Press on November 05, 2022, 07:11:30 PM
Willamette demolishes Linfield 5-0 in McMinnville. Bearcats take the NWC title and the AQ to the NCAA tournament.
Pacific Lutheran beats Puget Sound 1-0 and has to hope it's resume is strong enough for a Pool C bid
I was wondering about that because scoreboard had PS winning. Gut tells me Lutes are in BUT by my count only one ranked win and a below average SoS. I do think the cmte tends to give West Coast teams a bit of a break because of challenges to get ranked wins and higher SoS. If they don't get a bid they'll regret dropping both games to Whitman.
I agree that the Whitman losses are killers, but they did beat Willamette in conference and they beat Colorado College and Cal Lutheran, both of whom were (are?) regionally ranked. They also beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, who they surely assumed would help their strength-of-schedule at the beginning of the season. At 17-3, not qualifying would be a bitter pill for them to swallow I'm sure.
I don't follow the details for selection, but my guess is that they need St. Thomas to beat Trinity in the SCAC finals. I assume that would reduce the case for a Pool C bid from that conference and with SCIAC and ASC also lacking an obvious Pool C candidate (maybe Concordia (TX)?), that might leave an opening for Pac Lutheran if the committee was willing to select one.
In the SCIAC championship, it's 0-0 at halftime between Occidental and Chapman. Chapman's keeper, Chandler Siemonsma, has only been credited with a couple of saves, but he has cut off a ton of chances by being super aggressive. You can see why he was voted the first team all-SCIAC GK this season. Not sure all of those forays to outer reaches of his box and beyond were all warranted or safe (one ended in Siemonsma getting a yellow card), but his defenders well know he's pretty decisive/reckless and they scoot behind him and have blocked some shots that have come from balls he only deflected or pushed and he's now defenseless to stop now that he's lying in a heap on the ground. He's not super tall (listed as 6'0", but I bet he's a little under that), so when he punches and waves a hand to push a ball away from an attacker's head, you can see why he couldn't go for a catch against taller strikers.
Incidentally, as much as Amherst is accusing of committing tons of fouls (they had 13 in the first half (+1 yellow), compared to 5 for Conn College (+1 yellow), Oxy has 12 in the first half (+1 yellow) and Chapman has 10 (+2 yellows). The sun is shining and the ball is moving much quicker on the turf than on the wet grass at Williams, but the game is still a mix of soccer and rugby.
Incidentally, the crowd support for Oxy is intense. They traveled well on Sunday afternoon and have brought their vuvuzelas! The two student announcers conceded before the game that it felt like a home game for Oxy in Chapman's stadium. Maybe Oxy provided buses for the students?
Quote from: Kuiper on November 06, 2022, 05:08:36 PM
Incidentally, as much as Amherst is accusing of committing tons of fouls (they had 13 in the first half (+1 yellow), compared to 5 for Conn College (+1 yellow), Oxy has 12 in the first half (+1 yellow) and Chapman has 10 (+2 yellows). The sun is shining and the ball is moving much quicker on the turf than on the wet grass at Williams, but the game is still a mix of soccer and rugby.
Amherst ranks dead last (408th) in D3 for fouls per game with 15.44.
Occidential is only 4 spots behind (404th) but "only" average 13.88.
Chapman is T383rd with an average of 13.
Rugby indeed.
Quote from: Ejay on November 06, 2022, 05:16:25 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 06, 2022, 05:08:36 PM
Incidentally, as much as Amherst is accusing of committing tons of fouls (they had 13 in the first half (+1 yellow), compared to 5 for Conn College (+1 yellow), Oxy has 12 in the first half (+1 yellow) and Chapman has 10 (+2 yellows). The sun is shining and the ball is moving much quicker on the turf than on the wet grass at Williams, but the game is still a mix of soccer and rugby.
Amherst ranks dead last (408th) in D3 for fouls per game with 15.44.
Occidential is only 4 spots behind (404th) but "only" average 13.88.
Chapman is T383rd with an average of 13.
Rugby indeed.
Well, I did say a mix of soccer and rugby. I need to start watching those full rugby games that just call themselves soccer! Soccer and rugby do have common origins after all ;)
In fairness, both the Conn-Amherst game and the Oxy-Chapman game had/have some beautiful passing sequences from each team at times. I think Amherst's rep comes from the type of fouls rather than the number, I was mostly speaking tongue-in-cheek, since the number of fouls is obviously a function of what the ref decides to call as much or more as the force/recklessness of those fouls and depends upon whether the ref takes seriously the responsibility to keep the game moving.
Occidental-Chapman ends 0-0 in regulation. Heading to OT.
Chapman wins 1-0 with 43 seconds left in double overtime on a bicycle kick volley to the corner of the goal off a free kick. That's about as exciting (and heart breaking for Oxy) as a game can end.
Whittier College of the SCIAC announced it is cutting men's football, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's golf. There are a lot of good reasons to cut football for a small college (Oxy did it two years ago), some of which apply to lacrosse (e.g., head injury risk), but none of which apply to golf. They don't mention cutting any other sports and soccer appears safe, but I suspect this is a warning of financial distress. It's never a good sign when they start talking about spending more on programs that benefit all students, like yoga and dance class (which just HAPPEN to be a ton cheaper), especially since they don't really attract students to your school because virtually all schools already offer them since they are so cheap.
https://www.whittier.edu/news/tue-11152022-340-pm/whittier-college-makes-changes-poet-athletics
"Nearly one-third of our current students are athletes and Whittier remains committed to supporting Poet Athletics and the 18 intercollegiate varsity sports in which our student-athletes will continue to compete. There are no plans to discontinue additional athletic programs at the College.
Going forward, Whittier will expand its commitment to health, wellness, and recreation. We are reinvesting our resources and efforts in programs that will impact even more of our students. We are also looking to the future—we have an active eSports team, dance activities, weekly yoga classes, and more on campus. We will continue to be open to other innovative developments that meet our students' needs."
DIII soccer is sufficiently precarious already in Southern California that I'm sure the other SCIAC members are going to be monitoring this closely.
I don't think this makes any sense for most sports, like Men's soccer, that do have enough teams for two separate conferences "(and two separate NCAA AQs), but it looks like the Linfield University president raised the idea of a NWC/SCIAC merger in a twitter reply he posted in the wake of the news about Whittier terminating it's football program.
https://twitter.com/DrDtweeters/status/1592615124921356288?s=20&t=_-n5RifNDETY5fA8OF8M4A
Taty Aleman of St. Thomas named a first team All-American by United Soccer Coaches. 20 goals and 5 assists in 21 games will do that for you.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/2022-united-soccer-coaches-ncaa-division-iii-mens-and-womens-all-america-teams-announced/
Three other Region X players were named third team All-Americans
Nick Villaneueva - Mary Hardin-Baylor
Daniel Castro - St. Thomas
Luis Green - Texas Lutheran
It's too big a territory for me to keep track of all DIII commitments in the west and north, but here are a few:
Dylan Stapley, a 6'2" MLS Next defender for Albion in San Diego, committed to Colorado College
Aaron Gonzalez, a defender for Houston Dynamo Youth, committed to Centenary (LA)
Alexander Mutalibov, a midfielder for Houston Dynamo Youth, committed to University of Texas, Dallas
Cole Pettit, a midfielder from Bavarian United SC in Wisconsin, committed to North Central College
It looks like the massive geographic conference shifts aren't limited to the D1 conferences. The SAA announces that Trinity TX and Southwestern will be joining them in all sports.
https://saa-sports.com/news/2023/3/9/general-saa-welcomes-southwestern-university-and-trinity-university-texas-as-full-time-members.aspx
Quote from: Kuiper on March 09, 2023, 11:24:45 AM
It looks like the massive geographic conference shifts aren't limited to the D1 conferences. The SAA announces that Trinity TX and Southwestern will be joining them in all sports.
https://saa-sports.com/news/2023/3/9/general-saa-welcomes-southwestern-university-and-trinity-university-texas-as-full-time-members.aspx
It was exactly a decade ago (2012-13 season) that the SAA played its first season after splitting from the SCAC. Trinity and Southwestern, two of three SCAC schools with similar academic profiles to schools in the SAA (Colorado College is the third) are coming home. Both have enough money to cover the substantial increase in travel costs - with the possible exception of Hendrix in football all weekend travel will have to be flights (as it will for the current SAA schools coming to Texas, but that should be an every other year thing, reducing the impact on them).
Quote from: Ron Boerger on March 09, 2023, 11:40:51 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on March 09, 2023, 11:24:45 AM
It looks like the massive geographic conference shifts aren't limited to the D1 conferences. The SAA announces that Trinity TX and Southwestern will be joining them in all sports.
https://saa-sports.com/news/2023/3/9/general-saa-welcomes-southwestern-university-and-trinity-university-texas-as-full-time-members.aspx
It was exactly a decade ago (2012-13 season) that the SAA played its first season after splitting from the SCAC. Trinity and Southwestern, two of three SCAC schools with similar academic profiles to schools in the SAA (Colorado College is the third) are coming home. Both have enough money to cover the substantial increase in travel costs - with the possible exception of Hendrix in football all weekend travel will have to be flights (as it will for the current SAA schools coming to Texas, but that should be an every other year thing, reducing the impact on them).
I was just thinking that Colorado College is the loser in this move, but they don't have a lot of options. They would fit in well academically with schools like Pomona-Pitzer, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Occidental in the SCIAC, but I doubt that the SCIAC schools would have any interest in that kind of travel. One benefit to Trinity/Southwestern moving to the SAA is their trips can be two game weekends, whereas the Colorado Springs trips were generally one-offs.
This column provides some background on the move from the Texas football side of things, since Trinity has been a football affiliate since 2017 and Southwestern was planning to join SAA as a football affiliate in 2023
https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2023/03/09/trinity-and-southwestern-to-move-all-sports-to-the-saa?ref=article_preview_title
The implication from the SAA side of things is that the conference is worried that Birmingham Southern, which has gone to the state to seek a $30m bailout, may have to close up shop
https://www.wbrc.com/2023/02/10/birmingham-southern-college-future-still-up-air/
As a professor of sports management at another SCAC school tweeted about this, the students are the big losers in this (and what makes it seem comparable to what is going on with UCLA/USC leaving the Pac 12 for the Big 10) since the travel for Trinity/Southwestern students is going to increase quite a bit, even without the Colorado College trips:
Mark L. Howard, PhD
@sptfinphd
·
1h
Replying to
@sptfinphd
@TingleJK
and 2 others
Current mileage on average in @SCAC_Sports
is 286 miles. Future mileage in @SAA_Sports
is 869 miles. So just over 3 times as much on average. Students will be missing a lot more class, even if they are flying.
CC is in a tough situation to be sure. For about a year they actually had a travel partner, Johnson and Wales - Denver, who went belly up less than two years after starting play in the SCAC.
Having visited Southwestern as part of a visit with Trinity in 2018, I can say with confidence that it will be a challenging away trip. We were there on a very warm Texas day and the humidity was something else.
The prof above (Mark L. Howard, PhD) is from Schreiner - and also posted to @SCAC_Sports "what does this mean for [SCAC] football", so take his comments with just a grain of salt. He also made this statement (https://twitter.com/sptfinphd/status/1633873943462559745): "I would think there might be some hard feelings from the remaining @SCAC_Sports schools. Since those schools agreed to become football schools to appease Trinity and now they are ditching the conference."
This isn't Trinity or Southwestern's first rodeo; they were members of the SCAC for a couple of decades and are very familiar with the travel required. And a lot of the kids that go to those schools like this kind of travel.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 15, 2022, 09:45:55 PM
Whittier College of the SCIAC announced it is cutting men's football, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's golf. There are a lot of good reasons to cut football for a small college (Oxy did it two years ago), some of which apply to lacrosse (e.g., head injury risk), but none of which apply to golf. They don't mention cutting any other sports and soccer appears safe, but I suspect this is a warning of financial distress. It's never a good sign when they start talking about spending more on programs that benefit all students, like yoga and dance class (which just HAPPEN to be a ton cheaper), especially since they don't really attract students to your school because virtually all schools already offer them since they are so cheap.
https://www.whittier.edu/news/tue-11152022-340-pm/whittier-college-makes-changes-poet-athletics
"Nearly one-third of our current students are athletes and Whittier remains committed to supporting Poet Athletics and the 18 intercollegiate varsity sports in which our student-athletes will continue to compete. There are no plans to discontinue additional athletic programs at the College.
Going forward, Whittier will expand its commitment to health, wellness, and recreation. We are reinvesting our resources and efforts in programs that will impact even more of our students. We are also looking to the future—we have an active eSports team, dance activities, weekly yoga classes, and more on campus. We will continue to be open to other innovative developments that meet our students' needs."
DIII soccer is sufficiently precarious already in Southern California that I'm sure the other SCIAC members are going to be monitoring this closely.
Another story about Whittier College, but this time about whether the school as a whole will survive. As I said previously, that would not be good for the SCIAC, which doesn't have other D3 options in the area (although UC Santa Cruz or Colorado College would probably love to join if the current schools were willing to incur the travel costs)
https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1641465307624620033?s=46&t=uXiupHZfR0TxrRyWF9BmRg
Not much recruiting news from the SCIAC, but Redlands just posted a couple of commitments:
Defender Ben Evans from Bend FC Timbers in Oregon and local product ECNL forward Taylor Bell from Sporting California Arsenal FC, who is the younger brother of Redlands midfielder Cody Bell
Quote from: Kuiper on April 12, 2023, 03:55:09 PM
Not much recruiting news from the SCIAC, but Redlands just posted a couple of commitments:
Defender Ben Evans from Bend FC Timbers in Oregon and local product ECNL forward Taylor Bell from Sporting California Arsenal FC, who is the younger brother of Redlands midfielder Cody Bell
Redlands announced a third signing: Anders Beckton a forward from Seattle United B05 ECNL
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLxjvjrjIG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Chapman, which won the SCIAC last year, played two shortened spring games yesterday against local community colleges (which can actually provide very serious competition in SoCal). They tied Mira Costa CC 1-1 and beat Santa Ana College 3-2.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrXVEZArZP3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
You can't tell too much from these spring scrimmages given that coaches often want to try things out and give players a chance, but still a good sign for a team that is losing some important players, including their starting GK from last year.
There are different philosophies on types of opponents to play too.
Redlands played @ D1 Cal State Northridge a few weeks ago, Pomona-Pitzer hosted D2 Cal State San Marcos and CC Cerritos College, and Occidental played D2 Azusa Pacific and a UPSL adult team (primarily former college players with a mix of D1 and others).
Interesting and informative article in the Claremont Schools student newspaper about the CMS men's soccer team's spring season with new coach Edward Cartee (formerly an assistant at Trinity (TX)), including their attempt to change the culture after the hazing incident that led the administration to cancel last season's games midway through.
https://tsl.news/stags-soccer-comeback/
Couple of interesting notes:
- One rising senior noted that this will be his fourth head coach at CMS (in 5 years because of Covid). I hadn't really appreciated that, but it's tough to change the culture and set a new tone when there's no stability in the head coaching position.
- They noted that they were told they will be practicing three times at week at 6:15 am during the season. I guess that's one way to get the kids to go to sleep a little earlier and stay out of trouble.
- The players conceded that the hazing event was a ritual they had all participated in when they started in the program. So, this wasn't a one-off. It was long-standing and either they kept it well-hidden from the coaches or the turnover helped to bury the problem. Given that it involved the entire team, it's hard to believe that it was kept hidden all this time.
- On the positive side, the team beat DII side Azusa Pacific 4-0 in their spring game. Azusa was a mid-table team in their conference last year and only graduated five seniors, so that's a decent sign for Cartee and the CMS program.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 15, 2022, 09:45:55 PM
Whittier College of the SCIAC announced it is cutting men's football, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's golf. There are a lot of good reasons to cut football for a small college (Oxy did it two years ago), some of which apply to lacrosse (e.g., head injury risk), but none of which apply to golf. They don't mention cutting any other sports and soccer appears safe, but I suspect this is a warning of financial distress. It's never a good sign when they start talking about spending more on programs that benefit all students, like yoga and dance class (which just HAPPEN to be a ton cheaper), especially since they don't really attract students to your school because virtually all schools already offer them since they are so cheap.
https://www.whittier.edu/news/tue-11152022-340-pm/whittier-college-makes-changes-poet-athletics
"Nearly one-third of our current students are athletes and Whittier remains committed to supporting Poet Athletics and the 18 intercollegiate varsity sports in which our student-athletes will continue to compete. There are no plans to discontinue additional athletic programs at the College.
Going forward, Whittier will expand its commitment to health, wellness, and recreation. We are reinvesting our resources and efforts in programs that will impact even more of our students. We are also looking to the future—we have an active eSports team, dance activities, weekly yoga classes, and more on campus. We will continue to be open to other innovative developments that meet our students' needs."
DIII soccer is sufficiently precarious already in Southern California that I'm sure the other SCIAC members are going to be monitoring this closely.
UPDATE: Whittier College's President has announced her resignation
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-12/whittier-college-president-resigns-amid-financial-troubles-plunging-enrollment (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-12/whittier-college-president-resigns-amid-financial-troubles-plunging-enrollment)
QuoteIn recent years, Whittier has seen enrollment plunge 35%, from 1,853 students in 2018 to about 1,200. The decreases have driven down annual revenue by 29% over roughly the same period, according to audited financial statements. In an effort to balance the books, the college last year cut football and three other sports programs and unveiled plans to sell the president's residence, Wardman House, a hilltop mansion with views to the ocean.
Quote from: Kuiper on March 09, 2023, 11:24:45 AM
It looks like the massive geographic conference shifts aren't limited to the D1 conferences. The SAA announces that Trinity TX and Southwestern will be joining them in all sports.
https://saa-sports.com/news/2023/3/9/general-saa-welcomes-southwestern-university-and-trinity-university-texas-as-full-time-members.aspx
The SCAC is replacing Trinity and Southwestern with Ozarks and Concordia Texas from the American Southwest Conference starting in 2024-2025.
https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1658171866698207233?s=20 (https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1658171866698207233?s=20)
QuoteCurrently members of the American Southwest Conference, both Concordia University Texas and University of the Ozarks will join the SCAC at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, becoming the ninth and tenth members of the league once membership stabilizes leading into the 2025-26 academic year. McMurry University was previously announced as a future core conference member, also beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
Quote from: Kuiper on May 15, 2023, 06:03:03 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on March 09, 2023, 11:24:45 AM
It looks like the massive geographic conference shifts aren't limited to the D1 conferences. The SAA announces that Trinity TX and Southwestern will be joining them in all sports.
https://saa-sports.com/news/2023/3/9/general-saa-welcomes-southwestern-university-and-trinity-university-texas-as-full-time-members.aspx
The SCAC is replacing Trinity and Southwestern with Ozarks and Concordia Texas from the American Southwest Conference starting in 2024-2025.
https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1658171866698207233?s=20 (https://twitter.com/SCAC_Sports/status/1658171866698207233?s=20)
QuoteCurrently members of the American Southwest Conference, both Concordia University Texas and University of the Ozarks will join the SCAC at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, becoming the ninth and tenth members of the league once membership stabilizes leading into the 2025-26 academic year. McMurry University was previously announced as a future core conference member, also beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
As could be inferred by the conference announcement, Trinity and Southwestern will still be in the SCAC in '24-'25; they don't move to the SAA until the following season. 12 teams in some conference sports will make for a year of challenging scheduling before returning to 10. With the continued radio silence out of the ASC, these may not be the last additions you'll see to the SCAC, either.
I'll cross-post in the 2023-2024 Schedules thread, but on the off chance someone who reads these boards is actually interested in the SCIAC, I'll post those here as well as they come out. For those not from the West, what's interesting from the SCIAC is seeing who is traveling this year (either going elsewhere or coming here) and who teams play in conference. On the former, it's usually a budgetary issue, limiting it to once every few years, but it can also signal whether a coach is optimistic about his team. On the latter, the SCIAC ditched the home-away round robin conference schedule a few years ago in favor of more non-conference games. Both features give SCIAC teams a chance to schedule more strong non-conference opponents to boost their strength of schedule for the NCAA tourney bids, but the latter unbalances the conference so teams have double games against half the conference and single games against the other half. That can really impact who makes the conference tourney if some teams end up stronger or weaker than expected (or get all of their games thrown out because their school suspends them halfway through the season like CMS last year).
Redlands (double games against Occidental, Cal Lutheran, Chapman, and La Verne)
https://www.goredlands.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/schedule
Chapman (double games against Redlands, CMS, Pomona-Pitzer. Cal Tech)
https://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/schedule
Cross-posing from the 2023-2024 Schedule thread
Trinity University (Texas)
https://trinitytigers.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2023
Trinity's early non-conference schedule is usually filled with teams traveling in Region X because San Antonio is a convenient airport on Southwest and it's a good way for teams in the Region to cross-pollinate for strength of schedule purposes. This year, Pomona-Pitzer and Willamette are traveling to Trinity to play in a Labor Day Tournament with Trinity and St. Thomas (P-P and Willamette each play St. Thomas and Trinity, but they don't play each other and Trinity and St. Thomas play later in the fall). With Willamette and St. Thomas fresh off of NCAA tourney runs, Trinity a traditional power playing at home, and P-P no pushover after advancing in the SCIAC conference tournament last year with a lot of freshman in the lineup, that's a challenging set of early matches for those teams. Those are some games to circle on the calendar, especially Willamette v. St. Thomas at 11 am (central) on Sun, Sept 3. Not sure who is returning for Willamette (their leading scorer was a senior, but may have a Covid year), but St. Thomas' top two scorers were only juniors. They should be very dangerous.
Of course, as we saw with the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps v. Trinity game last year during the Trinity Labor Day tournament, it's sometimes hard to predict which teams will help your strength-of-schedule. As it turned out, neither CMS nor Trinity did as well as expected last year.
St. Thomas (TX) has taken on the role of favorite in the SCAC the last couple of seasons. It hasn't helped Trinity that they have lost their best player, Michael Meese, both of the last two years due to injury - after scoring 15 goals in 14 matches in 2021 (missing a few matches in mid-season) he was only able to play in the opening five last season. And they graduate a boatload of COVID seniors (Blank, Duenez, Burns. Jones, Nayler-Gress, Sommerville, Simon, Vidales, Davis) so it's going to be a rebuilding year in SA.
A little surprised CMS isn't on the schedule with former assistant Cartee taking the reins there.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on May 25, 2023, 09:11:30 AM
St. Thomas (TX) has taken on the role of favorite in the SCAC the last couple of seasons. It hasn't helped Trinity that they have lost their best player, Michael Meese, both of the last two years due to injury - after scoring 15 goals in 14 matches in 2021 (missing a few matches in mid-season) he was only able to play in the opening five last season. And they graduate a boatload of COVID seniors (Blank, Duenez, Burns. Jones, Nayler-Gress, Sommerville, Simon, Vidales, Davis) so it's going to be a rebuilding year in SA.
A little surprised CMS isn't on the schedule with former assistant Cartee taking the reins there.
As for CMS, it would be a little surprising from a budgetary perspective for them to go back to Trinity this year after playing them there last year. They generally go on a trip like that every other year because it's pretty expensive. Plus, with the hazing incident and suspension of the season last year, I'm sure the administration is in no mood to give them any extra leeway this year until they've proven themselves mature enough to handle it.
Another regular early September tournament that, like Trinity, allows for cross-pollination of the three leagues in Region X, is held at UC Santa Cruz. UCSC has posted its schedule and they have a pretty good set of teams participating, even if none of them are likely to be quite as highly ranked as the teams playing at Trinity over Labor Day.
https://goslugs.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2023
UCSC plays Pacific and Whitworth
Whitworth plays UCSC and Cal Lutheran
Cal Lutheran plays Whitworth and Pacific
Since UCSC is making FIVE trips down to Southern California this year and playing every team in the SCIAC except Cal Tech and Pomona-Pitzer, no reason to play Cal Lu a second time. It basically allows Cal Lu and USCS to both get two games against teams from the Northwest Conference. [Incidentally, if something happened to a SCIAC school -- like perhaps Whittier given that it recently dropped several sports and its president has resigned amidst a drop in enrollment and reported financial difficulties -- it wouldn't take much of a schedule change to add UCSC at least as an affiliate member of SCIAC for soccer]
One other interesting note about UCSC' schedule is that two weeks after their tournament with the SCIAC and NWC schools, they will be traveling to Colorado Springs to play Christopher Newport and Colorado College. Not only does that get UCSC exposure to two strong teams, but they get to play Christopher Newport outside of the C2C conference tournament, which seems to be a first. Quite the trip for Christopher Newport, however, which not only has to travel across the country and (presumably) play two teams with a short turnaround, but they have to play in Colorado Springs and deal with the altitude. That might be a real test for them early in the season.
Incidentally, I didn't realize that the Coast to Coast Conference championships this year is in Santa Cruz. That's a true test of the resolve of conference members because a lot of schools have to fly a really long way to get there for this tournament. The only consolation for the east coast teams is that you don't have as much jet lag going west as going east. If UCSC was ever going to qualify for the NCAA tourney by winning the league, this would be the year.
Any SID-types looking to make a move to Southern California?
https://twitter.com/thesciac/status/1664727032524046337?s=46&t=uXiupHZfR0TxrRyWF9BmRg
Recruiting news from the SCIAC is trickling in via Instagram.
Cal Tech (9 players) https://www.instagram.com/caltechmsoc/
Tanish Rao is a midfielder from Sunnyvale, CA. He helped lead his Bellarmine Prep high school team to the NorCal State Championship this year and played his club soccer for De Anza Force.
Sam Mathews is a goalkeeper from Pepper Pike, OH. Sam played for his University High School Team, and his club soccer for both FC Evolution and White Caps FC.
Bryan Kim is a defender from Los Altos, CA. He led his Mountain View High School team to a CCS championship this winter, and played his club soccer for MVLA's ECNL team.
John Ivanov is a midfielder from Mission Viejo, CA. John captained his Tesoro High School team, and played his club soccer for both Pateadores and West Coast FC.
Aaron Henslovitz is a defender from Livingston, NJ. After playing at the MLS Next level his freshman and sophomore year, Aaron joined STA's ECNL team so that he could also play with the Livingston High School team in his junior and senior years.
Ethan Hamel is a goalkeeper from Portola Valley, CA. He played for MVLA's ECNL team and Woodside High School.
Ethan Feng is a midfielder from San Jose, CA. He played for Sporting Santa Clara's ECNL team and Lynbrook High School.
Alex Crowley is a goalkeeper from Atlanta, GA, who played for Inter Atlanta FC's National League team and Paideia High School.
Riley Coover is a defender from Orinda, CA who plays for Lamorinda Soccer Club's MLS Next team and attended Miramonte high school.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (7 players) https://www.instagram.com/stagsmsoccer/
Andrew McSlarrow is a centerback from Sandy, UT who played for Dickinson College (PA).
Christopher Kim is a midfielder from San Diego, CA who played for Albion SC MLS Next.
Miles Demarest is a goalkeeper from Irvington, NY who played for FC Westchester.
James Gomez is a forward from Los Angeles, CA who played for Soccer With a Purpose (SWAP).
Cooper Bollinger-Danielson is a forward from St. Paul, MN and played for the St. Paul Blackhawks.
Alex Sondergaard is a fullback from Paradise Valley, AZ who played for RSL Arizona MSL Next.
Eric Grossman-Glover is a centerback from Seattle, WA who played for Eastside FC.
Pomona Pitzer (7 players) https://www.instagram.com/pomonapitzermsoc/
Guy Fuchs is an attacker from So Cal that played for Strikers FC.
Enzo Dal Bo is an attacker from Nor Cal who played for Lamorinda Soccer Club MLS Next.
Kieran Veloria is an attacker from Arizona who played for Soccer Club Del Sol MLS Next.
Mori Miller is an attacker from Michigan who played for United Football Club.
Aidan MacLennan is an attacker from Oregon who played for Bend Football Club.
Adam Leikin is a defender from Nor Cal who played for Marin Football Club.
Daniel Yoon is an attacker from Nor Cal who played for Placer United Football Club.
Thanks @bubbabeans! Nice to have someone else interested in the SCIAC. Here are a few more I have been meaning to post:
Redlands (https://www.instagram.com/redlands_mens_soccer/)
Terren Reyes (D) Chula Vista, CA, City SC MLS Next
Zach Darmanyan (MF) San Diego, CA, City SC MLS Next
Anders Beckton (F) Seattle, WA, Seattle United ECNL
Ben Evans (D) Bend, OR, Bend FC Timbers
Jackson Barker (GK), Mercer Island, WA, WA Eastside FC
Bo Robertson (D) Portland, OR, Oregon Premier FC Academy
Hazen Arias (MF), Fontana, CA, Sporting CA Arsenal ECNL
Redlands also got a transfer, Christian Barboza (Wing), Fontana, CA, transferring from Mt San Antonio Community College. Last year, he started 11 games and was on the roster for the remainder, notching 1 goal and 0 assists.
Whitter (https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctabyb4pNYU/?hl=en)
Miguel Vargas
Alex Brown (GK) Sporting CA Arsenal
Jose Reulas, Jr
Anthony Chevoya (GK) transfer from San Diego Christian
Kevin Bravo
Axel Clark, Napa, CA, Napa United
Jake Ratzlaff, Anaheim, CA
Quote from: Kuiper on June 16, 2023, 06:39:44 PM
Thanks @bubbabeans! Nice to have someone else interested in the SCIAC. Here are a few more I have been meaning to post:
I'm a teacher that just entered the blessed summer season so I finally have time to dig around social media. Just waiting on Cal Luth, Chapman, La Verne, and Oxy!
Chapman (https://www.instagram.com/chapmanmsoc/)
Transfers:
Of interest to people on both coasts, Wesley Jackson, a defender from San Diego Soccer club who started 13 of 16 games at Emerson College his freshman year, is transferring back to Socal and playing for Chapman
Patrick Bulubenchi, a GK from Fullerton, CA who played at Strikers ECNL, is transferring from DII Cal State San Marcos, where he did not get any minutes in his first year and his redshirt freshman year. Presumably, he will compete to replace first team SCIAC GK Chandler Siemonsma, who graduated. His backups last year were two seniors and a freshman who started 1 game, played in 6, and got 227 minutes total.
Freshman recruits:
Kaimana Newman (MF), Honululu, HI, Honululu Bulls
Leo Wells (MF) Redmond, WA, Eastlake
Connor Kilde (MF) Chino, CA, Legends FC
Cyrus Steele (F) Seattle, WA, Eastlake
Winston Ivory (MF) Montreal, CA, Tabor Academy HS
Grant Shaw (D) Sammamish, WA, Crossfire
Chas Stark (D) Scottsdale, AZ, Arizona Arsenal
Benji Leonetti (MF) Chicago, IL, FC United
Quote from: bubbabeans on June 16, 2023, 05:10:14 PM
Recruiting news from the SCIAC is trickling in via Instagram.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (7 players) https://www.instagram.com/stagsmsoccer/
Andrew McSlarrow is a centerback from Sandy, UT who played for Dickinson College (PA).
Christopher Kim is a midfielder from San Diego, CA who played for Albion SC MLS Next.
Miles Demarest is a goalkeeper from Irvington, NY who played for FC Westchester.
James Gomez is a forward from Los Angeles, CA who played for Soccer With a Purpose (SWAP).
Cooper Bollinger-Danielson is a forward from St. Paul, MN and played for the St. Paul Blackhawks.
Alex Sondergaard is a fullback from Paradise Valley, AZ who played for RSL Arizona MSL Next.
Eric Grossman-Glover is a centerback from Seattle, WA who played for Eastside FC.
CMS has announced a transfer
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuKWIBIJOIp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Ben Bacdayan (MF), Pittsburgh, PA, transfer from D1 Duquesne
(never a good sign regarding playing time when the photo of the player is from warmups)
Ah, the Duquesne-CMS pipeline strikes again!
I'm sure circumstances and reasons vary wildly (and perhaps quite unpredictably), but I sometimes find these D1 to D3 combos interesting. I bet there have not been more than five (or less) undergrad-level transfers of any type (athletic/non-athletic) in either direction between these two schools over the past 50 years.
I may be just making this up but off the top of my head the D3 to D1 moves often seem a little more no-brainerish at least in terms of first blush impressions of some type of symmetry between the two instititutions.
One quick thought on why this might make some sense...Again, keep in mind that I am thinking in very general, broad terms, but when someone is intent on playing D1 and especially as a D1 scholarship player, the soccer variable is going to carry the day even more so than for D3 athletes who make soccer an important part of his or her decision. So the player is even more dependent on being chosen rather than choosing, and if fortunate enough to receive D1 scholarship offers, those offers may come from places one wouldn't necessarily have been thinking about. So, for example, your daughter may be in love with UVA and get a D1 offer from UVA. But in another scenario, that same UVA loving daughter only gets D1 offers from say BYU, Duquesne, Cleveland State, Kentucky, and Texas Tech. Unless she abandons the dream of playing D1 and/or a D1 scholarship that she's been working her butt off for well over a half-decade, she's going to end up going to one of the other schools listed. That of course doesn't mean she might not end up being far happier and thrive more at the place that found her (to play soccer) more so than a place she would have picked if she had held all the cards, but that is a far longer discussion....and includes analysis of the power of the drug called "elite education" that has such a hold on so many of us (like me) and all too often guides the college selection process particularly for those of us who feel some affiliation with that "club" and/or are hungry to gain entry into that club.
Sorry, I didn't realize Duquesne to CMS was gonna take me that far down a road... ;)
As someone intimately involved with a D1 to D3 transfer, one that can only really be considered highly unlikely given the respective academic standings of the colleges involved, I would say it comes after a student athlete at that point better understands what life is actually like and how expectations get re-calibrated. I would like to think that the decisions we made would have been completely different had we known all the things about this process that we know now (thanks to Simple Coach and the coaches he interviews, plus everyone in here for that), but I also know that the day dream gets in the way at the start. There are a whole heaps of things we have learnt on this journey, but the one takeaway that is the most important, is that you can play D1 soccer, but quite easily not also get a D1 education and given the practically zero likelihood of making a proper living out of the game after graduating, the pragmatist in me says that that should send you in a certain direction.
I actually thought about the oddity of the Duquesne to CMS transfer when I posted the news, but I thought a little about the flip side of the coin from what Paul Newman said. This is a kid born and raised in Pittsburgh who went to a D1 school in his hometown. So, from that perspective, this wasn't a random choice dictated solely by being D1. Having said that, once it was clear he wasn't getting the soccer experience he wanted from the school (he had 10 minutes of playing time in two years), and had the academic ability to go somewhere like CMS, then it makes a lot more sense. He might have taken literally Paul Newman's title for this thread and decided to "Go WEST young man!" (no disrespect to Pittsburgh, which I have heard described as "The Budapest of the Midwest")
There's another angle to this story. He might have put his name in the transfer portal, which, as I understand it is much larger than normal this year for a variety of reasons. That increase has left a lot of players without a chair to sit on in the D1 game of musical chairs. A new coach like Edward Cartee at CMS, who is entering a program too late to recruit a new class and may not have everyone returning because of last year's hazing suspensions, may have taken advantage of that excess of players in the transfer portal and found someone with the grades to get into CMS and the willingness to move to D3. If so, that's probably a smart move.
Quote from: Kuiper on July 01, 2023, 08:34:52 PM
I actually thought about the oddity of the Duquesne to CMS transfer when I posted the news, but I thought a little about the flip side of the coin from what Paul Newman said. This is a kid born and raised in Pittsburgh who went to a D1 school in his hometown. So, from that perspective, this wasn't a random choice dictated solely by being D1. Having said that, once it was clear he wasn't getting the soccer experience he wanted from the school (he had 10 minutes of playing time in two years), and had the academic ability to go somewhere like CMS, then it makes a lot more sense. He might have taken literally Paul Newman's title for this thread and decided to "Go WEST young man!" (no disrespect to Pittsburgh, which I have heard described as "The Budapest of the Midwest")
... thereby putting to rest the theory that "yinz" is a word of Indo-European origin. ;)
Yes, Kuiper, that makes sense. I didn't know anything about him or being from Pittsburgh. Hearing that now, sounds like he might have been a nice pickup for Kenyon ;)....or Denison...or F&M/Dickinson, etc.
The twist/irony re: my response above is that I lived in Pittsburgh for five years....and better....earned my Ph.D. at Duquesne.
I shouldn't be tying up the "Out West" thread with a Pittsburgh plug but if you're on the coast of the East Coast Pittsburgh does seem out west. At any rate, imho Pittsburgh is one of the country's best under the radar cities...much of the educational, cultural, and business strengths of Northeast/New England cities minus some of the arrogance.
I love Pittsburgh. It's one of my favorite cities. I even have a nephew who lives there (and he's a grad of a nearby D3 school, to boot).
As much as I like the "Budapest of the Midwest" moniker (which I'm guessing is strictly a Kuiperism), Pittsburgh's not a midwestern city. But for D3 purposes it is quasi-midwestern, because the three D3 schools located within the Steel City (Carlow, Carnegie Mellon, and Chatham) are in Region 7, as are all of the D3 schools in western Pennsylvania. The two non-UAA leagues in Region 7 that are represented in western Pennsylvania (the AMCC and the PAC) share that region with the MIAA, the NCAC, and the OAC, which are 100% midwestern (Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan).
For what it's worth, the person who described Pittsburgh to me as the "Budapest of the Midwest" was from Iowa. I think she was taking geographical license for purposes of the rhyme, but perhaps she was attempting to speak it into existence while the coastal elites weren't looking.
In any event, now I feel a certain measure of responsibility to personally welcome this Pttsburgher to the West Coast when he plays for CMS this fall.
Quote from: Kuiper on July 02, 2023, 05:15:52 PM
For what it's worth, the person who described Pittsburgh to me as the "Budapest of the Midwest" was from Iowa. I think she was taking geographical license for purposes of the rhyme, but perhaps she was attempting to speak it into existence while the coastal elites weren't looking.
Brilliant! I love that!
Since people are starting to post Massey conference pre-season ratings, I figure I might as well do it too for at least the SCIAC:
https://masseyratings.com/csoc2023/14051
34 Redlands
39 CMS
49 Chapman
54 Occidental
65 Cal Lutheran
107 Pomona-Pitzer
171 Whittier
191 La Verne
220 Cal Tech
From the perspective of at least recent history, it's usually safe to start with Redlands/CMS at the top in some order and Whittier/La Verne/Cal Tech at the bottom in some order and then go from there. Nevertheless, I think you could quibble with the order of the Chapman/Oxy/Cal Lu/P-P group. If (a big if) P-P can replace leading scorer Matty Carlson (Region X 2d team; SCIAC 1st team) in the center of the midfield, they have a lot of young players coming up through the ranks that could help them jump a few teams. Freshman D Nic Ulrich and Freshman F Giri Mase, as well as Junior MF Alex Bonville, were each on the SCIAC 2d team. Plus, Kyle Lau, a SCIAC 1st teamer in 2021-22 who had a bit of an off year last fall, made the Hong Kong U23 team and has been playing with them over the summer in int'l play after being called up to a senior nat'l Hong Kong team camp in the March window this year. Oxy has some strong returning players who could push them over the top too. Juniors Evan Karp (Region X 2d team; SCIAC 1st team) and Lukas Howlett (SCIAC 1st team) helped anchored the defense last year and freshman Tyler Na-Nakornpanon (SCIAC 2d team) finished 4th in the conference in goals. Vicente Navarrao, another freshman, also was a strong contributor last year in the midfield. Chapman, on the other hand, is losing a lot of goal scoring in Aidan Wall (Region X 1st team; SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year) and Tobi Howe (Region X 3rd team; SCIAC first team), as well as its 1st team all SCIAC GK Chandler Siemonsma, so it might be a rebuilding year for them. Similarly, Cal Lutheran loses Tyler Sherard, who was SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as fellow SCIAC first teamer in Chris Palaez and 2d teamer in Erick Meija, although they do return MF JP Malgoza (SCIAC 1st team).
By the way, one caveat to everything is that last year's rankings, plus even last year's SCIAC teams and the performance of players in the last half of the season, were all to some measure influenced by CMS' suspension for the last part of the season. P-P lost two games they would have played against CMS, and Redlands, Cal Lu, and Cal Tech each lost one (which might have affected W-L records and player stats and performances positively or negatively), plus all teams lost the games they actually did play against CMS in the conference standings. So, if pre-season rankings and predictions about performance are wonky, then this year's are even wonkier. After all, CMS was predicted to finish first in the SCIAC last year in the coach's poll.
The most surprising aspect of the Massey pre-season ratings, at least to me, might be that they rate the SCIAC as the 4th best DIII men's conference, behind only NESCAC, UAA, and the Centennial. I guess that's a testament to the strength and balance of the middle of the conference. So many conferences have severe rich-poor gaps, whereas the SCIAC may not have any teams in the top 30, but it has 5 in the top 65. The Northwest and the SCAC, by contrast, only have two each in the top 65 (Northwest: Pac Lutheran and Willamette; SCAC: Trinity and St. Thomas), even though three of those four teams are higher ranked than the highest ranked SCIAC team. The American Southwest Conference, the only other conference in Region X, only has 1 team in the top 65 (Mary Hardin-Baylor).
I'm surprised Massey has Trinity(TX) ranked higher than St. Thomas (TX) who has owned them the last couple of seasons. StT is 3-1-1 against Trinity in that time with the loss in OT the first of those encounters in early 2021. But you're right, the SCAC is five pretty good teams and four pretty bad ones.
21 Trinity TX
23 St Thomas TX
69 Texas Lutheran
77 Colorado College
85 Southwestern
==== THE CHASM ====
285 Centenary
286 Austin
294 Schreiner
300 Dallas
And now for the Northwest Massey Rankings:
28 Pac Lutheran
53 Willamette
96 Whitman
128 Puget Sound
163 Whitworth
231 George Fox
242 Pacific OR
260 Linfield
I can't say I am surprised by the order of teams -- the Lutes have been consistently good for a few years now. One exciting feature of this season is how many cross-conference games we will have between Northwest, SCIAC, and SCAC teams due to Trinity hosting a couple of early-season tournaments. It'll be an authentic wild west shootout!
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 05, 2023, 03:38:42 PM
I'm surprised Massey has Trinity(TX) ranked higher than St. Thomas (TX) who has owned them the last couple of seasons. StT is 3-1-1 against Trinity in that time with the loss in OT the first of those encounters in early 2021. But you're right, the SCAC is five pretty good teams and four pretty bad ones.
21 Trinity TX
23 St Thomas TX
69 Texas Lutheran
77 Colorado College
85 Southwestern
==== THE CHASM ====
285 Centenary
286 Austin
294 Schreiner
300 Dallas
I agree with you about St. Thomas. They have both Aleman (USC 1st team All American) and Castro (USC 3rd team All American) returning. That's 37 goals and 9 assists between them coming back. They probably will lose Salako (10 goals and 8 assists), but he was literally the only senior on the team last year who was a regular starter/contributor. They should be the team to beat in the SCAC. I'm sure Trinity will be strong as usual, but assuming they don't have any Covid 5th year players, they're going to need a new GK and to replace their leading scorer in Sommerville. If Michael Meese is back, that will help a ton, but I'm still not really sure what happened to him last year. Trinity also have a number of seniors they have to replace who were regular starters last year, like Burns, Davis, Blank and especially JonConnor Rule, who was a first team all conference defender and 2d team all Region.
Meese was injured (again, sadly) early last season.
For ALL you Trinity fans:
1. Meese was hurt last season; had surgery and hopefully 100 percent for this season
2. Pietr Blank and JC Rule both back for this season--taking advantage of extra covid year
3. On the sidelines, pretty longtime assistant Edward Cartee is the head coach at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (good luck! he was great in my son's dealings with him)
Two departures upcoming for DIII soccer in Texas.
UT Dallas, which has been playing in the American Southwest Conference, announced it is moving to DII in all sports (and will be upgrading its soccer facilities, as part of a $30 million facility upgrade), starting with a three-year provisional period in Fall 2025.
https://news.utdallas.edu/campus-community/comet-sports-ncaa-division-2-2023/
https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx
Sul Ross State, another member of the American Southwest Conference, had applied for DII status back in January and their application was just approved last week. They will start their provisional period of play in DII in Fall 2024
https://www.newswest9.com/article/sports/sul-ross-state-university-to-move-into-division-ii-athletic-competition/513-b902fdd5-bfee-4112-a8c3-2c7d491586fb
I expect there will be more departures because there are some big football schools in the American Southwest Conference in DIII that may be left without enough DIII competition if they don't move to DII (or NAIA)
yeah, the demise of the ASC has been a pretty hot topic on the (American) football board. They have been willing to let the SCAC cherry-pick teams left and right the last few years while not adding anyone since the 2015-16 season. As it stands today once the two schools you mention leave along with McMurry, Ozarks, and Concordia (TX) - all bound for the SCAC - there will only be five schools left, only four of which play (American) football, in 2025. Absent the new commissioner pulling a rabbit out of his hat - merger (with who given travel distances? SAA doesn't want them, SCAC doesn't need them), talking NAIA schools into going D3, or stealing back a couple schools from the SCAC - the remaining schools have to take action almost immediately to survive. The SCAC might be a destination for one or two, especially in football where the conference will only have six teams playing by 2026, but UMHB especially is going to have a hard, hard time finding a landing place for a number of reasons.
Redlands men's soccer has posted a season preview article on its website.
https://www.goredlands.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/releases/2023080767aaqb
It's mostly just a recitation of this year's schedule and last year's results against those teams, but it is interesting that they have chosen to hold senior night for the game against Chapman. Typically, you wouldn't designate the game against the team's defending champions as senior night because you want an opponent where you can safely be sure all seniors can get some minutes. Pomona-Pitzer, for example, designated their game against Cal Tech as senior day, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps set their game against NAIA side Bethesda as senior day, Occidental's senior day is v. Whittier, and Cal Lutheran's is against UC Santa Cruz.
Quote from: Kuiper on July 05, 2023, 11:54:16 AM
Since people are starting to post Massey conference pre-season ratings, I figure I might as well do it too for at least the SCIAC:
https://masseyratings.com/csoc2023/14051
34 Redlands
39 CMS
49 Chapman
54 Occidental
65 Cal Lutheran
107 Pomona-Pitzer
171 Whittier
191 La Verne
220 Cal Tech
From the perspective of at least recent history, it's usually safe to start with Redlands/CMS at the top in some order and Whittier/La Verne/Cal Tech at the bottom in some order and then go from there. Nevertheless, I think you could quibble with the order of the Chapman/Oxy/Cal Lu/P-P group. If (a big if) P-P can replace leading scorer Matty Carlson (Region X 2d team; SCIAC 1st team) in the center of the midfield, they have a lot of young players coming up through the ranks that could help them jump a few teams. Freshman D Nic Ulrich and Freshman F Giri Mase, as well as Junior MF Alex Bonville, were each on the SCIAC 2d team. Plus, Kyle Lau, a SCIAC 1st teamer in 2021-22 who had a bit of an off year last fall, made the Hong Kong U23 team and has been playing with them over the summer in int'l play after being called up to a senior nat'l Hong Kong team camp in the March window this year. Oxy has some strong returning players who could push them over the top too. Juniors Evan Karp (Region X 2d team; SCIAC 1st team) and Lukas Howlett (SCIAC 1st team) helped anchored the defense last year and freshman Tyler Na-Nakornpanon (SCIAC 2d team) finished 4th in the conference in goals. Vicente Navarrao, another freshman, also was a strong contributor last year in the midfield. Chapman, on the other hand, is losing a lot of goal scoring in Aidan Wall (Region X 1st team; SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year) and Tobi Howe (Region X 3rd team; SCIAC first team), as well as its 1st team all SCIAC GK Chandler Siemonsma, so it might be a rebuilding year for them. Similarly, Cal Lutheran loses Tyler Sherard, who was SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as fellow SCIAC first teamer in Chris Palaez and 2d teamer in Erick Meija, although they do return MF JP Malgoza (SCIAC 1st team).
By the way, one caveat to everything is that last year's rankings, plus even last year's SCIAC teams and the performance of players in the last half of the season, were all to some measure influenced by CMS' suspension for the last part of the season. P-P lost two games they would have played against CMS, and Redlands, Cal Lu, and Cal Tech each lost one (which might have affected W-L records and player stats and performances positively or negatively), plus all teams lost the games they actually did play against CMS in the conference standings. So, if pre-season rankings and predictions about performance are wonky, then this year's are even wonkier. After all, CMS was predicted to finish first in the SCIAC last year in the coach's poll.
The most surprising aspect of the Massey pre-season ratings, at least to me, might be that they rate the SCIAC as the 4th best DIII men's conference, behind only NESCAC, UAA, and the Centennial. I guess that's a testament to the strength and balance of the middle of the conference. So many conferences have severe rich-poor gaps, whereas the SCIAC may not have any teams in the top 30, but it has 5 in the top 65. The Northwest and the SCAC, by contrast, only have two each in the top 65 (Northwest: Pac Lutheran and Willamette; SCAC: Trinity and St. Thomas), even though three of those four teams are higher ranked than the highest ranked SCIAC team. The American Southwest Conference, the only other conference in Region X, only has 1 team in the top 65 (Mary Hardin-Baylor).
Cal Lutheran recently posted their 2023 roster and I may have to re-think what I wrote about them above.
https://clusports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster
They have SEVEN players returning to take a grad year, including, most prominently their two First Team All-SCIAC players from 2022, MF Chris Palaez and SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Sherard. They also return as a grad student their starting GK from last year Davis Sharts. Not only will they be very experienced and deep, they also have some interesting freshman players coming in, including Max Barros Schelotto from local sports power Mater Dei, who is the son of the current coach of the Paraguay National Team (and a former coach of the LA Galaxy and MVP of MLS after playing for Boca Juniors and for the Argentina National Team), Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
Chapman also is replacing their First Team All-SCIAC GK, Chandler Siemonsma, with a transfer from DII Cal State San Marcos, but they still are losing their two big goal scorers.
https://athletics.chapman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps posted its roster and it's one I was looking out for because of what happened last year. With the hazing scandal and cancelling the last half of the season, plus the late turnover in the coaching staff, I wasn't sure whether the players would all be back or not. CMS' ID camps were also kind of a mess in the spring.
It turns out any fears of an exodus were unwarranted.
https://www.cmsathletics.org/sports/msoc/2023-24/roster
It looks like all but one of their seniors left and didn't stick around for a Covid grad year (which is probably just as well if new head coach Edward Cartee is trying to change the culture that led to the hazing scandal, although probably completely unrelated to that), but C-M-S didn't lose a bunch of underclassman either. Plus, the one senior who is back, who may have been actually misclassified as a senior last year if he took off a year during Covid, is Jake Allmon, who led the team in assists in the abbreviated season.
An interesting note for people from the Centennial Conference is that the one grad student on C-M-S is Andrew McSlarrow, who was the captain and locked-in starter as defender at Dickinson his senior year while also winning honorable mention All Conference recognition.
I should also note that they did pick up a DI transfer from Duquesne, Ben Bacdayan.
Occidental posted its roster.
https://www.cmsathletics.org/sports/msoc/2023-24/roster
They have a lot of good returning talent, but it's interesting to note that they actually had more underclassmen churn than C-M-S. They lost a freshman defender and freshman midfielder, both of whom got playing time and one had 10 starts, and a sophomore midfielder who played 10 games. A freshman GK who began the season last year as the starter, but was replaced about halfway through, is also gone, as is the other freshman GK from last season. With the senior GK graduating, they brought in three freshman GKs this year. Always dicey to keep everyone happy when you stack the position all in one class, which may just perpetuate the roster churn. There are a lot of reasons players leave, but losing 4 of the 9 freshman from a class after one year, three of whom actually got playing time and two of whom started a decent number of games, is not ideal. They seemed to have filled in the gaps with a big freshman class (11) and what look like a couple of walk-ons (upperclassmen who appear not to be new to Oxy, but haven't played soccer at the school before this year)
Since @Ron Boerger posted this on the football board, I thought it was worth re-posting it here and talking a little about its implications for men's soccer:
https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2023/08/23/the-blitz?ref=article_preview_title
In short, the issue is that the American Southwest Conference is in trouble in football, having lost the numbers for its automatic qualifier with defections to the SCAC and to DII. One option is to merge with another conference and the SCIAC is mentioned. For non-football sports like soccer, my guess is that the concept is that SCIAC teams would only fly to Texas once every other season, and get 2-3 games on those trips, while ASC teams would fly to SoCal a couple of times a year during the regular season. That would basically take the place of trips to Texas many SCIAC schools have been doing every so often for years (particularly to Trinity, like Pomona-Pitzer is doing this year and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps did last year), just as Texas schools have been doing (like Texas Lutheran is doing this year at Occidental and Cal Lutheran). The conference tournament would then probably be in SoCal most years, maybe traveling to Texas once in awhile.
It's basically the D3 version of the conference realignment going on in DI and, like in DI, it would be totally driven by football in the ASC and the SCIAC. Why the SCIAC? Because with Whittier and Oxy dropping football in recent years, the conference is at risk of going below 6 teams and losing their automatic qualifier if one more school departs (and Whittier's cutting of three teams recently suggests they have deep problems that could make them next to drop football or even to close altogether if the financial issues run deeper).
I don't have any reason to believe the SCIAC is actually considering this, but it's something to keep on the radar screen until ASC sorts out its situation. The article suggests that if there was a merger with the SCIAC, only Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons would come along. Both are strong soccer schools historically and recently, which could help SCIAC's SOS, but it's also possible (or likely) that they could simply affiliate for football only. Just something to keep an eye on.
(cross-posting from the National Perspective thread for anyone who just comes here for Region X news/commentary).
Here are some views on Region X going into the season:
St. Thomas is the odds-on favorite to be the top team in Region X. They return every regular starter from the team that lost to Chicago in Round 3 of the NCAA Tourney other than Ayomide Salako. That is a big loss -- after all, he had 10 goals and 8 assists last year, starting 17 out of 20 games -- but that was only good enough for the third highest point total on the team behind Taty Aleman (20 goals and 5 assists) and Daniel Castro (17 goals and 4 assists), both of whom are back. Salako's loss might be more in terms of serving as a big, burly, target forward pivot who occupied a central defender or two and allowed Aleman and Castro to have freedom to do their magic. The most promising long-term replacement on the roster could be freshman Daniel Vargas, a physical forward from Katy, Texas who scored 17 goals for his high school team last year and was named second team All-Region. It may depend upon how quickly he can adjust to the college game as to whether he plays much of a role this year though. More immediately, seniors Ian Alvarez (6 goals and 3 assists) and Dany Ramirez (1 goal and 5 assists) could pick up some of Salako's goals and assists, even if they play different roles at forward. Another possible impactful addition might be Leonardo Mansur Scarparo, a Brazilian transfer from DII Notre Dame College in Ohio. Regardless, this is nit picking. St. Thomas is stacked. They might beat themselves by whining to the referees and getting into scraps with opponents, but they won't likely be beat by a more talented or experienced squad. Trinity could reclaim its mojo and challenge St. Thomas in the SCAC (especially if Michael Meese recovers his pre-injury form), but every other top Region X team lost some of its front-line players and will be counting on players to make a leap.
There's both a wildcard and a couple of additional dark horses in Socal. The wildcard is C-M-S, which could pull itself together after last year's truncated season. It has talent, both returning and new, a new coach in Edward Cartee with lots of championship-level experience at Trinity, and should be plenty motivated. The darkhorse is Cal Lutheran, which has seven returning seniors back as grad students. I don't think that it has a top-end scorer to dominate the way you need to in order to win comfortably, but their experience throughout the lineup might allow them to manage a lot of games and rise above in close games. One additional darkhorse might be Pomona-Pitzer. They have some young players who were really strong and in their first scrimmage this pre-season, a big freshman forward from Bend, Oregon had a hat trick to beat a local community college 4-2 on the road. I wouldn't read too much into that result (a Labor Day weekend trip to Texas will provide an early test), but if he proved to be the real deal, they might make noise in the SCIAC. It's probably a year or two early for them though. Oxy is the more likely immediate challenger to the historic Redlands-CMS leaders this year (with the caveat that I haven't see Redlands' roster yet this year).
In the Northwest, Willamette loses its leading scorer Pierce Galloway, but Jett Starr returns as the second leading scorer and it returns basically its entire defense (which was inexperienced last year) plus its starting GK. Pacific Lutheran returns its top two scorers, Craig Johnson and Trevor Thompson, but loses a few of its outside defenders. So, it feels like both teams may be strong in the area where the other team is strong and neither side is set up to take advantage of the other's weakness. I also don't see anyone challenging them.
The SCIAC Coaches Poll is out
https://thesciac.org/news/2023/8/23/tigers-picked-to-win-first-title-in-mens-soccer-preseason-poll.aspx
2023 SCIAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Occidental, 65 points (3 first-place votes)
2. Redlands, 63 pts (1)
3. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 62 pts (1)
4. California Lutheran, 56 pts (1)
5. Chapman, 55 pts (2)
6. Pomona-Pitzer, 44 pts (1)
7. La Verne, 27 pts
8. Caltech, 17 pts
9. Whittier, 16 pts
(hat tip @GrayFox)
The total points tell the story more than the first place votes (which reflect coach own-team votes most likely and are only differentiated by how the coaches for La Verne, Cal Tech, and Whittier voted). Basically, the top 5-6 are pretty closely packed together and there's no clear favorite at the top this year.
Trinity (TX) has finally posted their 2023 roster (https://trinitytigers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster). As mentioned earlier, keeper will present a challenge this year with only two on the roster; Austin Willman (7 GP, 1.54 GAA) will likely see the bulk of time in goal as the other, Joshua Lynch, saw only limited action two years ago and none last season. This year's roster (28) is noticeably smaller, with 7 sophomores and 5 first years from the 2022 squad not returning. Among the newcomers are Ethan Cowdrey, a 6'7" defender out of Crawley, England, and Salvador O'Brien, a 6'4" defender from London. Interestingly (if tangentially), O'Brien is the son of Radiohead's Ed O'Brien.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 01, 2023, 08:53:18 AM
Trinity (TX) has finally posted their 2023 roster (https://trinitytigers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster). As mentioned earlier, keeper will present a challenge this year with only two on the roster; Austin Willman (7 GP, 1.54 GAA) will likely see the bulk of time in goal as the other, Joshua Lynch, saw only limited action two years ago and none last season. This year's roster (28) is noticeably smaller, with 7 sophomores and 5 first years from the 2022 squad not returning. Among the newcomers are Ethan Cowdrey, a 6'7" defender out of Crawley, England, and Salvador O'Brien, a 6'4" defender from London. Interestingly (if tangentially), O'Brien is the son of Radiohead's Ed O'Brien.
One of the challenges with Wilman is he's pretty short (listed at 5'10"), so having a couple of really tall defenders could come in handy. As freshman, though, it's not clear they would be ready to go from the outset. I doubt Pomona-Pitzer on Sunday will pose a problem from the perspective of height (although they do have some tall defenders who could challenge on corners or set plays), but someone will eventually.
Cal Lutheran opens action out west with a 1-0 victory over Marymount (VA). The Kingsmen got the game winner very late in the 85th minute. As i said in my review earlier in this thread, Cal Lu doesn't have a dominant scorer, so they may have to scrap for a lot of these 1-0 victories. This was the first college goal ever scored for junior Cameron Pisan in the game off a feed from sophomore Danny Rodriguez, for his first college assist. They'll need those kind of contributions from unlikely sources to score as they only took 6 shots the whole game, but their defense will be stout.
Southwestern made a statement, beating Willamette 3-0. The game was tight for awhile, with Southwestern going into halftime with a 1-0 lead. After half, though, Southwestern scored fairly quickly and then added another in the 72nd. It was quite the offensive explosion compared to last year. It felt closer than the score, but Southwestern outshot Willamette and had almost triple the number of corner kicks. Willamette never really challenged the Southwestern GK, who played 16 minutes all of last season. He only had to make 1 save in the game.
Occidental didn't get off to a great start to the season, losing to Texas Lutheran 1-0 at home in its first game after being named #1 in the SCIAC preseason coaches poll. It was a choppy game with lots of fouls (each team had 17). Both teams had trouble stringing together many passes or finishing their chances. Texas Lutheran scored on a free kick that was lofted to one side of the box, headed back to the other side of the box, and then headed down in front of the goalkeeper where a Texas Lutheran player beat the GK and the defenders to nudge it in.
Cal Tech probably had its largest margin of victory in years (or maybe ever), beating Lewis & Clark 3-0. Etienne Casanova, SCIAC newcomer of the year last year as a freshman, scored two goals to propel the team. Lewis & Clark, as some may know, is in the second year of men's soccer after 30+ years without it.
Redlands beat NAIA side Bethesda 4-1. The game was actually tied 1-1 early in the second half before Redlands exploded for three goals over a 14 minute stretch to put the game out of reach.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, scoring a 90th minute PK to win against UC Santa Cruz 2-1. Not a particularly convincing victory against a side that hasn't been strong for awhile, but a victory is a victory and, in this case, it's the first victory of Edward Cartee's head coaching tenure.
Whittier lost to NAIA side Vanguard 2-1, which is moving to DII next year. Not a bad effort by Whittier, but they weren't clinical enough on offense to put pressure on Vanguard. Whittier's only goal was an own goal in the 87th minute.
La Verne earned a very respectable (and exciting) win against Saint John's University (MN) 4-2 in a game played on the campus of Carroll University in Wisconsin. Forward Adan Villarreal, a transfer from Rio Hondo junior college, got an efficient hat trick (on four shots on goal and five shots total) in the game for La Verne, so he may be someone SCIAC teams will have to watch out for in league play. The game was tied 0-0 at half before La Verne jumped out to two quick goals by Villarreal in a three minute stretch of the first 13 minutes of the second half. Saint John's, however, quickly answered with two goals of its own to tie things up with a PK in the 61st minute and a goal in the 78th minute, before La Verne's Villarreal added his third in the 84th minute and Tyler Thomas provided an insurance goal in the 90th minute.
Just as everyone expected, Redlands . . . AND Cal Tech and La Verne (!?) are the only SCIAC teams to emerge from opening weekend 2-0.
Obviously, optimism should be tempered because some teams scheduled easier opening non-conference games than others, with Cal Tech beating Lewis & Clark and Linfield and La Verne beating Saint John's and Lakeland, while Redlands beat Bethesda and UC Santa Cruz (although only 4-3 in the latter one). By contrast, Pomona-Pitzer had the toughest schedule, playing St. Thomas and Trinity in Texas. Plus, some teams only have played one game thus far, like CMS, which beat UC Santa Cruz as well. Still, Cal Tech's late goal in the 84th minute to beat Linfield 3-2 and go 2-0 on the season is the first time Cal Tech has won the first two games of the season ever (or at least since 2006, which is as far back as their online schedules go).
Texas Lutheran also might have announced that they could be a force in the SCAC, coming to Los Angeles and earning victories over both Occidental and Cal Lutheran, while Trinity and St. Thomas both reinforced their status as top players in the region, coming out with 2-0 records after opening weekend.
By contrast, Willamette will go back to the Northwest licking its wounds. Willamette lost to Southwestern 3-0 and St. Thomas 3-1. Pacific Lutheran should feel a little better, beating Colorado College 2-1 and tying Nebraska Wesleyan 2-2 in two games played at altitude in a test of the Lutes' preseason fitness training.
In the ASC, Mary Hardin-Baylor came back from its Southern Swing with a 1-0-1 record, beating Hendrix 2-0 and tying Rhodes 1-1. UT Dallas also opened with a tough road swing, tying Wheaton (Mass) 0-0 and narrowly losing to Babson 1-0.
Chapman joins the 2-0 club in SCIAC by beating St. Katherine's 2-0 and, tonight, beating Stanton 4-2. Who? Stanton was founded in 1996 and is in Orange County, but started a varsity athletics program for the first time this year. They are currently part of the USCAA (the US Collegiate Athletic Ass'n), but hope to join St. Katherine's in the NAIA in their second year. All SCIAC teams end up playing at least 1-2 NAIA teams because there aren't any D3 teams for nearly a thousand miles around who aren't already members of SCIAC, except UC Santa Cruz, which is willing to make several trips a year to LA. Some NAIA teams are really good, since they can give scholarships and in some cases have a bit lower academic standards which widens their recruiting pool. Stanton's players, however, played like they didn't speak the same language, which is probably because they didn't. They only have 19 players, all presumably new to the university if they were recruited, or walk-ons, and every single one of them is an international. They hail from Brazil (9 players), Portugal (2 players), Angola (2 players),and the Netherlands (2 players) with one each from Mexico, Germany, Italy, and Turkey. They had some individual skill, with bicycle kicks, Cruyff turns, heel flicks, and the like, and one of Stanton's goals came when one of the Dutch attackers noticed the Chapman goalkeeper a few yards off his line and casually chipped it over his head from 40 yards out. But they didn't play much as a team, they were a lot more focused on offense than getting back on defense, and they had a bench that was way too thin to compete for the full 90 (they only really used three subs). Not sure what Chapman got out of this game, other than rotating its keepers and getting time for some freshman. So, while Chapman may be feeling good about their start, it's hard to say where they stand based on this game.
A good night for SCIAC teams against NAIA teams
Cal Tech 5 - Life Pacific 1
Cal Tech dominated this game from start to finish and is now 3-0 for the first time in forever. Last year's SCIAC newcomer of the year, Etienne Casanova, and junior Andy Dimnaku, each with a brace. Incidentally, Cal Tech's player bios all start with "Research and STEM Activities" in case you were wondering who on the team invented or patented what. I like to know that the team has a senior defender who planned and analyzed radio occultations at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab for the upcoming Juno extended space mission from 2023-2025. That can come in handy . . . I think?
Occidental 3 - Masters 1
Masters had some players who could present problems, but Oxy was stronger defensively and had enough offense late in the game to give them a cushion. Oxy's Evan Karp was really strong. I also just realized that one of Oxy's more dangerous attackers, Oury Diane, is a Connecticut College transfer. It's not often that you get a cross-country transfer from the Northeast to SoCal in D3. He will add to the attacking depth for Oxy in conference play.
Pomona-Pitzer 0 - Vanguard 0
Pomona kind of weathered the storm in this game and will be happy to have come out with a result in their home opener after a tough Texas road swing. Vanguard outshot them 13-6 and had 7 shots on goal to P-P's 0. This was a game where Ethan Bae, P-P's junior GK, came up big, notching 7 saves and thwarted some dangerous 1 v. 1 opportunities.
A few games of note in Region X:
Whitman and Hardin-Simmons played to a 1-1 tie in San Antonio at Trinity University. It was 0-0 for almost the entire game until Whitman scored on a PK in the 85th minute and Hardin-Simmons answered back with the equalizer in the 89th. A tie is a pretty fair result in my eyes. Both teams pass the ball reasonably well and more or less try to play out of the back. Neither is good enough, however, to connect enough passes to get all the way to goal or to finish with any precision. Brad Bankhead, the long-time coach at Mary Hardin-Baylor, is in his first year at Hardin-Simmons and I expect he will do good things at his alma mater. Right now, though, he seems to be missing a few pieces.
Puget Sound is 2-0 after beating NAIA team Evergreen State College (the "Geoducks," which is apparently a very large saltwater clam that is a popular food in the Pacific Northwest) 2-0. Puget Sound will be happy with its start to the season, but Evergreen is 0-3 and is a lower half team in its conference that Puget Sound beat by the same score last year.
Hope International, an NAIA team, beat Chapman 1-0. The stream for this game was pretty bad and I wasn't going to drive down to Irvine for the game. Hope Int'l doesn't have its own field, so it plays in a big multi-field complex that's great for youth club teams, but not very conducive to filming at night. From what I could see, Hope Int'l was more physical than Chapman and were able to disrupt their passing lanes. This is the second NAIA team Chapman has played, but it was a much stronger opponent than the St. Katherine's team it beat in its first game and the Stanton USCAA team it beat last game.
Millsaps tied East Texas Baptist 2-2 in Marshall, Texas. I didn't watch the game, but from the box score it seems like a game where East Texas Baptist will be regretting its missed chances. It outshot Millsaps 27-8 and 17-4 in shots on goal, forcing Millsaps keeper Michael Hamauei, who was honorable mention all-SAA last year as a freshman, to make 15 saves. Last year, ETBU beat Millsaps 3-0.
Lots of intra-regional action in Region X tonight with Socal (SCIAC) teams taking on Northwest Conference teams and SCAC teams taking on ASC teams.
Short summary:
SCIAC is way UP
SCAC is way UP
NWC is way DOWN
ASC is way DOWN
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (SCIAC) out-classed Willamette (NWC) in Salem for a 3-0 victory. CMS looked a lot better than against UC Santa Cruz (where they won 2-1), scoring on some nice one-touch combination play through the middle of the Bearcat defense. Speaking of the middle, Willamette's midfield is a problem. They can't seem to play through the midfield and they can't stop the other team from playing through the midfield. And starting out the season 0-3 effectively rules them out of an NCAA bid other than through the AQ. They only have one more non-conference game against Emory and it will be exclusively conference play here on out. And given the other conference results in non-conference games, those games aren't going to exactly help their strength of schedule.
Emory (UAA) came from behind to beat Pacific Lutheran (NWC) 2-1. Pac Lu didn't play badly, but they have Claremont-Mudd-Scripps coming up on Sunday and they'll need that to get another quality win. Right now, they are 1-1-1 and Colorado College might be their only quality win of the season the way the NWC is looking.
Southwestern (SCAC) beat Whitman (NWC) 2-1, scoring the winning goal in the 88th minute. The game was otherwise fairly even, with both teams scoring within 10 minutes of each other early in the first half and then trading shots the rest of the way. Southwestern has now beaten both Willamette and Whitman from the NWC.
Whittier (SCIAC) beat George Fox (NWC) 2-0 on two goals in the latter part of the second half.
Redlands (SCIAC) crushed Life Pacific (USCAA) 9-0. Gabriel Martinez had a hat trick and Phillip Kostenko had a brace for Redlands. Cal Tech beat Life Pacific 5-1 earlier this week, so this is a team that is a punching bag for the SCIAC in its first year of operation. For some reason, Life Pacific has an exhibition match scheduled for 9/18 against D1 San Diego State. That will be a blood bath even if SDSU plays only its deep bench players.
La Verne (SCIAC) beat Linfield (NWC) 3-0. Adan Villarreal had a brace. The junior college transfer already has 6 goals in 3 games (143 minutes) on the season. Perhaps even more impressive, he has 6 goals on 11 shots. He is a clinical finisher. If he keeps up a 2.00 goals/game average this year, he's going to shatter some records. He's already putting the SCIAC on notice that they're going to have to game plan for him.
UC Santa Cruz (C2C) beat Pacific OR (NWC) 2-0. UCSC controlled the game and probably should have won by more.
Austin (SCAC) beat Ozarks (ASC) 1-0. Austin is 3-0 on the season and has beaten three straight ASC foes (including East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau). Ozarks has the best record in the ASC, having beaten Centenary LA of the SCAC and they are 2-1.
St. Thomas TX (SCAC) beat Concordia TX (ASC) 3-1. St. Thomas continues their top form. Taty Aleman had 2 goals and 1 assist, to give him 5 goals and 1 assist in 3 games on 14 shots.
Texas Lutheran (SCAC) beat Mary Hardin-Baylor (ASC) 2-0. Texas Lu continues its hot start after beating Occidental and Cal Lu on its LA trip. It's now beaten the preseason coaches poll favorites in both the SCIAC and the ASC.
Trinity TX (SCAC) beat UT Dallas (ASC) 4-1 to join St. Thomas and Texas Lu atop the SCAC with perfect 3-0 records.
Schreiner (SCAC) beat Howard Payne (ASC) 2-1
One detail of note while watching the Willamette v. C-M-S game was the high quality of the Willamette play-by-play. Skeet Starr was the student commentating, and I found their work to be exceptional.
Quote from: bubbabeans on September 09, 2023, 01:33:41 PM
One detail of note while watching the Willamette v. C-M-S game was the high quality of the Willamette play-by-play. Skeet Starr was the student commentating, and I found their work to be exceptional.
I didn't realize he was a student commentator. He is good! Is he related to the Bearcat player Jett Starr?
Quote from: bubbabeans on September 09, 2023, 01:33:41 PM
One detail of note while watching the Willamette v. C-M-S game was the high quality of the Willamette play-by-play. Skeet Starr was the student commentating, and I found their work to be exceptional.
Cortland, Messiah and Conn College are exceptional as well.
SC.
A few interesting (and a few expected) results involving teams West and North
Occidental beat Lewis & Clark 5-0. No surprise against the second year L&C team that is still winless.
Chapman beat NAIA side Bethesda 2-1. The only mild surprise here against the 0-4 Bethesda team is that it was this close. Redlands beat them 4-1.
Cal Tech tied NAIA side Hope International 1-1. Cal Tech's goal was scored on a well-placed curving free kick just outside the box by Ishaan Mantripragada (I had to look up the spelling - and may still have gotten it wrong!). This extends Cal Tech's unbeaten streak to 4 games, which may be an all-time high. More interesting is that Hope International, unlike Bethesda or Life Pacific, some other NAIA teams SCIAC teams have faced, is pretty good. They were 5-1 entering the game and had just beaten Chapman 1-0 two days ago. So, for Cal Tech to tie them is a pretty good measuring stick for them. While the Beavers have been beating up on pretty weak teams thus far, this was a legit opponent.
Colorado College completed their Ohio roads swing with a 1-1 tie at Ohio Northern. That's a big result for Colorado College, which had lost to Pacific Lutheran in the first game of the season and needed something from this game to establish some measure of credibility outside of Region X.
Loras ties Saint John's University 1-1. Loras has been beating up weaker teams and just tied Gustavus Adolphus 1-1. Saint John's won three straight after losing to SCIAC team La Verne 4-2 to open the season. Maybe Saint John's is better than we thought?
Last week in the SCIAC, Adan Villarreal of La Verne was named the offensive player of the week and Owen Jamieson of Redlands was named the defensive player of the week.
https://thesciac.org/news/2023/9/5/mens-soccer-athletes-of-the-week-sept-5-2023.aspx
Villarreal has 6 goals (on 13 shots and 8 shots on goal) and 1 assist in 4 games. His 6 goals accounts 60% of La Verne's offense. No other goal scorer has more than 1.
Jamieson is definitely a good defender, but this award is more a reward for a defender scoring goals in each of Redlands' first two games. Redlands beat UC Santa Cruz 4-3 in one of those games, where Redlands gave up 3 goals in the last 20 minutes of the game, so it wasn't like the defense was working on all cylinders.
This week in the SCIAC, Rafeal Otero of CMS was named offensive player of the week and Jacob Sattler of Redlands was named defensive player of the week
https://thesciac.org/news/2023/9/11/mens-soccer-athletes-of-the-week-sept-11-2023.aspx
Otero scored a PK against Willamette that proved to be the game winner and then scored a brace against Pacific Lutheran.
Sattler was part of the defense that held Life Pacific scoreless (in a 9-0 victory) and contributed a goal. Once again, I don't love giving the award to a defender based primarily on the fact that he scored a goal (especially in a 9-0 win).
Quote from: SimpleCoach on September 09, 2023, 03:33:02 PM
Quote from: bubbabeans on September 09, 2023, 01:33:41 PM
One detail of note while watching the Willamette v. C-M-S game was the high quality of the Willamette play-by-play. Skeet Starr was the student commentating, and I found their work to be exceptional.
Cortland, Messiah and Conn College are exceptional as well.
SC.
Since this is on the Go WEST thread, I think it's fair to acknowledge the really strong commentators (who I'm pretty sure are students) on the Pomona-Pitzer broadcasts. It's a man and a women team and their knowledge, insights, and delivery feel so professional that I could see them replacing many of the pro play-by-play commentary teams without anyone noticing the difference.
Forgot to cross-post this last night
Some interesting non-conference results in Region X. For the most part, SCIAC and SCAC continued to dominate the NWC and the ASC, but there were a few noteworthy exceptions.
Pacific OR (NWC) tied Cal Lutheran 2-2. Cal Lu has had an up and down start to the season, losing to what appears to be a tough Texas Lutheran team, but beating Marymount (VA) and Whitworth. So, I would have expected them to handle Pacific, which is predicted to finish below Whitworth in the NWS preseason polls. Instead, Pacific had a 2-1 lead until Maxi Schelotto tied it up in the 85th minute at the UC Santa Cruz invitational. The stream was awful (it appeared to be livestreamed from Veo, the picture wasn't straight, and the stitching together of the two sides wasn't complete), so I didn't watch too much, but it looked like Pacific was better than expected. Still, from the stats Cal Lu had more shots on goal than Pacific and simply couldn't put them home.
Pacific Lutheran (NWC) tied Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (SCIAC) 2-2. These are two heavyweights from their respective conferences and the match reflected that. It looked like Pac Lu had the upper-hand after taking the lead in the 69th, even though CMS was very strong in possession and connected passes with lots of skill, but CMS managed to tie it up in the 86th minute. I haven't seen anyone in the NWC likely to challenge Pac Lu. CMS has more potential competitors in the SCIAC, but they definitely are playing better than they did last year already. One advantage of the stream at Willamette, where the game was played, was that you could hear Coach Cartee's instructions to his players. He seems to have them pointed in the right direction.
Pomona Pitzer (SCIAC) beat Linfield (NWC) 3-2. This was harder for P-P than I expected, but they pulled it out with Alex Greenstein scoring a brace. I can't decide whether Linfield is better than predicted or P-P is worse. Cal Tech beat Linfield 3-2 and La Verne beat them 3-0, but they tied Augsburg for the only blemish on their record thus far. I think Linfield might be able to break out of the bottom tier of the NWC standings, but they won't challenge the leaders.
Whittier (SCIAC) beat Lewis & Clark (NWC) 5-1. Nice showing by Whittier, but Lewis & Clark hasn't proven to be a challenge for anyone yet. They'll need another recruiting class or two before they can be competitive.
George Fox (NWC) beat La Verne (SCIAC) 2-1. The only win for the NWC against a SCIAC foe in a game between two teams predicted to be toward the bottom of their respective conferences. La Verne was pretty wasteful with it's chances, having 12 corner kicks to GF's 2. Still, GF could have won by more as La Verne's excellent keeper, Logan Reese, saved a PK.
Trinity TX (SCAC) beat Whitman (NWC) 3-1. Whitman finishes a really tough three game Texas trip winless. Not sure that this game establishes that Trinity is fully back, but Michael Meese scores another goal and is currently the leading scorer. When Meese is scoring regularly as he has been thus far, Trinity is always going to be tough.
UC Santa Cruz (C2C) beat Whitworth (NWC) 2-1 in the UC Santa Cruz invitational. UCSC only has a 2-2 record, but their two losses were close: away to CMS 2-1 and to Redlands 4-3. With the C2C having their conference tournament in Santa Cruz this year and every team but UCSC having to make a very long (in most cases cross-country) trip to play in it, this could be UCSC's year if they can find some way to get by Mary Washington and Christopher Newport. The C2C tourney is such a wildcard because, unlike other conference tournaments, many of the teams have never played each other before the conference tournament. So, you never know.
Emory (UAA) beat Willamette (NWC) 2-0 in Salem, OR. Willamette is now 0-4 to start the season. While they've played a tough schedule in TX (St. Thomas and Southwestern) and then two good teams at home in Emory and CMS, they haven't looked great, scoring only 1 goal in those 4 games and giving up 3 in all but the Emory game. With Whitman and Whitworth doing no better, they may still be toward the top of the NWC by default, but it could be a tougher slog for them this year.
UT Dallas (ASC) tied Southwestern (SCAC) 1-1. This is somewhat of a surprise, but UTD played Babson and Wheaton tough in their road trip to Massachusetts and Southwestern's victories have come against the NWC teams (Whitman and Willamette), which may not be as impressive as they seemed based on other results.
St. Thomas (TX) (SCAC) beat Mary Hardin-Baylor (ASC) 2-0. St. Thomas continues its dominance, along with Trinity, of the Texas D3 schools and Mary Hardin-Baylor continues it's tough start to the season. They may be feeling the departure of their head coach to Hardin-Simmons.
Texas Lutheran (SCAC) beat Concordia (TX) (ASC) 1-0. Texas Lutheran is now 4-0, having dispatched four teams predicted to be in the upper third of the SCIAC and ASC conferences. I'm not sure they can beat the top two of their own conference (St. Thomas and Trinity), but those will be games to watch. Concordia, which was 10-3-4 last year, starts the season 0-3-1.
Northwest conference men's soccer players of the week for 9/5
https://nwcsports.com/news/2023/9/5/friesen-barry-named-nwc-mens-soccer-student-athletes-of-the-week.aspx
SCAC players of the week
https://scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/potw
ASC players of the week
https://ascsports.org/news/2023/9/5/asc-mens-soccer-players-of-the-week-1-seymour-cardwell-daniel.aspx
Any preview on tonight's game between NP and Chicago?
Are you interested in NPU's published gameday preview, or do you just want my opinion as NPU's broadcaster?
Your assessment! On the other hand, don't let me put you on the spot.
No problem. Just sorry that I couldn't oblige you, as this site was down all afternoon and was still down when I left for the stadium late in the day.
United Soccer Coaches has released its first Region X poll for games through this past weekend. I agree with the first four. I tend to think Pacific Lutheran could be higher. It has played a harder schedule than Chapman, which lost to a team Cal Tech tied. Colorado College may ultimately prove strong too based on their Ohio swing results. Southwestern is the team that doesn't belong in the rankings at all in my view. It beat both Willamette and Whitman (@Southwestern), but both schools have not done well yet this year, so that may be less impressive than it seems. Ties to Elmhurst and UT Dallas are not good results, especially since Elmhurst is 1-3-1 after losing to Lake Forest, and both the Elmhurst and UTD games were at Southwestern. Redlands is 3-0 and probably has a better argument than Chapman for being in this group, including beating a tougher than expected UC Santa Cruz team. Occidental might also be ahead of Chapman considering their one loss has been to the 3rd ranked team in the region.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 1 - September 12, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) NR 4-0-0
2 Trinity University (Texas) NR 4-0-0
3 Texas Lutheran University NR 4-0-0
4 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges NR 2-0-1
5 Southwestern University NR 2-0-2
6 Chapman University NR 3-1-0
7 Pacific Lutheran University NR 1-1-2
8 Colorado College NR 2-1-1
Conference play opens for some in the SCIAC and NWC with some big games:
Redlands @ Chapman 4pm Pacific - this has big regional ranking implications for two teams that have mostly been playing NAIA teams up until now
Half: Redlands 1 Chapman 0
62nd minute: Redlands 2 Chapman 0 (both Redlands goals on PKs)
79th minute: Redlands 2 Chapman 1
Final: Redlands beats Chapman 2-1. Should get Redlands in the next regional rankings and push Chapman out.
Cal Lutheran @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 pm Pacific - CMS is coming off a tough, but generally successful, NW roadtrip. Cal Lu looked strong, with their only loss to Texas Lutheran, until they stumbled this weekend with a tie to Pacific. This game may tell us a lot about the direction of both teams
Half: CMS 1 - Cal Lu 0
FINAL: CMS 1 - Cal Lutheran 1. Dramatic finish as Cal Lutheran's JP Melgoza scores the equalizer from what the game summary reports as 15 yards out at the right edge of the box at the buzzer. CMS was down to ten men for the last 18 minutes of the game after one of their players received a second yellow card and was ejected. Big tie for Cal Lu and major disappointment for CMS.
Cal Tech @ Occidental 7 pm Pacific - Cal Tech is off to its best start since at least 2006 (3-0-1) and just tied one of the better NAIA teams in Socal - a team that beat Chapman. Oxy's only loss has been to Texas Lutheran at home, but otherwise it has faced relatively weak competition. I'm not sure people from the east coast appreciate that Cal Tech is really close to Oxy - about 6.5 miles apart - and while there aren't likely to be many Cal Tech students who make the trip, there are lots of families with grads or faculty/staff from both schools who live in the area. Oxy routinely has the best attendance in the SCIAC and last year's Wed 7 pm game at Oxy between these two schools had 783 in attendance when Cal Tech came into the game 1-5 overall and 0-4 in conference. The game was really tight (tied 1-1 at half before Oxy managed a goal in the second to win 2-1). I wouldn't be surprised if this game draws a pretty big crowd. Maybe Cal Tech will let the guys at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (who are all considered Cal Tech employees because Cal Tech manages it for NASA) leave early to go to the game!
Half: Oxy 3 Cal Tech 0. Oxy showing why they were voted preseason favorites in the SCIAC and Cal Tech ... wasn't. Cal Tech has had some really good play down the left wing and passing out of the back, but they can't really handle Oxy's athleticism and physicality, especially on set pieces.
FINAL: Occidental 8 Cal Tech 0. Apparently, Oxy took personally all the talk about Cal Tech, so they decided to kick the living you know what out of those poor Beavers until they had lost the will to play the game. No mercy whatsoever. Oxy outshot them 26-6 and 16-4 on shots on goal and, for good measure, out-fouled them 16-9. It looked like the college varsity team against the high school JV team at times. Cal Tech's coach will earn his salary just trying to get those kids back on the field next game.
Pomona-Pitzer @ Whittier 7 pm Pacific - I think P-P is better than their record (1-2-1) after a tough Texas road swing against St. Thomas and Trinity, but Whittier won't be a pushover. Last year, Whittier was down a man most of the second half and evened the score at 2 before P-P managed an 81st minute winner.
Half: Pomona-Pitzer 1 Whittier 1
FINAL: Pomona-Pitzer 3 Whittier 2. P-P came through with two goals in the second half a few minutes apart and held on after Whittier scored a second in the 83rd minute.
Linfield @ Willamette 8 pm Pacific - Willamette (0-4) gets a do-over with conference play starting. They should be able to easily handle Linfield (0-3-1) at home, but if they have any difficulty then we'll know their record is not simply the result of playing a murders row of games to start the season (Southwestern, St. Thomas, Emory, and CMS)
FINAL: Willamette 3 - Linfield 0.
A few games that are interesting to me from Region X:
Friday:
Texas Lutheran (ASC) @ UT Dallas (SCAC)
UT Dallas is only 0-2-2 and Texas Lutheran is 4-0. Nevertheless, UTD tied Wheaton (MA) and Southwestern and lost a close one to Babson. Other than against Trinity, it also hasn't given up more than 1 goal a game. Texas Lutheran hasn't exactly been an offensive juggernaut, winning two games 2-0 and 2-1 and tying two games 0-0 and 1-1. This game might be closer than people expect.
Hardin-Simmons (ASC) @ Trinity (SCAC)
Trinity seems to be firing on all cylinders at 4-0 and H-S is 0-2-1. If H-S is going to turn things around, this weekend against Trinity on Friday and Southwestern on Sunday is going to be the time to do it.
Saturday:
Pomona-Pitzer (SCIAC) @ Cal Tech (SCIAC)
P-P had a good, but not easy, 3-2 win over Whittier to open conference play. Cal Tech was dismantled 8-0 by Occidental. This game is pretty important for both teams. If P-P has any hopes of qualifying for the conference tournament, they need the points against Cal Tech because it only gets harder from here with Oxy next week. How Cal Tech responds to the thrashing they just took will tell you a lot about their resilience and whether this is really a turning point season for the program or just an incredibly easy set of pre-conference matches. If they can beat P-P, they at least have a chance to take three games in a row with La Verne and Whittier coming up.
CMS (SCIAC) @ Chapman (SCIAC)
CMS is coming off a heartbreaking tie at the buzzer with Cal Lutheran and Redlands awaits next week. Chapman lost to Redlands in a close one 2-1 and it probably needs this game to keep apace with the conference leaders in defense of last year's title.
Whitworth (NWC) @ Pacific Lutheran (NWC)
Pacific Lutheran looks like the best team in the NWC, but they are only 1-1-2 and their only signature results are a win against Colorado College and a tie against CMS. It seems like the AQ, determined by conference regular season results only, is the only way they are going to get to the tourney this year. They need to start out asserting dominance in NWC play.
Whitman (NWC) @ Puget Sound (NWC)
Puget Sound is the mystery team of the conference. They are 2-0, but have only played a couple of lower-end NAIA teams. This is a match that will help shed light on which of these teams looks like the top of the bottom, rather than the middle (or the bottom of the middle), of the NWC.
La Verne (SCIAC) @ Cal Lutheran (SCIAC)
Cal Lu should be flying high after the last second goal to earn a tie v. CMS, but they are only 2-1-2. La Verne is quietly 4-1. If Cal Lu isn't careful, La Verne's Adan Villarreal can do some damage. He has 7 goals and 2 assists on only 15 shots in 5 games (256 minutes). Give him an inch and he'll calmly pick his spot on the back of the net.
Occidental (SCIAC) @ Whittier (SCIAC)
Oxy found its mojo against Cal Tech. They should beat Whittier easily, but as I said in the P-P game, Whittier isn't a pushover and really only lost because Pomona-Pitzer's center back hit a left-footed wonder strike free kick from about 25 yards out over the wall and curled into the near post. Oxy has to get consistent results, not just flashy ones against over-matched opponents, to assert its dominance.
Sunday:
Whitman (NWC) @ Pacific Lutheran (NWC)
As I said with the Whitworth game on Friday, Pac Lu has to start out strong in NWC play. Whitman is 0-3-1, but always seems to play the top NWC teams tough. The back-end of these two games in a weekend Northwest Conference games can also be tricky to navigate. If you get injuries or have to play your starters long in the first game, it can make the second game more challenging regardless of opponent.
Whitworth (NWC) @ Puget Sound (NWC)
Basically the same story as the write-up of the Whitman -Puget Sound game on Saturday.
A few notable results from Friday:
UC Santa Cruz ties DII Academy of Arts 1-1. UC Santa Cruz plays a lot of DII schools because of its location. Academy of Arts is not one of the strongest ones, but they did just tie Dominican, which was 12-6 and 8-2 in conference last year, so I would consider this a good result for the Banana Slugs.
Colorado College beats Ozarks 2-1 in Colorado Spring. Ozarks is a a decent team. It has a 2-2 record and was predicted to finish middle of the pack in the ASC after finishing 10-5-5 last year and losing in the QFs of the conference tourney to UTD. Still, I expected Colorado College to handle them pretty easily because the SCAC is generally better than the ASC by a good stretch this year, even though the game was being played at Richardson, Texas as part of a UT Dallas round robin. Nevertheless, the game was tied as late as the 74th minute after Colorado College gave up an own goal. They managed to pull out the winner a few minutes later and generally dominated the game, but it was harder than it needed to be because CC was wasteful with its chances and lacked precision in front of the goal.
Texas Lutheran 2 - UT Dallas 1. It wasn't easy (as I expected in my preview), but Tx Lu pulled it out. Big win to stay undefeated.
Hardin-Simmons 2 - Trinity 2. Trinity ends its win streak, but the tie will feel like a loss since they had a 2-1 lead before conceding a goal with about 5 minutes left. Hardin-Simmons is still winless, but this has to feel win-lite for them to come back at Trinity's field. H-S will rue a missed opportunity for their first win though. They had a PK in the first half that Trinity saved and they scored on another Pk in the second to take the 1-0 lead before conceding two goals to Trinity.
Chapman 1 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
What I would call a "professional victory" by Chapman. They get a goal on a CMS own goal in the first half (a good corner kick to force the own goal), go down to ten men early in the second half (52nd minute I think) on a red card and then hold on for a 1-0 victory. Thing is that it wasn't just bunker ball. Chapman outshot CMS. Maybe CMS was still suffering a hangover from the Cal Lutheran stunner at the buzzer, but they aren't quite firing on all cylinders on offense.
Cal Tech 1 - Pomona-Pitzer 0.
I've got to give credit to Cal Tech coach Duncan Gillis. He picked those kids up off the mat after the thrashing at Oxy, pumped them back up, and they went out and beat P-P at home. Part of the difference is that Oxy's more physical, athletic, style is a killer for Cal Tech, but P-P plays a brand of soccer more similar to Cal Tech - cerebral, passing, less in-your-face - and that allowed Cal Tech to flourish. It could have come out the other way, but it was a nice game of soccer, relatively speaking.
Pacific Lutheran puts in one of their most comprehensive performances to date, beating Whitworth 4-1.
Whitman beats Puget Sound 3-2 on a last second goal (89:56)
Redlands goes down 2-0 to NAIA side Vanguard in the first half before storming back for 3 in the second half to win 3-2 on a hat trick by Jarrette Barajas
St. Thomas ties D2 St. Edwards 2-2 after St. Edwards ties it up in the 86th minute. Chippy game with 9 yellow cards, 6 for St. Thomas and one a double yellow resulting in an ejection in the 89th minute for Diego Lazo after he got his first yellow in the 86th minute. If you can bait St. Thomas into those kinds of yellow cards, you can knock them off their game.
Occidental averted disaster tonight. Down 1-0 to Whittier with about 5-6 minutes left in the game, Oxy gets goals in the 85th and 90th minutes to snatch victory. Whittier lost on another late goal against Pomona-Pitzer. They are an improved team, but they need to figure out how to see out a game to the end.
Cal Lutheran ties La Verne 1-1. This result, coupled with Cal Tech's win and Whittier's tie, is another indication of the improvement at the bottom of the SCIAC. Teams can't take any games for granted.
UT Dallas beat Colorado College 2-1. Big win for UTD, which gets its first win of the season to go 1-3-2. Colorado College couldn't dig out of a deep hole, down 2-0 at halftime, and goes to 3-2-1. It should drop out of the regional rankings. I've said for awhile that UT Dallas is better than their record. They have had some close games. With their move to DII next year, their players may effectively be playing for scholarships and roster spots for next season.
Texas Lutheran continues their unbeaten run with a 3-0 victory over University of the Ozarks. They are now 6-0 and have at least an argument for top team in the region with Trinity getting a tie v. Hardin-Simmons and St. Thomas getting a tie with St. Edwards (although I don't know if a DII opponent is treated differently for the USC Regional Rankings). The fact that Texas Lutheran won at Occidental and at Cal Lutheran and St. Thomas and Trinity's wins have come against teams with weaker records where they didn't have to leave the state of Texas might give Texas Lutheran the edge. In truth, I don't think they have shown a strong enough offense to be considered better than St. Thomas or even Trinity (their 3 goals today was the most goals they have scored in any game), but an unblemished record is an unblemished record.
A number of games in the Northwest Conference today:
Pacific Lutheran 6 - Whitman 0
The Lutes continue their dominant weekend coming back to NWC play (after beating Whitworth 4-1 on Saturday). Craig Johnson had a hat trick and Alvin Kamau had a brace in a game where Pacific Lutheran thoroughly out-matched Whitman.
Whitworth 1 - Puget Sound 1
Whitworth salvages a point after the Pac Lu game, scoring the tying goal in the 88th minute.
Pacific (OR) 4 - Lewis & Clark 0
This was L&C's first official game as a member of the NWC (after their game yesterday against Willamette was postponed). It didn't go so well, but L&C did hold off Pacific through the first half, which ended 0-0. Not surprisingly for a team in their second year of existence, they have very little depth and the second half was their undoing, giving up 4 goals. Pacific played 31 players (pretty much their whole roster), which helped keep things from getting out of hand. Lewis & Clark played 18, which included two goalkeepers and the third GK, who came on as a field player. Not sure why L&C couldn't play more players considering they have a roster of 30. Perhaps they have an injury or illness bug that could also explain why their Saturday game against Willamette was postponed.
Linfield 1 - George Fox 1. It's apparently a rivalry match.
Games of interest to me Monday-Wednesday of this week in Region X:
Monday 9/18
Incarnate Word (D1) and Trinity. Won't affect anything, but it's sometimes interesting to watch a lower D1 team play a higher D3 team
Tuesday 9/19
Texas Lutheran @ Howard Payne. I doubt it will be competitive, but every game looms larger for Texas Lutheran as long as they stay unbeaten
Wednesday 9/20
Whitman @ Whitworth. The "Battle of the Whits" rivalry
Occidental @ Pomona-Pitzer. Oxy crushed Cal Tech, but had to score two goals in the last five minutes of the game at Whittier to eke out a win. We'll see which team shows up against P-P. After Cal Tech beat P-P 1-0, Oxy may be at risk for looking ahead to their game @Redlands on Saturday.
Chapman @ Cal Lutheran. Chapman should be riding high after beating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Cal Lu will be smarting from its disappointing tie with La Verne.
CMS @ Redlands. Many years, this is the matchup that will decide the SCIAC championship. Redlands is 5-0, but has only played two games against D3 opponents and two of its other three games were against weaker NAIA teams. CMS hasn't won since the Willamette game a couple of weeks (and 3 games in-between) ago. Both teams have a lot to prove.
Whittier @ La Verne. La Verne is quietly 4-1-1 and just tied Cal Lutheran. If they want to make the conference tournament, this game and the game this weekend against Cal Tech will be important.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 13, 2023, 12:02:30 PM
United Soccer Coaches has released its first Region X poll for games through this past weekend. I agree with the first four. I tend to think Pacific Lutheran could be higher. It has played a harder schedule than Chapman, which lost to a team Cal Tech tied. Colorado College may ultimately prove strong too based on their Ohio swing results. Southwestern is the team that doesn't belong in the rankings at all in my view. It beat both Willamette and Whitman (@Southwestern), but both schools have not done well yet this year, so that may be less impressive than it seems. Ties to Elmhurst and UT Dallas are not good results, especially since Elmhurst is 1-3-1 after losing to Lake Forest, and both the Elmhurst and UTD games were at Southwestern. Redlands is 3-0 and probably has a better argument than Chapman for being in this group, including beating a tougher than expected UC Santa Cruz team. Occidental might also be ahead of Chapman considering their one loss has been to the 3rd ranked team in the region.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 1 - September 12, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) NR 4-0-0
2 Trinity University (Texas) NR 4-0-0
3 Texas Lutheran University NR 4-0-0
4 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges NR 2-0-1
5 Southwestern University NR 2-0-2
6 Chapman University NR 3-1-0
7 Pacific Lutheran University NR 1-1-2
8 Colorado College NR 2-1-1
Region X - Poll 2 - September 19, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 1 4-0-1
2 Trinity University (Texas) 2 4-0-1
3 Texas Lutheran University 3 6-0-0
4 University of Redlands NR 5-0-0
5 Occidental College NR 4-1-0
6 Pacific Lutheran University 7 3-1-2
7 Southwestern University 5 3-0-3
8 Chapman University 6 4-2-0
Colorado College and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps out.
Redlands and Occidental in
With CMS playing at Redlands tomorrow, that should spice things up if they weren't spicy enough already
Texas Lutheran beats Howard Payne 2-0. Pretty comfortable game for the Bulldogs, although, as usual, they generally don't score much more than they need to in to order to win the game. Texas Lutheran moves to 7-0 on the season, but still hasn't started SCAC conference play, which should be much tougher than these ASC opponents.
Four games in the SCIAC tonight
Occidental 5 - Pomona-Pitzer 3
This is a game that really typifies Oxy. They score 3 goals in the first 22 minutes and are dominating Pomona-Pitzer with a swarming attack. Then, a few minutes after the third goal, they give up a goal to P-P. Still, they are up 3-1. P-P lost to Cal Tech 1-0, who lost to Oxy 8-0, so no problem, right? Coach probably yells at them a little at halftime to not turn off like that and they come out with renewed vigor at halftime and score a fourth goal in the 63rd minute. So, they're up 4-1 and figure they can cruise. Turn off again and promptly give up a second goal to P-P four minutes later. Then, P-P scores another goal in the 76th minute and it's a ball game at 4-3. Things are tight again until Oxy puts them away in the 85th minute with their fifth goal to win 5-3. I don't know what it is, but it's hard to put a lot of faith in Oxy as a championship contender when they turn it on and off so easily. On the one hand, they have a lot of firepower. On the other hand, they have an off switch during games. It isn't because the coach brings in a lot of subs and the quality drops either. If anything, he doesn't trust his bench enough and may be running his favorites into the ground. Either way, Oxy is 5-1 and 2-0 in the SCIAC, but it needs to be more consistent both in games and from game to game. I will have a lot more belief in them if they can beat Redlands away on Saturday.
Redlands 2 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1
CMS was up 1-0 deep into the second half and let this game slip away. For most of the game, CMS' passing game was on point and Redlands was chasing a lot of ghosts. Then, Redlands turned up the press and scored two goals within 6 minutes of each other (in the 71st and the 77th minutes) to win the game. Redlands moves to 6-0 and 2-0 in the SCIAC. They play Occidental on Saturday at home in a key game among teams in the regional rankings out west. CMS drops to 2-2-2 and 0-2-1 in SCIAC play.
Cal Lutheran 3 - Chapman 1
Cal Lutheran bounces back from its tie with La Verne and from a 1-0 deficit in the first four minutes against Chapman to defeat the defending champions. Neither team has established any consistency of form yet, but both are able to knock off a team when they are on their game. That could still make them dangerous come tournament time if one or both of them qualify.
Chapman drops to 4-3 and 1-2 in SCIAC and Cal Lu goes to 3-1-3 and 1-0-2 in SCIAC. If there was any doubt, Chapman should finally drop out of the Regional Rankings now.
Whittier 4 - La Verne 0
Lawrence Dydell's hat trick powers Whittier to a big win over its lower half of the table SCIAC rivals La Verne. Whittier moves to 3-3 and 1-2 in the SCIAC and La Verne, who I thought was trending in the right direction after its tie against Cal Lutheran, drops to 4-2-1 and 0-1-1 in the SCIAC.
One game of note in the NWC:
Whitworth 3 - Whitman 2. Whitworth jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 16 minutes and kind of held on from there and Whitman fought their way back into the game and made it interesting at the end with a late goal. I don't think either team is a threat to Pac Lutheran or probably even Willamette.
Games of interest to me Friday through Sunday in Region X
Friday 9/22
Christopher Newport @ Santa Cruz - a Coast to Coast conference game in Region X, but not actually on the West Coast because it is in Colorado Springs at the home of Colorado College. So, the altitude and travel make this tough for both teams. UC Santa Cruz's wins have come against two NWC teams and its losses have come against two SCIAC teams. Christopher Newport is undefeated, but just came off a less than inspiring tie with William Peace University
Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Trinity (TX) - two heavyweights from the ASC and SCAC, respectively. Trinity is 4-0-2 and just came off consecutive ties against Hardin-Simmons and DI Incarnate Word, while MHB has struggled some at 2-2-1, losing to both SCAC opponents thus far (Texas Lutheran and St. Thomas)
Concordia TX @ Southwestern. I'm still not convinced by Southwestern even though USC continues to include them in the regional rankings. They are 3-0-3, but the only quality win is against Willamette and that may not be as high quality as we once thought
Hardin-Simmons @ Texas Lutheran - Hardin-Simmons will be the closest Texas Lu will get to a real test until they host Trinity Oct.1
McMurray @ St. Thomas - St. Thomas should win this one easily, but if they don't then questions will be asked
Saturday 9/23
Christopher Newport @ Colorado College - playing two days in a row at altitude with the second game against home Colorado College is kind of brutal
Occidental @ Redlands - this is the big game of the night in the SCIAC. Oxy has been dominant in several games, but has lost focus in the last two games (despite winning). That can't happen against Redlands, who are coming off a big win against CMS. If Oxy's defense isn't careful, Jarrette Barajas can make them pay.
Whittier @ CMS - CMS should win this reasonably easily. They play a better version of the possession style that Pomona-Pitzer used to beat Whittier, although CMS has lost leads in two games recently (Cal Lu and Redlands) and Whittier has shown that they can score
Sunday 9/24
UC Santa Cruz @ Colorado College - Should be a competitive match. Neither team has been consistently strong this year, but both teams are solid at times.
Hardin-Simmons @ St. Thomas - If Hardin-Simmons can get results against Trinity and St. Thomas, they can revive their season. Right now, at 0-2-3, they are more likely to be in a deep hole after the weekend.
Trinity @ Concordia TX - Trinity should take care of them, but this will be Trinity's very first away game all season and begins a three game road trip for the tigers.
Southwestern @ Mary Hardin-Baylor - Southwestern pretty much needs to win this and the Concordia game to stay in the regional rankings
What about Northwest Conference games?
I just don't find any of them compelling. Basically, the reason to watch is to root for chaos
Worrying news for Trinity(TX) - for the second straight game, Michael Meese is not in the starting lineup again; not the first time this season that's been the case, but he did not see the pitch at all in the match earlier this week against Incarnate Word.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 22, 2023, 07:02:53 PM
Worrying news for Trinity(TX) - for the second straight game, Michael Meese is not in the starting lineup again; not the first time this season that's been the case, but he did not see the pitch at all in the match earlier this week against Incarnate Word.
He ended up playing a good part of the game; nearly connected on a rebound in the box. TU dominates 6-1 against UMHB (although you weirdly wouldn't think it listening to the TU announcer).
A few results of note in Region X:
Trinity crushed Mary Hardin-Baylor 6-1. This was a dominant performance and a statement game by Trinity, which raced out to a 4-0 lead at halftime. MHB has not been the same this year and falls to 2-3-1, but they had just beaten Austin 4-1 a week ago and lost to Texas Lutheran and St. Thomas by closer 2-0 scores, so I didn't foresee this kind of a score. Best sign of the note, given @Ron Boerger's observation about Michael Meese, is that he played 36 minutes in the game and was credited with an assist, but the team scored a ton without him.
St. Thomas crushed McMurray 6-0. This was one I could foresee as long as St. Thomas took the game seriously. And they did. Taty Aleman had 2 goals and an assist in 54 minutes (he now has 8 goals and 2 assists in 6 games) and Daniel Flores also had a brace.
Texas Lutheran beat Hardin-Simmons 2-1 to go to 8-0 on the season. TLU was facing a stronger opponent than Trinity and St. Thomas did, but, as usual, they did just (barely) enough to win, scoring the winning goal on a PK in the 88th minute. They only took 5 shots the whole game. On the other hand, Trinity could only tie Hardin-Simmons last week (2-2), so Texas Lutheran's narrower margin of victory than its conference rivals is not really concerning. Nevertheless, until they face Trinity and St. Thomas in SCAC play, it's hard to know just how good TLU is this year.
Southwestern 1 - Concordia TX 0. Southwestern goes to 4-0-3 on the year, so I think it's fair to include them in the national perspective thread. Nevertheless, they haven't really proven anything other than they are better than the NWC teams they beat (Willamette and Whitman) and the ASC teams. The SCAC is just loaded this year, so Southwestern may be the odd team out.
Cal Tech 4 - La Verne 2
After beating Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne, Cal Tech is making a legitimate case for being a mid-table team in the SCIAC in forever. Ishaan Matripagada got the hat trick for the Beavers, who are now 5-1-1 overall and 2-1 in conference. They've already exceeded last year's win total of 4, which was the second highest in 30 years, and they've matched their conference record from last year with two wins, which was the highest since at least 2006.
Chapman 2 - Pomona-Pitzer 2
P-P was up 2-1 in the 73rd minute, but gave up a tying goal three minutes later, which is where it ended up. Chapman doesn't look up to defending its championship this year. They had more opportunities (e.g., 9 corner kicks while P-P had 0), but couldn't put anything home.
Pacific Lutheran 9 - George Fox 0
The Lutes never took its foot off the gas on the truck that ran over George Fox in this game. Not bad marksmanship when you take 15 shots and score 9 of them. Pacific Lutheran has scored 19 goals in its last three games (4-1 over Whitworth, 6-0 over Whitman, and 9-0 over George Fox) and its loss to Emory, tie with CMS, and win over Colorado College in Colorado Springs may start looking better in retrospect. I still think the Lutes need to win the NWC to get in the tourney, but if they keep brutalizing the rest of the NWC, they may creep into the national conversation. Craig Johnson now has 8 goals in 7 games.
Willamette 3 - Puget Sound 1
Willamette kind of bullied Puget Sound toward their second win in a row after four straight losses. The one stat that stood out for me was that Willamette was called for 22 fouls v. only 9 for Puget Sound.
Other NWC results:
Linfield 5 - Lewis & Clark 0
Whitworth 3 - Pacific 1
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 - Whittier 1
CMS took out its frustrations from consecutive losses to Chapman and Redlands to dominate against Whittier. Gets its first win since Sept. 8 at Willamette.
Occidental 2 - Redlands 0
This was the big game in the SCIAC tonight and Occidental lived up to its preseason number one ranking, beating Redlands on the road to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season. The first goal started with a great chipped pass by Vicente Navarro to his onrushing former club teammate Tyler Na-Nakornpanom in the box. Na-Nakornpanom took it down and hit a beautiful shot from the far left side of the box to the far right of the goal. The second was a bit of a lucky bounce as a shot by an Oxy player was deflected off a Redlands defender to the feet of another Oxy attacker who pushed it passed the GK. Redlands had its chances, but Oxy's defense was on its game and I thought its GK Riley Nyhan had one of the more complete games I have seen from him, coming off his line for dangerous crosses and potential breakaways. Oxy moves to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the SCIAC and Redlands drops to 6-1 and 2-1 in conference. You probably have to think about including Oxy in the national rankings even though this was arguably their first win against a quality opponent.
Texas Lutheran and McMurry are tied 0-0 early in the second half, McMurry lost to St. Thomas 6-0 on Friday.
The heat may be affecting the game (both teams are liberally substituting players and even the announcers are talking slooooow), but Texas Lutheran really needs to start picking things up.
UPDATE: TLU scores on a PK in the 81st minute to take a 1-0 lead after they brought some of their starters back into the game.
UPDATE: TLU wins 1-0 (they scored a second goal in the last minute that the stream gave to them, but I think it was called offside). Once again, TLU did just enough (barely) to win the game. It was hot and dry and the coach's strategy appeared to be to rest the starters until late to come in an rescue the game. So, that might have hindered things, but TLU never seems to score much. They go to 9-0 on the season
Hardin-Simmons has been playing tough teams very tightly, but falling short of winning. It tied Trinity 2-2 and Southwestern 1-1 and it just lost to Texas Lutheran on a late goal, 2-1.
St. Thomas is proving it's a different level (or Hardin-Simmon is just wilting in the hot sun) because it is up 5-0 at the half. Daniel Castro has 2 goals and 2 assists and Taty Aleman has a goal and an assist. St. Thomas scored all of its goals in the first 29 minutes.
UPDATE:
St. Thomas 5 - Hardin-Simmons 0
St. Thomas took its foot off the gas in the second half and emptied the bench in the heat. Didn't matter as H-S still couldn't score.
Scratch everything I said about Pacific Lutheran playing its way into the national picture with a bunch of blowouts. Instead, my "root for chaos" plea sort of came true, at least for one of the games involving the conference leaders.
Pacific Lutheran 0 - Linfield 0
It looked like the Lutes were copying their Texas Lutheran brothers and trying to just get enough for the win, but a PK call was waived off and a couple of very good saves by the Linfield keeper kept PLU off the scoreboard. According to the announcer, this was the first time Linfield didn't lose to PLU in a very long time. It won't prevent Pacific Lutheran from winning the NWC (playing everyone twice rather than having a conference tournament makes it very forgiving for a blip like this), but it won't help them if they don't win the conference.
Willamette 6 - George Fox 0
Not quite the 9 goals PLU scored, but I think we can safely say that PLU and Willamette are at one end of the conference and George Fox is somewhere toward the other end ahead of Lewis & Clark, which lost to Puget Sound 5-0.
Colorado College continued its sweep at home, following up its win over Christopher Newport on Saturday with a 2-0 win over UC Santa Cruz to go to 5-2-1 on the year. They may enter the picture for the regional rankings after this weekend, depending upon how Southwestern does against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Chapman also could drop out after losing to Cal Lutheran and tying Pomona-Pitzer this week.
Games of interest to me in Region X on Wednesday 9/27 (there's virtually nothing on Tuesday and a number of less interesting ASC games in Texas on Thursday).
Cal Lutheran @ Occidental
Occidental is coming off of a big win @ Redlands and is sitting at 7-1 with it's only loss to undefeated Texas Lutheran in the first game of the season. Cal Lutheran is 3-1-3 and just beat Chapman 3-1. Throw the records out though. Cal Lu generally seems to play Oxy tough. Last year, they faced each other twice, tying the first game 1-1 at Cal Lu and tying the second game 0-0 at Oxy. Oxy has some new offensive weapons this year (former Conn College player Oury Diane has been notable with his 5 goals and 2 assists in 8 games), but Cal Lu is capable of being stingy on defense.
Pomona-Pitzer @ Redlands
Redlands is smarting from the 2-0 loss to Occidental and Pomona-Pitzer just tied Chapman 2-2. I would expect Redlands to take this one fairly easily, but P-P beat Redlands @ Redlands last year 4-3. Not sure whether that will inspire Redlands or provide confidence for the young Sagehens. Either way, the game could have lots of goals. Both teams have shown themselves capable of scoring goals a lot of different ways. Redlands forward Jarette Barajas has the athleticism to press the P-P young defenders into mistakes or to go off on them one v. one, while Pomona-Pitzer defender Niclas Ulrich has scored in three of the last four games, twice on left-footed free kicks from outside the box (one bent over the wall to the upper near post and the other past the wall to the lower far post).
Cal Tech @ Whittier
Cal Tech has rebounded from its big loss against Oxy to win two in a row and currently stands at a historic 5-1-1. Whittier is harder to figure out. It was just crushed by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-1 on Saturday, but beat La Verne 4-0 last Wednesday. The game probably comes down to whether Cal Tech can control Whittier forward Lawrence Dydell. He had a hat trick v. La Verne, but couldn't get off a shot v. CMS (although he assisted their only goal). If Cal Tech wins, they will go to 3-1 in conference for the first time ever I think, surpassing the two conference wins they had last year.
Chapman @ La Verne
Two teams coming off bad results. Chapman tied Pomona-Pitzer 2-2 and La Verne lost to Cal Tech 4-2. Both teams are capable of beating teams, but they are also capable of bad losses. Chapman should win this one, but if Adan Villarreal can get hot for La Verne, then they can do some damage.
George Fox @ Lewis & Clark
Two teams at the bottom of the Northwest Conference standings. On the one hand, Lewis & Clark is bad in an epic way while George Fox is capable of winning games. On the other hand, George Fox just lost 9-0 to Pacific Lutheran and 6-0 to Willamette this weekend, so we'll see if they have lost the plot or will come to the game looking to put a thumping on Lewis & Clark. Either way, don't expect Lewis & Clark to generate much offense. They have scored only 1 goal all season (in 7 games) and that was in a 5-1 loss to Whittier.
As I expected, Colorado College, fresh off its victories over Christopher Newport and UC Santa Cruz enters the regional rankings, replacing Chapman, which lost to Cal Lutheran and tied Pomona-Pitzer
Region X - Poll 3 - September 26, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 1 6-0-1
2 Trinity University (Texas) 2 5-0-2
3 Texas Lutheran University 3 9-0-0
4 Occidental College 5 6-1-0
5 University of Redlands 4 6-1-0
6 Pacific Lutheran University 6 4-1-3
7 Southwestern University 7 4-0-3
8 Colorado College NR 5-2-1
For a NORTH game (that isn't worth the national perspectives thread) . . .
Macalester 1 - Bethel University 1
Bad tie for Macalester at home. Bethel is 3-3 and only lost 2-0 to Carleton on Saturday, but they lost 6-1 to St. Olaf two weeks ago and Macalester's only loss before this game was 1-0 to Gustavus Adolphus. I didn't see the whole game, but Macalester just couldn't connect passes and then they started launching the ball wildly and ineffectively long before they needed to do so. They did have one chance toward the end to nick a goal, but the Bethel GK somehow came away with the ball in a scrum in the box. The whole sequence, and much of the game I watched, looked like one of those bad HS soccer games.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 26, 2023, 04:18:56 PM
As I expected, Colorado College, fresh off its victories over Christopher Newport and UC Santa Cruz enters the regional rankings, replacing Chapman, which lost to Cal Lutheran and tied Pomona-Pitzer
Region X - Poll 3 - September 26, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 1 6-0-1
2 Trinity University (Texas) 2 5-0-2
3 Texas Lutheran University 3 9-0-0
4 Occidental College 5 6-1-0
5 University of Redlands 4 6-1-0
6 Pacific Lutheran University 6 4-1-3
7 Southwestern University 7 4-0-3
8 Colorado College NR 5-2-1
SCAC MSoc looking like SCAC VB used to look ... five out of the top eight schools in the region with conference play starting this weekend. Trinity at Southwestern on Friday, Trinity at TLU, CC at St. Thomas on Sunday will both impact these rankings next week. Next weekend we get both Southwestern and TLU at St. Thomas.
All four games at the half in the SCIAC tonight and they are all tight
FINAL: Four games -> Four Ties (SIAC is western for Centennial)
Occidental 0 - Cal Lutheran 0
Oxy had the lion's share of the chances, but Cal Lu had a chance near the end of the first half where the ball lay invitingly on the six yard box amid a scrum, but Oxy's GK was able to scoop it up. His best (or second-best) save, by the way, was on a potential own goal by an Oxy defender. That's always fun for the GK.
UPDATE: Oxy 1 - Cal Lu 1
Oxy scores in the 50th minute.
Cal Lu ties it up in the 71st on a beautiful play by Kai Nemoto to receive the ball at the top of the box bracketed by several defenders and make one turn left to get a window of space and he loops it over Oxy's 6'4" GK, who was diving to his right and couldn't get it.
FINAL: Oxy 1 - Cal Lu 1
Pomona-Pitzer 0 - Redlands 0
Pomona-Pitzer is really good in possession and plays nicely with combinations, but gets shut down as they get closer to the box. Redlands seems to have more trouble getting there and is becoming frustrated, launching long hopeful shots.
UPDATE Redlands 1 - Pomona-Pitzer 1.
Jarette Barajas finally breaks through for Redlands in the 51st minute. The problem with Pomona-Pitzer's beautiful play out of the back is that when they get intercepted or have an errant pass, Redlands is ready to pounce and and knows to get the ball to Barajas, who dribbled through several defenders and took a shot from the top of the box on the left side to the right side of the goal for the score.
Pomona-Pitzer ties it up in the 79th minute on a great pass from the right side of the box to Chris Chow on the left side who tapped it in before Redlands' GK could shuffle back over to that side.
FINAL: Redlands 1 - Pomona-Pitzer 1
Chapman 1 - La Verne 0
The only non-tie at half. Chapman scored in the 34th minute for the lead. They are getting more chances than La Verne, but that's basically by design as La Verne is trying to start the counter. Problem is that they keep getting called for offside - 5 in the first half alone.
UPDATE: La Verne ties up seconds into the second half
FINAL: Chapman 1 - La Verne 1
Cal Tech 2 - Whittier 2
The only shootout in the SCIAC tonight thus far. I mentioned in my preview that the key for Cal Tech will be controlling Whittier's Lawrence Dydell and they've had mixed results thus far as Dydell has a goal and an assist. Cal Tech's reliable scorers - Etienne Casanova and Ishaan Mantripragada have scored for the Beavers in what is generally a pretty even game, although Cal Tech has had more of the possession.
UPDATE: Whittier 4 - Cal Tech 4
Whittier scores in the 50th minute to take the lead
Cal Tech ties it back up in the 66th on a second goal by Ishaan Mantripragada, assisted by Etienne Casanova (just in case you're wondering the two players you absolutely have to mark out of the game to shut down Cal Tech)
Can't keep up with the scoring in this game, but Whittier's Lawrence Dydell gets another to tie it up in the 81st minute
FINAL: Whittier 4 - Cal Tech 4
In the NWC, there is only one game
Lewis & Clark 0 - George Fox 0 in the 26th minute
Seems like a pretty even game based on the stats. Lewis & Clark has even taken 2 shots, but none on goal yet. As expected, George Fox has had more offensive chances, but not productive ones.
UPDATE: George Fox woke up in the second half (or Lewis & Clark got tired) and GF 3 - L&C 0
FINAL: George Fox 4 - Lewis & Clark 0
Lewis & Clark drops to 0-8 and still has only scored one goal all season. George Fox is 2-5-1 and gets its second NWC win to go to 2-2-1.
We're about 1/3 of the way through the conference schedule for the SCIAC and here are the standings. Pretty heady territory to see Cal Tech in a playoff position at this point.
School CONF. GP CONF. W-L CONF. PCT CONF. PF-PA GP W-L PCT PF-PA L10 Streak
Occidental 5 4-0-1 .900 18-5 9 7-1-1 .833 28-7 7-1-1 T1
Redlands 4 2-1-1 .625 5-5 8 6-1-1 .812 25-11 6-1-1 T1
Caltech 4 2-1-1 .625 9-14 8 5-1-2 .750 21-18 5-1-2 T1
California Lutheran 4 1-0-3 .625 6-4 8 3-1-4 .625 13-8 3-1-4 T1
Chapman 5 1-2-2 .400 6-8 9 4-3-2 .556 14-12 4-3-2 T2
Pomona-Pitzer 5 1-2-2 .400 9-11 9 2-4-3 .389 14-19 2-4-3 T2
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4 1-2-1 .375 9-5 7 3-2-2 .571 16-8 3-2-2 W1
Whittier 5 1-3-1 .300 12-16 8 3-4-1 .438 20-19 3-4-1 T1
La Verne 4 0-2-2 .250 4-10 9 4-3-2 .556 18-16 4-3-2 T1
Nice work!
The American Southwest Conference opened conference play tonight for most of the teams
Mary Hardin-Baylor 4 - East Texas Baptist 0
MHB has had a murders' row of non-conference games on the schedule this year. They lost to Texas Lutheran 2-0, St. Thomas 2-0, and Trinity (TX) 6-1. As it turns out, those are the best teams in the state this year, and possibly among the top 25 teams in the country, and they are all in the SCAC. So, MHB just needs to take care of business in the ASC and they can still get an automatic bid. In fact, MHB actually has an easier road to the NCAA tournament than the SCAC trio - or quartet if Southwestern is included - because 2-3 of them are going to have to sweat out the possibility that the NCAA selection committee won't take two Pool C teams from Region X, while MHB just has to be the best of the weakened ASC. Tonight, MHB started that task with a conference win against ETBU. Not the hardest opponent in the ASC, but ETBU did beat Schreiner in the SCAC in another of their non-conference games and is 1-3-4 (better than the record of half the teams in the ASC before conference play!), so they probably aren't the worst of the ASC teams MHB will face.
Concordia (TX) 6 - LeTourneau 1
Like MHB, Concordia has had a difficult non-conference schedule. They lost 3-1 to St. Thomas, 1-0 to Texas Lutheran, and 1-0 to Southwestern. Only a tropical storm and hail and lightning kept them from playing (and probably losing) to Trinity. They probably have done just as well as MHB and could easily challenge them for the ASC. LeTourneau came into this game with a better record (4-2-1), albeit against weaker opponents. So, Concordia TX is probably breathing a sigh of relief now that they are back in the ASC and if the first game is any indication, they are likely to resume their winning ways.
University of Texas, Dallas 1 - Howard Payne 0
Not a very convincing win for UTD considering Howard Payne was 1-6 coming into the game, but UTD has probably the most impressive ASC non-conference performances thus far, beating Colorado College 2-1, tying Southwestern 1-1 and Wheaton (MA) 0-0, and losing tight games to Babson 1-0 and to Texas Lutheran 2-1. They currently are 4-3-2 overall and sit atop the ASC standings.
Hardin-Simmons 3 - Dallas Christian 0
Hardin-Simmons only won its first game of the year to go 1-4-3 (and it was a non-conference game), but they have played some good teams tightly, tying Trinity 2-2 and Southwestern 1-1, and losing to Texas Lutheran 2-1. NCCAA team Dallas Christian isn't much of a test, but they are around the same level as Schreiner, LeTourneau, and Howard Payne.
Ozarks 1 - Sul Ross State 0
Ozarks rises to 4-4 on the year with this win. They are basically battling for the middle of the ASC. They lost a close game to Colorado College 2-1 earlier this year and blew out Centenary (LA). Sul Ross State came into the game winless, so this isn't the most impressive showing for Ozarks, but they scored in the fourth minute of the game and simply couldn't put another one home despite outshooting Sul Ross St. Sul Ross isn't eligible for the ASC or NCAA tournaments this year, by the way, because they are in the process of reclassifying to DII (which is for football reasons, not soccer).
Games of interest to me in Region X Friday - Sunday
Friday 9/29
Trinity (TX) @ Southwestern
This will be Trinity's first game away from home all season (they actually started an away game at Concordia last weekend that was halted in the 42d minute, so it doesn't count). Southwestern is usually pretty good at home and is 4-0-3, even though they have been overshadowed by the SCAC trio ahead of them.
Saturday 9/30
Cal Tech @ Cal Lutheran
Cal Tech is 5-1-2, coming off a barnburner of a game with Whittier that ended 4-4, while Cal Lu is 3-1-4 and just tied Occidental 1-1. I'm not sure Cal Tech can physically handle Cal Lu, especially away from home, but if Cal Tech's offense is firing on all cylinders, I wouldn't count them out. If Cal Tech can win, it will be their most SCIAC conference wins (3) ever, or at least since 2006. They already have their most wins total since at least 2006. Cal Tech is effectively playing with house money at this point.
Whitworth @ Willamette
I think Willamette has righted the ship now that NWC conference play has resumed, but they've only played some of the weaker NWC teams thus far (Linfield, Puget Sound, George Fox). Whitworth is unbeaten in the last three and beat Whitman and Pacific in the last two. This will be a better gauge of where Willamette stands.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Pomona-Pitzer
The Sixth Street Rivalry resumes after taking off last year due to CMS' hazing suspension. The schools and the fields are literally separated just by a street on the Claremont Schools' campus and it's common for the players go to school with each other given the free ability to cross-enroll (they literally enroll in classes on the same system with all schools' courses listed) and to eat in the same dining halls. Pomona-Pitzer is coming off their best game of the season probably - a 1-1 tie at Redlands - a team CMS lost to 2-1, but CMS' most recent game was also its most convincing victory - a 7-1 win over Whittier. P-P is actually ahead of CMS in the SCIAC standings, which CMS will surely be fired up to change. The game is at P-P, which is less conducive to big crowds, and it is in the afternoon (no lights), but a rivalry game is a rivalry game and there has been pent up demand for this one.
Sunday 10/1
Colorado College @ St. Thomas
Colorado College is coming off impressive victories over UC Santa Cruz and Christopher Newport, but this game isn't being played at altitude in Colorado Springs, but at St. Thomas, where they just beat Hardin-Simmons 5-0.
Trinity (TX) @ Texas Lutheran
A huge game in the SCAC with national implications. Two unbeaten teams (assuming Trinity can survive against Southwestern). Texas Lutheran hasn't won convincingly very often. It usually does just enough, as it did this past weekend with a 1-0 victory against McMurray. I'm not sure I see how Texas Lutheran can generate much offense against Trinity, but their field (which isn't the greatest as far as grass fields go) could slow down Trinity just enough to keep the game close.
Great coverage from the expert! Thanks for reminding us that there is great soccer outside of the Mid- Atlantic, Northeast and Midwest!
I'm here for the Cal Tech updates. :-)
Also always sort of follow CC because I have friends who went there.
I wanted to shine some light on top Region X players in various stats thus far this year who rank in the top 50 nationally according to the NCAA. My point is not to give too much credit to stats or to ignore that they often reflect the performance of many (e.g., GAA). Part of the value is giving credit to some players who get less attention because people in other parts of the country don't pay much attention to Region X or only pay attention to the teams who are in contention for national ranking.
Data is from the NCAA. There is some variance with data reported on individual team websites, but for consistency sake I'll stick with the NCAA numbers.
OFFENSE
Goals per game (national rank in parentheses)
1(6) Taty Aleman St. Thomas 1.29
2 (10) Louis Catchpole Austin 1.14
3 (14t) Craig Johnson Pacific Lutheran 1.00
4t (32t) Andrew Notter Occidental .89
4t (32t) Adan Villarreal La Verne .89
5t (40t) Jarrette Barajas Redlands .88
5t (40t) Etienne Casanova Cal Tech .88
5t (40t) Cole Friesen Whitworth .88
6 (50) Daniel Castro St. Thomas .83
Game-Winning Goals - a dubious stat because it includes the first goal of a blowout
1 (2) Taty Aleman St. Thomas 5 (in 7 games)
2 (5t) Adan Villarreal La Verne 4 (in 9)
3t (19t) Louis Catchpole Austin 3 (in 7)
3t (19t) Jack Manke Texas Lutheran 3 (in 9)
Assists per game
1(13t) Riley Thomas Chapman .67
2t (15t) Spencer Palmer Redlands .62
2t (15t) Joey Schwartz Occidental .62
3t (26t) Chen Adjei Trinity .57
3t (26t) Greyson Pinto Southwestern .57
DEFENSE
Goals Against Average
1 (5t) Noel Pina Texas Lutheran .333
2 (27) Christo Gayoso St. Thomas .502
In a battle of unbeatens, visiting Trinity totally dominated a strangely passive Southwestern in the first half, leading 2-0. The Pirates for the most were happy to sit back in their half to limit Trinity's shots but their counter was almost totally non-existent. About the only Southwestern presence resulted from an 8-3 disparity in fouls, but even with that there were no shots credited to the home side. 3 of 6 shots from Trinity were on goal, with Adam Knutson finding some space to open scoring at 12' on a strike from ~15', and Luke Mayfield scoring off a scramble in the box at 36'.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 29, 2023, 09:29:55 PM
In a battle of unbeatens, visiting Trinity totally dominated a strangely passive Southwestern in the first half, leading 2-0. The Pirates for the most were happy to sit back in their half to limit Trinity's shots but their counter was almost totally non-existent. About the only Southwestern presence resulted from an 8-3 disparity in fouls, but even with that there were no shots credited to the home side. 3 of 6 shots from Trinity were on goal, with Adam Knutson finding some space to open scoring at 12' on a strike from ~15', and Luke Mayfield scoring off a scramble in the box at 36'.
Southwestern started out the second half much more aggressively, breaking lines with dribbling and one or two great through balls. They just didn't have offensive prowess to finish any of the chances and Trinity scored a third goal on a corner kick about 8 or so minutes into the second half.
Totally different second half from the Pirates, much more dangerous but end up on the losing side of an 0-4 decision. Shots ended up 11-7 in favor of Trinity with Willman making two saves (and a third skittered off the side woodwork).
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 29, 2023, 10:32:52 PM
Totally different second half from the Pirates, much more dangerous but end up on the losing side of an 0-4 decision. Shots ended up 11-7 in favor of Trinity with Willman making two saves (and a third skittered off the side woodwork).
Trinity's defense looked strong and I was impresssd with Wilman. He made one save on a bouncing or deflected ball that showed first class reflexes and he snuffed out another chance by coming off his line to his left. The one weak spot for Trinity was the midfield in the second half. They let some players dribble by them, although it may have been some second line Trinity players who were getting beat. In any event, Trinity looked to be a different class than Southwestern even in the second half.
The Big Three in the SCAC all took care of business in impressive fashion tonight, albeit against mostly weaker opponents
Trinity 4 - Southwestern 0
The most impressive victory of the three because it was against an undefeated opponent. Having said that, Southwestern was 4-0-3 and its most impressive victory was probably the first of the season against Willamette. The tie against Elmhurst looks bad in retrospect. In this game, as @RonBoerger summarized up thread, was a tale of two halves, but only in the sense of Southwestern's tactics and aggressiveness. Trinity won each half 2-0.
St. Thomas 6 - Wiley 0
I have no idea why St. Thomas scheduled this game other than to get a lot of players on the bench some playing time in mid-season. Wiley is an NAIA team. Some NAIA teams are quite good since they can give scholarships. This is not one of those teams. Wiley came into the game 1-7. St. Thomas' Taty Aleman got a brace in 45 minutes, Sebastian Ibarolla got a brace in 28 minutes, 4 GKs for St. Thomas got playing time in the game. In fact, 37 players played at least 13 minutes or more for St. Thomas.
Texas Lutheran 4 - Schreiner 0
It looks like a comfortable victory, and it was in the final stats. Schreiner only took 4 shots, two on goal, compared to Texas Lutheran's 17 and this was TLU's most goals and biggest margin of victory of the season. Nevertheless, it was only 1-0 at half on a TLU goal with a few minutes left in the half.
One other game involving possibly the next best team in the SCAC
Colorado College 5 - Centenary (LA) 0
Centenary is getting beaten badly by lots of teams, but a win is a win and Colorado College did it convincingly. 5 different scorers on 29 shots away from home is a good outing for CC and keeps them in the regional rankings.
SCIAC results tonight
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2 - Pomona-Pitzer 1
CMS takes the Sixth Street Rivalry in a tight game after a 1 year hiatus in front of 264 fans. It was a massive turnout for a 4 pm Saturday afternoon game at P-P - they have two small stands with obstructed views behind the benches, a hill behind one of the goals, and some space outside the fences opposite the benches where you can stand in front of a large area of brush, so fans basically had to line the field. The game was tied 0-0 at half before CMS broke the deadlock with a goal in the 55th minute and P-P answered less than a minute later to make it 1-1. There it stayed until CMS broke through with the game winner in the 81st minute. It was a physical game and the difference might have been that CMS had a much deeper bench and used it liberally, while P-P seems pretty banged up and was missing some important players - CBs Niclas Ulrich and MF Keiran Veloria to name a couple, as well as CB Colin Eugster, who came up big in the Redlands game -- and only played 4 subs. So they played valiantly to stay in it as long tbey did, but CMS pretty much dominated on the stats and was able to outlast the Sagehens.
Cal Lutheran 4 - Cal Tech 1
As I mentioned in my preview, Cal Tech doesn't do as well against physical, athletic, and pressing teams and Cal Lutheran has that going for them. The game was a fairly even 1-1 early on, but Cal Lu rattled off two goals to go into the break 3-1 and then added an insurance goal after the break to coast the rest of the way. Cal Tech also seemed tired after their exhausting 4-4 tie against Whittier mid-week. One the bright side, Cal Tech's Etienne Casanova scored his 9th goal of the season, which is tied for the most in the SCIAC. Cal Lu is now in third place in the SCIAC, jumping over Cal Tech, which is clinging to the fourth playoff spot (and likely to lose it with its next three games against Redlands, CMS, and Chapman).
Redlands 7 - Whittier 0
It seems like Redlands was motivated by the disappointing tie to Pomona-Pitzer earlier this week and Whittier, like Cal Tech, was still recovering from that exciting game. Redlands moves to 7-1-1 overall and 3-1-1 in the SCIAC.
Occidental 3 - La Verne 1
Oxy was up 2-0 at half and cruised to 3-0 before La Verne scored a late consolation goal. Teams have figured out that the way to stop La Verne is to shut down Adan Villarreal. He still got off three shots in this game, but none of them were on goal. Oxy wins to go 8-1-1 and 5-0-1 in the SCIAC, just ahead of Redlands. Still not entirely convinced Oxy is as dominant as their record suggests after a close scare against Whittier and a tie against Cal Lu in the game before this one, but for this day Oxy was back on track.
UC Santa Cruz 1 - Chapman 0
This is a non-conference game, but it continues a concerning trend for Chapman. Since beating CMS on 9/16, Chapman has lost to Cal Lu 3-1, tied Pomona-Pitzer 2-2, tied La Verne 1-1, and now lost to UCSC 1-0.
Northwest Conference
Pacific Lutheran 5 - Lewis & Clark 0
Not much to see here, but the Lutes did what they had to do. The fact that it was only 2-0 is the only surprise, but PLU turned it on with 17 shots in the second half to coast to victory.
Whitman 3 - Linfield 0
Since starting NWC play, Whitman is beating the teams they usually beat (Puget Sound, Pacific, and Linfield), losing to the teams they usually lose to (Pacific Lutheran), and battling the teams they usually battle (Whitworth - a 3-2 loss)
Whitworth 3 - Willamette 2
This was the big surprise of the day, but if you read my preview you would have at least been primed for it. Whitworth is coming off of wins against Whitman and Pacific and has scored 3 goals in each of those games. Willamette has been feasting on teams in the lower half of the conference (Linfield, Puget Sound, and George Fox) after a disappointing non-conference schedule, but this was its first chance to show it had really righted the ship. At least this time, it didn't do what it needed to do at home. After going up to a 2-1 lead early in the second half, Whitworth scored two unanswered goals, including the game winner in the 80th minute. With the NWC's round robin play, Willamette may still climb to the top of the standings, but it's pretty clear not all is right with the Bearcats.
American Southwest Conference
Concordia (TX) 2 - East Texas Baptist 0
Kind of an underwhelming score considering ETBU only has 1 win all season and Concordia outshot them 26-4, including 13-1 on goal, but a win is a win. Concordia goes to 2-0 in the ASC.
Ozarks 2 - Howard Payne 1
Another underwhelming result considering HP was 1-7 into the game and this was Ozarks' senior day game, but they pull it out with a game winner in the 76th minute.
UT Dallas 5 - Sul Ross State 0
UTD has won 5 in a row since beating Colorado College 2-1 on 9/17.
Hardin-Simmons 3 - McMurry 0
A decent result, but still only Hardin-Simmons' second win of the season overall.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 4 - LeTourneau 0
Second straight 4-0 victory over an out-matched ASC opponent after getting crushed by Trinity 6-1. They are kind of the Willamette of the ASC though. They need to show they can do it against the middle and upper class of the ASC, like UTD, Hardin-Simmons, Concordia, and maybe Ozarks, none of which they will see until they play a couple of more ASC cupcakes (Howard Payne and Sul Ross State), which will either allow them to fully get their act back together or just fatten them up.
Several games in the SCAC today, two of which I'm cross-posting from the National Perspectives Thread:
Texas Lutheran 2 - Trinity 0
Huge win for Texas Lutheran, which establishes itself as the clear leader of the SCAC right now. The turning point in the game was about a minute before halftime when a Trinity player was red carded and TLU scored on the free kick to go into half 1-0. Trinity had most of the possession and the chances in the second half as it pressed for an equalizer despite being down a man, but couldn't break through and TLU put the game away scoring on a 1v1 breakaway on a counter attack. Texas Lutheran is now 11-0, which I think may be the only perfect record in the country right now.
Colorado College 1 - St. Thomas 0
Huge win for Colorado College, which proves its victory over Christopher Newport was no fluke and wins away from home against St. Thomas. This was probably the first game where the absence of Ayomide Salako from last year was probably felt acutely. He would have been the big target body who could have absorbed the CC physical play and distributed the ball in spots where Aleman and Castro had the freedom to use their technical ability. Colorado College 1st year player Dylan Rich gets the game winning goal in the 72nd minute.
We should see Colorado College in the rankings this week after winning 4 games in a row following its loss to UT Dallas.
Southwestern 7 - Schreiner 0
Southwestern recovers from the 4-0 beatdown by Trinity on Friday to impose its own beatdown on Schreiner. Complete domination. Southwestern outshot Schreiner 25 (10)-1 (0). Southwestern moves to 5-1-3, to remind the rest of the SCAC that they should still be considered part of the upper-half, but they can't really call themselves among the big 4 unless they beat St. Thomas next Friday.
Interesting halftime scores from the NWC
Willamette 1 - Whitman 0
Relatively even game, but Willamette gets off a shot in the last minute before halftime and Jett Starr puts in the rebound to make it 1-0. Considering Whitman is the weaker of the two Whits and Willamette lost to Whitworth already this season, it's hard to argue that Willamette is separating itself from the pack yet.
Pacific Lutheran 0 - Pacific 0
Pretty even game. Not ideal for PLU considering that Pacific's only win of the season thus far is against Lewis & Clark.
Whitworth 2 - Linfield 1
Cole Friesen has a brace in the first half (and could have had a hat trick on a giveaway at the top box in the last seconds of the first half) to give him 11 goals on the season.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 01, 2023, 06:37:50 PM
Interesting halftime scores from the NWC
Willamette 1 - Whitman 0
Relatively even game, but Willamette gets off a shot in the last minute before halftime and Jett Starr puts in the rebound to make it 1-0. Considering Whitman is the weaker of the two Whits and Willamette lost to Whitworth already this season, it's hard to argue that Willamette is separating itself from the pack yet.
Pacific Lutheran 0 - Pacific 0
Pretty even game. Not ideal for PLU considering that Pacific's only win of the season thus far is against Lewis & Clark.
Whitworth 2 - Linfield 1
Cole Friesen has a brace in the first half (and could have had a hat trick on a giveaway at the top box in the last seconds of the first half) to give him 11 goals on the season.
UPDATE: FINALS (tl/dr: Chaos reigns in the NWC)
Willamette 2 - Whitman 2
Willamette has officially lost the plot. They were down 2-1 before a strong shot from the top of the box evened it up halfway through the second half. It's clear that they have some individual talent, but not quite enough to avoid getting shut down by determined opponents. Dropping points at home to the Whits is a bad sign.
Pacific Lutheran 1 - Pacific 1
This is a big surprise. The Lutes are still 4-0-2 in the NWC and 5-1-4 overall, but Pacific only has 1 win all season.
Whitworth 3 - Linfield 1
This is the result that conforms the most to expectations among higher up teams. Linfield simply couldn't hanndle Whitworth's offense (powered by a kid from Chula Vista, CA, I might add - Cole Friesen)
Puget Sound 4 - George Fox 1
No surprise, except maybe the score. Puget Sound is now 4-2-2 overall and 2-2-2 in the NWC. They can sneak into the top group (they tied Whitworth), but they aren't reliably there. George Fox is an argument for the chaos of the NWC. They get crushed by Willamette, Pacific Lutheran, and Puget Sound, but beat Pacific (which tied Pac Lutheran)
Games of interest to me through Thursday in Region X:
Wednesday 10/4
Occidental @ Chapman
Replay of last year's SCIAC finals won by Chapman on a bicycle kick in the final seconds of double OT.
Redlands @ Cal Tech
Redlands just crushed Whittier after a small stumble where they lost to Occidental and tied Pomona-Pitzer. Cal Tech is coming off a loss to Cal Lutheran. Cal Tech is kind of similar to Pomona-Pitzer, but a bit more potent offensively, so they may be able to hang with Redlands. Cal Tech has certainly shown resilience this season. A mid-week afternoon away game with virtually no witnesses could be a trap game for Redlands.
La Verne @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
CMS has won two in a row and should beat La Verne, but La Verne has done a better job of keeping games close against the top SCIAC teams, tying Chapman and Cal Lu 1-1, both teams that CMS lost to or tied as well.
Pacific Lutheran @ Puget Sound
After tying Pacific 1-1, a team Puget Sound tied 0-0, and tying Linfield 0-0, Pacific Lutheran can't take any team for granted.
Whittier @ Cal Lutheran
Cal Lu is unbeaten in the last seven since losing to Texas Lutheran, but four of those have been ties, including against La Verne and Pacific. Whittier has been all over the place, from almost beating Occidental, tying Cal tech, and crushing La Verne, to getting crushed by CMS and Redlands. Maybe they do better in midweek games. Last two Wednesday games they tied Cal Tech and beat La Verne.
Thursday 10/5 (nothing too interesting, but here are the games involving the three favorites in the ASC)
Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Howard Payne
Should be an easy one for MHB, which does better against over-matched opponents. Howard Payne, at 1-8, meets that definition, although they have basically played all of their D3 opponents very closely.
Hardin-Simmons @ LeTourneau
Hardin-Simmons is the best of the rest in the ASC after MHB and Concordia and LeTorneau just lost to Concordia 6-1 and MHB 4-0.
Concordia @ Sul Ross State
Concordia should win this game easily after Sul Ross just lost to UTD 5-0.
Excellent stuff, Kuiper, and highlights just how even most of these teams are in the west.
USC Regional Rankings for Region X
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 4 - October 3, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Texas Lutheran University 3 11-0-0
2 Colorado College 8 7-2-1
3 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 1 7-1-1
4 Trinity University (Texas) 2 6-1-2
5 Occidental College 4 8-1-1
6 University of Redlands 5 7-1-1
7 Pacific Lutheran University 6 5-1-4
8 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-4
Colorado College jumps all the way from 8 to 2 after beating St. Thomas. Occidental drops one spot from 4 to 5 after the tie to Cal Lutheran, which enters the rankings at 8. Pacific Lutheran drops from 6 to 7 after tying Pacific. Redlands drops from 5 to 6 after tying Pomona-Pitzer. Southwestern drops out completely after losing big to Trinity.
I think we're at the point where the top of Region X has separated itself from the rest of the pack. Normally some of these results would drop teams more than they did, but there just aren't a lot of other options and only Colorado College has more than 1 loss currently. CMS is 4-2-2 and could get back into it, but they have tied or lost to four teams in the regional rankings and also to Chapman, which isn't on this list. Chapman's tie to La Verne and loss to UC Santa Cruz rules them out. Willamette's loss to Whitworth rules it out. Whitworth, at 6-3-1, has a better chance of making an appearance on the rankings next, but its losses to Cal Lu, UC Santa Cruz, and Pacific Lutheran, and tie to Puget Sound, are keeping them out right now. No one in the ASC appears to deserve it.
ALERT:
Willamette was up 3-0 in the first half over Lewis & Clark with less than 10 minutes left in the half and Lewis & Clark scored two goals 1 minute and 18 seconds apart to go into the half only down 3-2. Why the alert? Lewis & Clark, is 0-9 this year and was 0-7 last year in its inaugural season. L&C has scored only 1 goal in its 9 losses this season and now has doubled its goal total for the season in a single half! PLUS, the second goal was a GK assist as Ben Tallent (nice name!) hit a low, line-drive long ball over everyone and freshman Nadav Dicovski (a CA kid) scored for his second of the game. I think Dicovski may now be the leading scorer in L&C history since the re-birth, but I'll have to do some research. [UPDATE: Dicovski is tied with another player from last year for 2 goals, but Dicovski has the first brace since the re-birth of the program]
Willamette officially imploded at the end of the half. The first goal was caused by a casual pass from the GK directly to a L&C player, who passed it to Dicovski for the shot.
UPDATE: Willamette scores on a PK to make it 4-2
FINAL: Willamette 4 - Lewis & Clark 2.
Lewis & Clark almost made it three (and Dicovski almost had a hat trick) after the Willamette keeper went up for an easy catch and misjudged the height and it went through his fingers to end up as a 50/50 ball between Dicovski and the Willamette defender in front of the goal.
Another uninspiring performance from Willamette, but a win is a win and they remain in contention for the NWC lead at 4-1-1, tied for second with Whitworth behind Pacific Lutheran.
Results from the early SCIAC games
Redlands 4 - Cal Tech 0
Redlands took care of business in the second half and bossed Cal Tech off the field, with all 4 goals scored in the second half. It was a tight 0-0 game at half, but Cal Tech simply doesn't the benefit of health, energy, and a deep bench to hang a full 90 with the top teams. They practically played Casanova a full 90 on a hot afternoon and they really only had three subs get significant minutes, one of whom was the backup GK. Redlands, by contrast, had 5 non-GK subs get 30+ minutes, including one of the goal scorers.
Occidental 0 - Chapman 0
Chapman came into this game on a bad run of form, losing to UC Santa Cruz and Cal Lutheran and tying La Verne and Pomona-Pitzer, but Occidental couldn't capitalize. It wasn't a game where Chapman parked the bus and Oxy just couldn't punch one home through the bodies either. If anything, Chapman was just as or more aggressive offensively. In fact, Oxy only had one shot on goal the whole game and 7 shots total. Chapman had more shots, more shots on goal, and more corners.
Results from the late games in SCIAC
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1 - La Verne 1
In a thrilling ending, La Verne scores in the 88th minute to grab a tie against CMS. This was a game CMS largely controlled, scoring in the last 10 minutes of the first half and holding serve until almost the end before breaking down. CMS outshot LV 17-8 and had 7 corners to LV's 2, but CMS couldn't put enough balls on frame to put a second one past LV's very good GK Logan Reese. CMS is 4-2-3 and 2-2-2 in conference while La Verne, who has also tied Chapman and Cal
Lutheran thus far, is 4-4-3 and 0-3-3 in conference.
Cal Lutheran 3 - Whittier 0
Cal Lu used physicality and clinical finishing to take care of Whittier and move to 3-0-3 in conference (ahead of CMS for 3rd) and 5-1-4 overall. Whittier drops to 1-5-1 in conference and 3-6-1 overall. Whittier remains ahead of La Verne for the cellar, but La Verne is probably playing better right now.
A bunch of games in the ASC tonight
Concordia 1 - Sul Ross State 0
Not a very convincing win for Concordia in a game that was tied 0-0 at half, but they did just enough to win against Sul Ross State, which came into the game 1-6-2, but had yet to play a conference game. Concordia goes to 4-5-1 and 2-0 in the ASC.
Hardin-Simmons 0 - LeTourneau 0
It's been a long time since Hardin-Simmons tied Trinity 2-2 and Southwestern 1-1 and lost to Texas Lutheran by a slim 2-1 margin. LeTourneau isn't the worst ASC team, but they just got shellacked by Concordia 6-1 and Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-0. I think it's safe to say Hardin-Simmons is not at that level at this point in the season.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 - Howard Payne 1
MHB seemed to be cruising in this game, up 2-0, until HP put in a goal in the 86th minute. MHB pulled that back a minute later to seal the victory. MHB moves to 3-0 in conference.
McMurry 3 - East Texas Baptist 2
McMurry breaks a 7 game winless streak to pull out a victory, although ETBU made it tight with two goals in the last 20 minutes. McMurry is now 1-1 in conference and ETBU is 0-3 in conference
Games in Region X of interest to me Friday - Sunday
Friday 10/6
Southwestern @ St. Thomas
A chance for St. Thomas to get back into the saddle after losing to Colorado College, but Southwestern is 5-1-3 with the only loss against Trinity.
Pacific @ Willamette
Pacific has only one win all season, but it is coming off a tie against Pacific Lutheran. Willamette beat Lewis & Clark, although giving up two goals to them in the process, which is double the number of goals L&C scored in the previous 9 games and the first time they have scored twice in a game since the re-birth of the program. Willamette's starting GK has been out and his backups both looked shaky in the L&C game, one passing a ball directly to an L&C attacker for the first goal and another backup misjudging a high ball that slipped through his fingers for a chance at a third goal.
Saturday 10/7
UC Santa Cruz @ Occidental
This is a noon game (local time) in very high heat. It's predicted to be around 90 degrees at kickoff, rising to about 95 degrees by the end of the game, and those temperatures should be higher on Oxy's artificial turf. Those aren't ideal conditions for Oxy's pressing style or for the fans who typically show up in droves to urge on the Tigers with noisemakers and vuvuzelas. Oxy just came off a disappointing 0-0 tie in afternoon heat against Chapman, a team UC Santa Cruz beat 1-0 a week ago. Oxy should win, but it's not a gimme.
Cal Lutheran @ Redlands
Cal Lu is on an 8 game unbeaten streak. This is another afternoon game and it should be even hotter in Redlands than Oxy's campus (which is a little closer to the ocean). Temperatures are supposed to be 95 at kickoff rising to 96-97 or higher during the game. Redlands' grass field should help, but it will still be difficult for the players. Redlands has won two in a row against weaker opponents, but I expect Cal Lu will try to grind the game to a halt. It has the depth to do so and the hydration breaks should help.
Cal Tech @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
I think Cal Tech is too worn out and too thin in skill and numbers of players at this point of the season to continue to compete, especially on these three game weeks. They've already been undone by Cal Lu and Redlands this week and have used very few subs. On the other hand, CMS just had a bad tie against La Verne on Wednesday, so they aren't exactly hitting on all cylinders either.
Pomona-Pitzer @ La Verne
Pomona-Pitzer has been sneaky good the past few games, even though it hasn't shown up much in terms of points in the standings. It tied Chapman and Redlands and it lost to CMS 2-1 on a late goal in the Sixth Street Rivalry. Then they made a scheduling decision that is interesting to me. Rather than play a non-conference game mid-week against a local NAIA team in their off week from SCIAC, Coach Ditta chose to simply not play at all. That means they are much fresher than La Verne, which just expended a lot of energy on Wednesday to tie CMS. This is the first of two games in a week between these two teams, with La Verne coming to Pomona-Pitzer next Saturday. If the Sagehens can win both and grab a point against Cal Lu mid-week, they might jump back into the SCIAC playoff race.
Sunday 10/8
Texas Lutheran @ St. Thomas
Texas Lutheran comes in flying high at 11-0 after beating Trinity (12-0 assuming they beat Centenary (LA) on Friday night). St. Thomas will be coming off a loss to Colorado College and possibly a tough battle against Southwestern Friday night. This is the battle for supremacy in the SCAC and a chance to watch Jack Manke and Cole Sixkiller, both of whom have received mention in the National Perspectives thread.
Willamette @ Pacific Lutheran.
These are the two traditional heavyweights in the NWC and may still be the two title contenders if Whitworth can't stay consistent
Some results from the SCAC
Southwestern 1 - St. Thomas 0
Big win for Southwestern. Something's not quite right for St. Thomas. They have trouble generating offense against top defenses. They need someone in the middle to relieve pressure around Aleman and Castro.
Texas Lutheran 5 - Centenary 0
TLU gets the easy win to move to 12-0
Trinity 3 - University of Dallas 0
Trinity dominates (outshoot Dallas 23-2 and 16-1 on goal) to go to 2-1 in the SCAC and 7-1-2 overall
Austin 4 - Schreiner 1
Nice victory, but Austin will face Trinity on Sunday for a true measuring stick of where it stands.
Willamette 2 - Pacific 0
For 75 minutes, it looked like Willamette was heading for another tie or even a loss and I began to wonder if Pacific was a giant killer. Then Willamette scored 2 goals less than 2 minutes apart in the 76th and 78th minutes to put the game away. The win was deserved, but it doesn't inspire a ton of confidence that Willamette can do it regularly. Willamette is now 5-1-1 in the NWC, which is the only record that matters right now because its 5-5-1 record won't help if it doesn't win the NWC.
Imo the game of the year in Region X coming Sunday when Texas Lutheran at 12-0-0 visits St Thomas in Houston. Finding themselves 0-2 in conference after two HOME losses to Colorado Coll and Southwestern, this feels basically like a "must-win" match for the Celts. Coach Salazar for Tex-Lutheran has been waiting many years to grab the catbird's seat in the SCAC and a win here for the Bulldogs would be an endorsement for their meteoric rise on to the national stage while delivering another blow to St Thomas' dreams of a magical campaign. Have to think St Thomas and Coach Clerihew will find a way to get a W, but if they don't? Houston, we've got a problem.
SCIAC early game results.
UC Santa Cruz 2 - Occidental 1
My preview of this game proved prescient:
QuoteSaturday 10/7
UC Santa Cruz @ Occidental
This is a noon game (local time) in very high heat. It's predicted to be around 90 degrees at kickoff, rising to about 95 degrees by the end of the game, and those temperatures should be higher on Oxy's artificial turf. Those aren't ideal conditions for Oxy's pressing style or for the fans who typically show up in droves to urge on the Tigers with noisemakers and vuvuzelas. Oxy just came off a disappointing 0-0 tie in afternoon heat against Chapman, a team UC Santa Cruz beat 1-0 a week ago. Oxy should win, but it's not a gimme.
Oxy had a 1-0 lead in the first half, but kind of over-heated in the second half, giving up two goals in a three and a half minute stretch in the 72nd and 75th minutes and then losing it's cool as Joshua Hamlett got yellow cards in the 82nd and 85th minutes to leave Oxy down a man for the final push. It was a very chippy game, which is one way a really hot and humid game can go. The teams combined for 7 cards, 5 in the second half, and Oxy had a whopping 29 fouls and UC Santa Cruz had 16. That's what can happen in the extreme heat. Players arrive late to challenges and trip and push and then everyone's tempers flare. I've said before that Oxy is inconsistent for a team capable of dominance and this game kind of demonstrated how some of that inconsistency can be handed down to an inability to keep their cool when the chips were down. A contributing factor might have been that senior defender Evan Karp, who was first team all-SCIAC and second team All Region X last year, has been out the last two games (a tie to chapman and a loss to UCSC). He's their rock in the middle and probably the team's emotional ballast. Give credit to UC Santa Cruz though, which has now beaten Chapman and Occidental in successive games against SCIAC opponents. Occidental goes to 8-2-2 overall and 5-0-2 in conference and UCSC goes to 6-5-1, which isn't a gaudy record, but they may end up with some wins against regionally ranked opponents depending upon their upcoming game against Cal Lutheran.
Redlands 4 - Cal Lutheran 2
In this game, my preview was not quite on the mark. Cal Lu was not able to grind the game to a halt. Redlands scored 2 goals in each half and was up 4-1 late in the game before Cal Lu got a consolation goal in the 84th minute to make it a bit more respectable. Redlands is now 9-1-1 and 5-1-1 in conference, while Cal Lu drops to 5-2-4 and 3-1-3 in the SCIAC.
Chapman 3 - Whittier 1
Chapman takes care of business, although it was 2-1 until late
Cal Tech 1 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0 at the HALF
CMS had most of the possession and chances in the first half, but Cal Tech GK Derek Ing made some good saves (including a 1 v. 1 that likely wasn't registered as a save, but was the hardest of the evening thus far) and Etienne Casanova received a pass just before midfield and made a brilliant cross-field pass over the CMS defender and onto the path of Casanova's on-rushing teammate Ishaan Mantripragada, who slipped it by the CMS GK with 53 seconds left in the half. It was a little bit of a mistake by the GK, who came out fast, but was neither sliding nor set. I think he was taken by surprise with the pass and thought he might be able to reach it on the run.
UPDATE: Cal Tech 1 - CMS 2
CMS scores in the 57th minute on a header off a cross that just beat the CIT GK
CMS scores a second in the 63rd minute. You can tell the top Cal Tech players are tiring. The shot was a good one, but the GK got a hand on it and wasn't firm enough pushing it, which allowed it to sneak by the far post. This is the second GK for Cal Tech because they tend to rotate their keepers. I don't mind it from a psychological perspective because the coach has stuck with it, but the starter is a senior and the second half keeper is a freshman. I can't help but think CIT could use the veteran presence in the second half in games like this.
CMS 4 - Cal Tech 1
As I type above about using two GKs, the second Cal Tech keeper makes an insane triple save, but the defense has a hand ball on the fourth shot and gives CMS a PK, plus a red card for the defender for denying a goal scoring opportunity and CMS slots the PK home. A minute later, up a man, CMS buries a second goal after a tidy passing sequence at the top of the box.
FINAL CMS 4 - Cal Tech 1
Cal Tech couldn't keep up with CMS in the second half, especially after going down a man. CMS moves to 3-2-2 in SCIAC, moving past Chapman to 4th place and the final playoff spot.
Pomona-Pizer 1 - La Verne 0 at the HALF
P-P scored at the 1:30 mark in the game before La Verne had even settled in and that was all they needed to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
UPDATE: P-P 1 - La Verne 1
Adan Villarreal gets La Verne back even with a goal in the 48th minute
FINAL P-P 1 - La Verne 1
Pomona-Pitzer, like Cal Tech, rotated its GKs at half and the second keeper had to make a lot of saves to keep the tie as the P-P defense was on their back heels for awhile. P-P moves to 1-3-3 in SCIAC, while La Verne remains in last place at 0-3-4, although now tied with Whittier.
TLU up 2-1 at St. Thomas with 20' to go. Celts have allowed a total of 3 SOG between this match and the one against Southwestern and all have gone in!
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 08, 2023, 06:17:03 PM
TLU up 2-1 at St. Thomas with 20' to go. Celts have allowed a total of 3 SOG between this match and the one against Southwestern and all have gone in!
I've been updating this one on the National Perspectives thread. The three red cards has been the major story of the second half!
Reposting this from the National Perspectives thread:
This Texas Lutheran - St. Thomas game has been chaos. 2-1 TLU on a PK, but not before a brawl and two red cards, including one on the TLU keeper who came all the way from his goal to the St. Thomas goal to head butt a defender as part of the brawl. Buckle up for the ending to this one.
Update - chaos continues as a St. Thomas player picks up a second yellow and it's 10 on 9 with a timeout called because another brawl is brewing (and a player is injured)
Stream is now stopped. Not sure if there is a bad injury or something like that.
FINAL St Thomas 3 - Texas Lutheran 2
Craziest game I've seen in a long while. After a 20 minute delay because an injury to a TLU player on a breakaway in the box, which led to the stream being stopped while the player was taken to the hospital, the game resumed. The ref gave a red card to the UST defender for the foul (leaving them down 10 men to 8) and awarded TLU a pk. The PK was hit over the bar and the UST had life, but barely. The extra space of the field seemed to help UST though and they scored two goals at the 88:58 and 89:22 marks (the second of which on a free kick that resulted in a second yellow to a TLU player) dropping them to 9 players).
TLU with their first loss of the season and some bad injuries and red cards, while UST may have saved it's season (but certainly didn't look good doing so)
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 07, 2023, 10:02:18 AM
Imo the game of the year in Region X coming Sunday when Texas Lutheran at 12-0-0 visits St Thomas in Houston. Finding themselves 0-2 in conference after two HOME losses to Colorado Coll and Southwestern, this feels basically like a "must-win" match for the Celts. Coach Salazar for Tex-Lutheran has been waiting many years to grab the catbird's seat in the SCAC and a win here for the Bulldogs would be an endorsement for their meteoric rise on to the national stage while delivering another blow to St Thomas' dreams of a magical campaign. Have to think St Thomas and Coach Clerihew will find a way to get a W, but if they don't? Houston, we've got a problem.
Welp...they found a way.
Would be surprised if there aren't multiple game suspensions for at a couple of guys. That was a disaster in terms of the two coaches and referees allowing things to get so out of hand.
Agreed. Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions. Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.
Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)
Too bad the beneficiaries of any suspensions against St. Thomas will be Austin (0-4 losers to Trinity today after being outshot 34-0) and hapless (1-7-3) Dallas as I unfortunately can't see the SCAC office levying more than two games if they do anything. But I can't remember any kind of similar outbreak in SCAC annals, so I could be wrong.
Speaking of Trinity they appear to have finally lined up a third keeper, one Aiden Roy who saw a few minutes at the end of the 3-0 win Friday over Dallas (but interestingly enough, not today). He's yet to be added to the web roster; not a lot of social media hits but this Xitter page (https://twitter.com/aidanroy28?lang=en) could be his; a 2023 graduate of Holliston HS out of Massachusetts.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2023, 08:13:00 PM
Agreed. Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions. Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.
Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)
Before the conference office gets involved, it will depend on how the referee wrote up the ejections. The two head butts, and the strike to the face at the end of the game could easily be considered either Violent Behavior II or fighting ejections, which are a mandatory two game suspension.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2023, 08:13:00 PM
Agreed. Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions. Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.
Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)
I'm watching the replay of the game and just got to this part, that was absolutely bizarre. It sounded like it was coming from the press box, not the sideline, but also sounded like it was definitely a coach and player from one of the two teams.
The intrigue continues....STU put up a recap that sounded like your normal 11v11 stunning come from behind victory with 2 goals in the last minute or so. Not a mention of cards, send offs, or even being a physical match with a 20 minute stoppage for an injury that resulted in the player going to a hospital.
And now the recap is gone.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 08, 2023, 10:40:33 PM
The intrigue continues....STU put up a recap that sounded like your normal 11v11 stunning come from behind victory with 2 goals in the last minute or so. Not a mention of cards, send offs, or even being a physical match with a 20 minute stoppage for an injury that resulted in the player going to a hospital.
And now the recap is gone.
Texas Lutheran's recap had to restrain itself, but only barely.
https://tlubulldogs.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/releases/20231008tqr53f
"Texas Lutheran scored first in what would become a match that surpassed what anyone would deem physical."
"Following a first half that saw 11 fouls from the Celts, the second half would get out of hand as the two teams would combine for five red cards and 18 cards in total. The match would diminish into a nine-versus-eight finish following three Celt ejections and two TLU ejections.
As tempers flared, TLU would hold a 2-1 lead until the 88th minute when the Celts would tie the match 2-2. The Celts would strike again in the 89th minute with the decisive game-winning goal just inside the right post.
Throughout the 90 minutes, the Celts held the edge in shots, launching 15 shots to the Bulldogs eight. The Celts earned seven corners to the Bulldogs one. The Celts also had decided advantage in fouls at 23-9."
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on October 08, 2023, 10:14:21 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2023, 08:13:00 PM
Agreed. Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions. Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.
Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)
Before the conference office gets involved, it will depend on how the referee wrote up the ejections. The two head butts, and the strike to the face at the end of the game could easily be considered either Violent Behavior II or fighting ejections, which are a mandatory two game suspension.
True, although does the league have the ability to review the Veo or the streamed game footage?
I went back and watched some of the red cards and goals on replay and will say, the challenge that resulted in the TLU #9 to go to the hospital might be the worst challenge I've ever seen in the college level. Lunging, flying through the air, studs up right into the side of the leg.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2023, 08:13:00 PM
Agreed. Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions. Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.
Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)
Yeah, I was wondering about that. The same thought struck me, that it sounded like a dad talking to his kid. Why was that loud chewing-out taking place just a few feet away from a live broadcast mic? I mean, it
could've been a field mic, but that was an awful lot of clarity for a field mic -- and game crews typically don't set up a field mic that close to a team bench, where a strong possibility for fruity language exists.
Because of the St. Thomas - Texas Lutheran debacle, I only caught the last bit of this game, but it's worth mentioning:
Pacific Lutheran 4 - Willamette 0
Based on the stats, Pacific Lutheran didn't dominate Willamette, but they were far more clinical, scoring 4 goals in the second half to put the Bearcats away. Willamette had a chance to score a PK in the 83rd minute, but it wasn't placed well and the GK easily blocked it.
The Lutes are now 6-0-2 in the NWC, a game ahead of Whitworth, which is 6-1-1 and beat George Fox 7-0 today. Willamette is third at 5-2-1. They're not out of the NWC race because they play both teams ahead of them again this season, but they've lost to both in the first round and will have to find a way to turn things around.
One positive footnote to the St. Thomas - Texas Lutheran game that shouldn't be completely overlooked.
Because of the red cards, fatigue, etc., St. Thomas decided to bring on freshman Tony Castro for the last two minutes of the game. He isn't to be confused with Junior Daniel Castro, who I think is his older brother (but I'm not positive about that). According to the UST website, the only other action Tony has gotten all season was in the Southwestern game on Friday, where he played 12 minutes. Well, in this game against Texas Lutheran, Tony took full advantage of his 2 minutes. He assisted on Daniel Castro's goal to tie it up at 2-2 and then is credited with the game-winning third goal 27 seconds later to save UST's season. Pretty efficient outing for the freshman.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2023, 10:57:48 PM
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on October 08, 2023, 10:14:21 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2023, 08:13:00 PM
Agreed. Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions. Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.
Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)
Yes they do. NCAA suspensions are mandatory minimums, and the conference can impose additional discipline as it sees fit.
Before the conference office gets involved, it will depend on how the referee wrote up the ejections. The two head butts, and the strike to the face at the end of the game could easily be considered either Violent Behavior II or fighting ejections, which are a mandatory two game suspension.
True, although does the league have the ability to review the Veo or the streamed game footage?
Still no STU recap, which wouldn't seem odd except for there being one that was taken down. But the video is still flowing freely. Can't imagine this whole thing isn't going to be a pretty big deal.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 09, 2023, 01:03:11 AM
Still no STU recap, which wouldn't seem odd except for there being one that was taken down. But the video is still flowing freely. Can't imagine this whole thing isn't going to be a pretty big deal.
I half wonder if UST does their recaps with chatGPT and the AD took a look at it and realized it wasn't going to fly and removed it to write a better one. On the other hand, taking down the video might be the first step if the AD was involved and wanted to reduce some of the attention on the game.
I don't think anyone in SCAC-land is surprised by the St. Thomas antics.
That was an embarrassment to D3 soccer, SCAC and both schools. My son who plays for a SCAC team was able to watch the back half of the game. He said the dirty challenge definitely broke the TLU player's leg. To me, 2 game suspensions don't send enough of a message. My son also said refereeing left a HUGE amount to be desired.
@jaysoccer I have no real familiarity with either team. St. Thomas may have been the more guilty of the two teams, but TLU's behavior left plenty to be desired too.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on October 09, 2023, 08:42:04 AM
@jaysoccer I have no real familiarity with either team. St. Thomas may have been the more guilty of the two teams, but TLU's behavior left plenty to be desired too.
Agreed. The lunging foul that led to the severe injury was particularly egregious, but that was only one particularly guilty UST player. The problem was that there were multiple players on that pitch, both UST and TLU, who were in thug mode yesterday, so UST shouldn't be singled out for "antics" when both teams (and their coaches) need to take a long, hard look in the mirror in the wake of that fiasco.
Does anyone think the broadcaster accurately depicted the Ref or was it a fool's errand and he had no chance?
The broadcaster was correct, but for the wrong reasons. He kept complaining that the game was getting out of control and then complained about cards being given out like chiclets. Ref was just not focused or proactice enough early, and things got out of hand quickly.
Games of interest to me in Region X Wednesday and Thursday:
Wednesday 10/11:
Chapman @ Cal Tech
Chapman is 2-2-3 and in 5th place in the SCIAC, two points behind CMS for the fourth and final playoff spot. If it's going to climb back into the playoffs, it needs to get all three points against Cal Tech. Same with Cal Tech, which is right behind Chapman and can jump ahead of them with a win.
Cal Lutheran @ Pomona-Pitzer
Cal Lu is currently in third in the SCIAC and can solidify its spot with a win. P-P's chances took a hit with the tie against La Verne, but a win here could put it back in the chase.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Occidental
This is the big game in the SCIAC. Oxy, currently in first, has been foundering a little and CMS, in fourth, just got a big victory over Cal Tech.
Redlands @ La Verne
If Redlands can beat La Verne, which it should do, and CMS beats Oxy, than Redlands will jump to first in the SCIAC.
Willamette @ Linfield
Willamette was just crushed by Pacific Lutheran. It badly needs to beat Linfield to keep its NWC hopes alive. Linfield is on a 4 game losing streak and should be able to accommodate.
Thursday 10/12:
UT Dallas @ Concordia
Concordia just suffered a bad loss to Howard Payne, while UTD has won six in a row. Both are tied for third in conference with 6 points in the ASC. The winner of this game can jump to a tie for first depending upon what happens between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Ozarks.
Ozarks @ Mary Hardin-Baylor
MHB just had a bad tie against Sul Ross State, while Ozarks lost to UTD after winning three in a row. MHB needs to win to keep its top spot in the ASC. It should do so at home.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on October 09, 2023, 12:12:03 PM
The broadcaster was correct, but for the wrong reasons. He kept complaining that the game was getting out of control and then complained about cards being given out like chiclets. Ref was just not focused or proactice enough early, and things got out of hand quickly.
Agree completely.
Talk to just about any coach in any sport, and they'll say the same thing about officiating: Call the game evenly and consistently from start to finish, and you'll get no complaints from me. Call it erratically or incorrectly with regard to rules, without fairness, and/or with wild swings in terms of what you deem permissible and what you don't, and I'm going to get in your ear about it.
Thanks to both of you. Great point about announcer asking for more ref and then less cards ;)
There is plenty of blame to go around, and there may have been other unknown subplots that we won't be privy to. That said, I'm gonna lean towards STU owning a larger portion.
The Celts came into the game reeling a bit after two straight losses at home to Colorado Coll and Southwestern. STU came into the season with sky-high expectations and in a favorite role regarding all of Region 10. I had noted that STU started dissembling towards the latter stages of the Southwestern loss, culminating in a 90th minute end of game red card for one of STU's key players. So STU already was starting the game without another key player and this was a must-win type of game against one the hottest teams in the country sporting a record with no blemishes. TLU goes up 1-0 in the 11th minute, increasing the frustration/desperation for STU. The Celts equalize around the 60th minute, and then about 10 minutes later the first fracas erupts with two STU players and the TLU GK tossed while TLU after a long delay converts the PK to go back up 2-1. Apparently the nasty challenge by the STU player happens about another 10 minutes later, leaving STU down to 8 men against 10 after an even longer delay. TLU seems to be trying to run out the clock with the 10v8 advantage but nearly score a few times including a missed PK. I suppose STU has nothing to lose at that point but there was little to suggest STU would score even once in the last 90 seconds, much less twice. 10v8 sounded like an unsurmountable advantage, but as a result of only having 8 men, and despite causing a devastating season-ending injury to a TLU player, STU maybe bizarrely had won back the "we've been aggrieved" advantage. TLU certainly were not choir boys, and by the end of the match TLU surely had narrowed the gap on blame, but TLU really didn't have reason to turn the game into a debacle until the last minute or two. They were not the squad reeling from frustration/desperation. I do think TLU should have been better prepared for what was coming as these teams knew the stakes and each other well, and I can't imagine how the TLU coaching staff didn't stop their GK from crossing midfield and injecting himself into the fracas. Also (since the camera had been adandoned) we have no idea how TLU allowed STU to break open and get in a position to draw a foul right at the edge of the box (even if it was an iffy call). I would think both coaches have a lot of explaining to do with their ADs and potentially school Presidents.
The abandoned camera is worthy of its own story.
STU recap still not up and the link to it on the 'schedule' page also now gone.
I noticed that the box score for the St. Thomas - Texas Lutheran game has been updated/corrected:
https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/boxscores/20231008_53g9.xml
It now includes TLU getting three red cards (including the double yellow), not two as originally listed on the box score and is still reported in TLU's game recap. So, at least the official scorer has been going over this game again to make sure everything is correct. Even then, there is still a yellow for UST at the 45th and for TLU at the 90th that don't identify recipients. Does that mean it's for bench or coaches?
I watched the last foul call several times and here's a referee question. The STU player had already touched the ball and deflected the ball into the box before the TLU player made any contact. To the extent there was contact, it did not appear violent, and I suppose it didn't have to be to earn a 2nd yellow. Then after the referee made the call and dished out the second yellow the STU player #13 is visibly arguing to the referee that it should be a PK.
Also watched the final goal multiple times and I just don't see evidence of the ball getting all the way around the post. The strongest argument made so far imo is that the TLU players (other than possibly the GK who already was a mess after conceding the equalizer) really did not seem to contest or act outraged about the call.
No. 25 for St Thomas, Daniel Malheiros, is not on the 2023 web page roster for St Thomas. He's the player who received the red card for the nasty challenge on the TLU player with about 11 minutes left in the game. Daniel Malheiros is listed on the 2022 St Thomas roster as a Freshman from Brazil. He has no statistics for this year. I have no idea what this means. I was only looking because I was interested in his yellow and red card history.
I am not defending TLU in this, but look over the past couple of seasons at St. Thomas. Too many times they are over the edge.
And that was a pre meditated dirty as hell tackle that broke the TLU player's leg.
Note: It's the University of St. Thomas (UST), not St. Thomas University (STU).
Quote from: CC United on October 09, 2023, 03:27:09 PM
No. 25 for St Thomas, Daniel Malheiros, is not on the 2023 web page roster for St Thomas. He's the player who received the red card for the nasty challenge on the TLU player with about 11 minutes left in the game. Daniel Malheiros is listed on the 2022 St Thomas roster as a Freshman from Brazil. He has no statistics for this year. I have no idea what this means. I was only looking because I was interested in his yellow and red card history.
...and the audio captured of the coach yelling at a player.....he was speaking to Danny from what I could hear.......his soccer days may have ended as a result of on and off field actions....
Don't think it was the coach though, the guy yelling sounded like he was in the press box.
TLU soccer just put up an Instagram post about Jorge Ugaz, the player who was taken to the hospital after being fouled in the box during yesterday's game
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMPlCmPcDb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== (https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMPlCmPcDb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
UPDATE: I went back and looked at the Instagram post again and several St. Thomas players had liked it, including Daniel and Tony Castro (the brothers who scored the tying and winning goals), as well as one of the UST stars from last year's team, Ayomide Salako. Nice to see.
Although #25 was the one given the red card, a protest has been filed for mistaken identity. The player who committed the tackle was #30.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 03, 2023, 01:32:39 PM
USC Regional Rankings for Region X
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 4 - October 3, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Texas Lutheran University 3 11-0-0
2 Colorado College 8 7-2-1
3 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 1 7-1-1
4 Trinity University (Texas) 2 6-1-2
5 Occidental College 4 8-1-1
6 University of Redlands 5 7-1-1
7 Pacific Lutheran University 6 5-1-4
8 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-4
Colorado College jumps all the way from 8 to 2 after beating St. Thomas. Occidental drops one spot from 4 to 5 after the tie to Cal Lutheran, which enters the rankings at 8. Pacific Lutheran drops from 6 to 7 after tying Pacific. Redlands drops from 5 to 6 after tying Pomona-Pitzer. Southwestern drops out completely after losing big to Trinity.
I think we're at the point where the top of Region X has separated itself from the rest of the pack. Normally some of these results would drop teams more than they did, but there just aren't a lot of other options and only Colorado College has more than 1 loss currently. CMS is 4-2-2 and could get back into it, but they have tied or lost to four teams in the regional rankings and also to Chapman, which isn't on this list. Chapman's tie to La Verne and loss to UC Santa Cruz rules them out. Willamette's loss to Whitworth rules it out. Whitworth, at 6-3-1, has a better chance of making an appearance on the rankings next, but its losses to Cal Lu, UC Santa Cruz, and Pacific Lutheran, and tie to Puget Sound, are keeping them out right now. No one in the ASC appears to deserve it.
Region X - Poll 5 - October 10, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Texas Lutheran University 1 12-1-0
2 Colorado College 2 7-2-1
3 Trinity University (Texas) 4 8-1-2
4 Pacific Lutheran University 7 7-1-4
5 Southwestern University NR 6-1-3
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 3 8-2-1
7 University of Redlands 6 9-1-1
8 Occidental College 5 8-2-2
St. Thomas drops after losing to Southwestern, as does Occidental, which lost to UC Santa Cruz and tied Chapman. Texas Lutheran remains up top despite losing to St. Thomas, which is a bit unusual, but it's hard to argue that anyone else really grabbed the spot since last week. Southwestern moves back in after beating St. Thomas. Colorado College has a huge chance to take the top spot after this weekend when they host Southwestern on Friday and Texas Lutheran (without at least their starting GK for his misadventures in head butting against St. Thomas) on Sunday.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 09, 2023, 06:06:54 PM
TLU soccer just put up an Instagram post about Jorge Ugaz, the player who was taken to the hospital after being fouled in the box during yesterday's game
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMPlCmPcDb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== (https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMPlCmPcDb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
UPDATE: I went back and looked at the Instagram post again and several St. Thomas players had liked it, including Daniel and Tony Castro (the brothers who scored the tying and winning goals), as well as one of the UST stars from last year's team, Ayomide Salako. Nice to see.
Update: TLU posted a photo of Ugaz from his hospital room today
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyO91EdPnOX/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
And still no recap from St. Thomas.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 11, 2023, 07:49:45 AM
And still no recap from St. Thomas.
Is it possible St Thomas has played its last match of the season? Not scheduled to play again until Friday.
No recap, but yet no one has taken down the video.
Rumor that UST coach fired?
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 11, 2023, 10:07:15 AM
Rumor that UST coach fired?
Clerihew is still listed as head coach on the website. He has a strong resume, by the way, having come to St. Thomas when it was still an NAIA school after a couple of years as top assistant at Yale and before that head coach at DII power Franklin Pierce. Sort of unusual that he would have gone to St. Thomas in the first place.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 11, 2023, 08:08:19 AM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 11, 2023, 07:49:45 AM
And still no recap from St. Thomas.
Is it possible St Thomas has played its last match of the season? Not scheduled to play again until Friday.
No recap, but yet no one has taken down the video.
Looks like games still scheduled ROS - it does seem like team get one week off without a midday game so that may be all it is. Interesting on no recap - the TLU site has a recap from their perspective. Summary didn't really mention the foul or the player (which was one of the nastier challenges I've seen - that somehow didn't even get called????).
I watched it over and over. There is no excuse for a player to run from 30 to 40 yards away with no chance of winning the ball and ...
FYI, SCAC conference games are normally Fri/Sun and once conference play starts there aren't a lot of other games because the only other conference in reasonable distance is the ASC, who play Thurs/Sat and there's a lot of bus travel as it is to cover both conferences given the geography involved.
Bunch of mini-upsets, almost upsets, and surprise ties in the SCIAC tonight.
Mini-Upset:
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3 - Occidental 1
CMS winning a conference game probably hasn't been called an upset since at least 2017, so let's call this a mini-upset. CMS came into the game in 4th place in the SCIAC with a 3-2-2 record and had tied La Verne a week ago and has already tied Cal Lu and lost to Chapman and Redlands this year. Occidental came into the game limping a bit, having lost to UC Santa Cruz and tying Chapman in the last week, but it was still in 1st place in the SCIAC with a 4-1-2 record and this game was being played at home. CMS, however, came in and pretty much dictated play. The Oxy Tigers were toothless in the first half, registering zero shots, zero corner kicks, and 1 foul. CMS got a goal on four shots and went into halftime up 1-0. Oxy came out a bit more spirited in the second half, but CMS scored a second goal on a beautiful fake shot and pass in the box that left everyone wrong-footed and the Stags up 2-0. Oxy got a goal in the 81st to make a go at it, but CMS quickly shut that down five minutes later with a goal of its own. After tonight's results, Oxy drops to second in the SCIAC and CMS jumps to third.
Almost Upset:
Redlands 2 - La Verne 1
This game was 0-0 for a long time and it looked like it might end that way even though Redlands was dominating on the stat sheet. La Verne broke the log jam in the 73rd minute and clung to a 1-0 lead almost until the end of the game. Unfortunately for LVU, "almost" isn't good enough. Redlands scored on a PK at the 88.37 mark and then got the game winner less than a minute later at the 89.32 mark to steal a 2-1 win from the jaws of defeat. As a result of this win and Oxy's loss, Redlands jumps to first place in the SCIAC at 6-1-1 and now has a 4 game winning streak (the only other team with a winning streak of any kind is CMS with two).
Surprise Ties:
Pomona-Pitzer 2 - Cal Lutheran 2
Cal Lu was coming off a loss to Redlands, but before that had an 8 game unbeaten streak. Pomona-Pitzer has been flirting with being competitive, tying Redlands and Chapman, but in the last two games lost to CMS and tied La Verne. So, this tie should feel disappointing to Cal Lu. Cal Lu took a 1-0 lead late in the first half, but P-P pushed ahead with two goals in the second half, the second on a PK drawn by Kyle Lau, who was playing his first action of the season after being away with the Hong Kong National Team and the U23 team all summer and early fall. Cal L was able to equalize at around the 75th with a header on a corner kick, but couldn't do more. The tie drops Cal Lutheran to 4th in the SCIAC.
Cal Tech 2 - Chapman 2
All the scoring for this game came in the first 45 minutes. Chapman tried to knock Cal Tech of its game with very physical play, which has worked for other teams, but all it did was win Chapman the foul battle 17-9 and the yellow card battle 3-1. Cal Tech is still painfully thin on the bench -- all but two starters went the full 90 -- and of the two subs Cal Tech used, one only played 8 minutes. Nevertheless, they gut out the tie, leaving defending champion Chapman farther and farther away from a playoff bid.
Big upset in the NWC tonight:
Linfield 4 - Willamette 3
Willamette had beaten Linfield 8 straight times before tonight. The last time Linfield actually won a game against Willamette was in 2018 (they play each other twice a year in the NWC). The last time Linfield won at its own home against Willamette was in 2010. Even if this is a down season for Willamette, it still came in with a record of 5-2-1 in the NWC and Linfield was the polar opposite 1-5-2 in conference. Moreover, Linfield's only had 1 win all season coming into this game - against winless Lewis & Clark, and Willamette beat Linfield the first time they faced each other this season 3-0. So, I think it's fair to say that this is a bond fide upset. And the game wasn't as close as the score. Linfield was up 4-2 for almost the entire second half before Willamette got a PK in the 85th minute to close the gap. This drops Willamette to 4th place in the NWC
Quote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2023, 11:21:28 AM
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 11, 2023, 10:07:15 AM
Rumor that UST coach fired?
Clerihew is still listed as head coach on the website. He has a strong resume, by the way, having come to St. Thomas when it was still an NAIA school after a couple of years as top assistant at Yale and before that head coach at DII power Franklin Pierce. Sort of unusual that he would have gone to St. Thomas in the first place.
Been observing these threads since last season. First time posting.
Clerihew is out, confirmed... Still listed on athletics site, but absent from the school's main HR directory. Hearing he "resigned" officially... Alex Baez is the lone name left on the HR directory from the staff.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 12, 2023, 05:49:06 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2023, 11:21:28 AM
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 11, 2023, 10:07:15 AM
Rumor that UST coach fired?
Clerihew is still listed as head coach on the website. He has a strong resume, by the way, having come to St. Thomas when it was still an NAIA school after a couple of years as top assistant at Yale and before that head coach at DII power Franklin Pierce. Sort of unusual that he would have gone to St. Thomas in the first place.
Been observing these threads since last season. First time posting.
Clerihew is out, confirmed... Still listed on athletics site, but absent from the school's main HR directory. Hearing he "resigned" officially... Alex Baez is the lone name left on the HR directory from the staff.
Welcome! And thanks for the intel. Sad situation all around. I imagine this isn't the last we've heard of it.
https://www.stthomas.edu/mission/index.html
To be generous, I will assume the school acted consistently with its mission. That leaves other matters yet to be explained, including whether they did due diligence when that coach was hired—or whether he can fairly be held responsible for what went down.
Falconer....the link appears to be to the St Paul, MN St Thomas mission page. The Texas version I would assume is similar.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 12, 2023, 06:48:19 PM
Falconer....the link appears to be to the St Paul, MN St Thomas mission page. The Texas version I would assume is similar.
Here's the one for St. Thomas (TX): https://www.stthom.edu/About/Mission-and-Vision.aqf
I watched this game live online. The players from both teams were chirping at each other from the beginning of the match. While I am not condoning the actions of either the UST players or coaches, the match really got out of hand when the TLU goalkeeper walked the length of the pitch and head butted the opposing player. The TLU coaches had plenty time to make him get back to his side of the pitch. He had no reason to be on that side of the field. I could not believe what I was watching. I understand that UST committed twice as many fouls as TLU, but the players and coaches from both teams need to be held accountable for this debacle.
Another "what the heck just happened" game down in Texas (seriously, if someone was there or watched the stream, pipe up because I'm sure I'm not doing this justice and maybe it wasn't that bad).
Concordia TX 3 - UT Dallas 2
I couldn't watch this game live and they took down the video almost immediately, but just based on the box score there must be something bad in the water down in Texas because this appears to be another crazy game. Not quite St. Thomas TX - Texas Lutheran crazy, but it had some of the elements. First, UTD goes up 1-0 at the 11:56 mark on a Riley O'Donnell PK after a hand ball in the box. Then, seven seconds later, Concordia turned the ball over on the kickoff and one pass and a Riley O'Donnell chip over the GK later, UTD has a 2-0 lead. Riley O'Donnell scoring a brace is not hugely surprising. It's his third brace of the season, he scored a brace last game against Ozarks, and he was first team All Region X in 2021 and second team All Region X in 2022 and first team all-ASC both years. Nevertheless, scoring a brace seven seconds apart in the first 12 minutes is pretty unusual. If that's not crazy enough, Concordia then received four yellow cards in a three-and-a-half minute stretch between the 18:09 and the 21.46 mark. To be more specific, and to make it odder, two Concordia players got yellows at the 18:09 mark and two Concordia players got yellows at the 21:46 mark. How does that happen? Well, at the 18:09 mark Riley O'Donnell was called for a foul and he was immediately subbed off the game and UTD's star player's night was done. I'm assuming he was injured when committing the foul, but not sure how two Concordia players got yellows in that exchange unless it was actually a fight after the foul or the players were carded for dissent for arguing with the referee that O'Donnell should have received a card. As for O'Donnell getting pulled from the game and not coming back, it's possible the UTD coach effectively red carded O'Donnell himself and he wasn't injured. Then, at the 21:46 mark, two Concordia players were given yellow cards seven seconds after one of them committed a foul and both of those carded players were immediately subbed out. Why? Not sure. Maybe dissent again? At this point, we have five yellow cards in the first 22 minutes (one was given to a UTD player - Luke Harris - in the 4th minute). I'm guessing the referee association was given a tape of the St. Thomas-TLU game and and they were trying to clamp down on the game early, but that's a lot of early yellows.
The game went on without incident for another 6+ minutes, during which time Concordia scored and the game was 2-1. Then things got crazy again. Less than three minutes later, UTD's Luke Harris picks up a second yellow and they are now down a man. Two minutes later, the UTD Team got a yellow (I'm assuming the bench or the coach) and ten minutes later UTD and Concordia players each got yellows a minute apart before the end of the first half. So, if you're keeping score at home, it's UTD 2-1 on the scoreboard, Concordia 11 v. 10 in terms of players on the field, and there have been 9 yellow cards between the two teams in the first half (5 for Concordia, 4 for UTD).
In the second half, Concordia scores a goal in the 53rd minute and it's now 2-2. A little over three minutes later, a Concordia player gets a yellow and 15 seconds later the UTD team got a yellow (bench? a coach?). Then, in the 69th minute, a UTD player gets a straight red card (not sure for what - the play-by-play doesn't indicate there was a foul or free kick at the same time) and now UTD is playing with 9 men to Concordia's 11, but the game remains tied 2-2 for another 14 minutes
Finally, in the 83rd minute Concordia breaks through and scores a goal to make it 3-2. BUT, the game isn't over. A UTD player gets yellow in the 85th minute and a Concordia player commits a foul in the box at the 87:20 mark to give UTD a PK. But, since regular PK taker O'Donnell has been out of the game since the first half, they let a sophomore take it who hasn't taken (or at least scored) a PK this year and his effort was saved by the Concordia GK to seal the victory. For good measure, a UTD player gets a yellow in the last 20 seconds of the game.
So, 14 cards, including two reds (one a double yellow) and two against the UTD bench/coaches and Concordia ends UTD's six game winning streak.
With Mary Hardin-Baylor's 4-1 victory over Ozarks and Hardin-Simmons 4-0 victory over Sul Ross St., they are the two leaders in the ASC, with UTD and Concordia right behind them with one conference loss apiece.
Going to be very interesting to see how the remaining matches in the SCAC (and the ASC) are called this weekend. The SCAC GoTW has to be TLU at Colorado College on Sunday. And it will be interesting to see who actually takes the field (and is on the sideline) for both St. Thomas and TLU. Normally you wouldn't expect Austin to give St. Thomas a challenge, but with the apparent loss of the bulk of the coaching staff and suspensions an upset isn't totally out of the question.
GK coach for UST will finish out season as head coach.
I find it utterly confounding that to my knowledge no statement, no nothing from the SCAC. That is definitely not a good look.
A 2 game suspension when it falls to bottom half teams in league isn't a huge deterrent IMO
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 13, 2023, 10:56:45 AM
GK coach for UST will finish out season as head coach.
I find it utterly confounding that to my knowledge no statement, no nothing from the SCAC. That is definitely not a good look.
A 2 game suspension when it falls to bottom half teams in league isn't a huge deterrent IMO
I believe the GK coach(Manu Hernandez) was a volunteer. Perhaps staying on as an assistant. Officially, the head coach will be Assistant AD Nikola Barjaktarevic, formerly the Celt's women's soccer coach, I am hearing.
https://www.ustcelts.com/Nik?view=bio
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 01:31:37 AM
Another "what the heck just happened" game down in Texas (seriously, if someone was there or watched the stream, pipe up because I'm sure I'm not doing this justice and maybe it wasn't that bad).
Concordia TX 3 - UT Dallas 2
I couldn't watch this game live and they took down the video almost immediately, but just based on the box score there must be something bad in the water down in Texas because this appears to be another crazy game. Not quite St. Thomas TX - Texas Lutheran crazy, but it had some of the elements. First, UTD goes up 1-0 at the 11:56 mark on a Riley O'Donnell PK after a hand ball in the box. Then, seven seconds later, Concordia turned the ball over on the kickoff and one pass and a Riley O'Donnell chip over the GK later, UTD has a 2-0 lead. Riley O'Donnell scoring a brace is not hugely surprising. It's his third brace of the season, he scored a brace last game against Ozarks, and he was first team All Region X in 2021 and second team All Region X in 2022 and first team all-ASC both years. Nevertheless, scoring a brace seven seconds apart in the first 12 minutes is pretty unusual. If that's not crazy enough, Concordia then received four yellow cards in a three-and-a-half minute stretch between the 18:09 and the 21.46 mark. To be more specific, and to make it odder, two Concordia players got yellows at the 18:09 mark and two Concordia players got yellows at the 21:46 mark. How does that happen? Well, at the 18:09 mark Riley O'Donnell was called for a foul and he was immediately subbed off the game and UTD's star player's night was done. I'm assuming he was injured when committing the foul, but not sure how two Concordia players got yellows in that exchange unless it was actually a fight after the foul or the players were carded for dissent for arguing with the referee that O'Donnell should have received a card. As for O'Donnell getting pulled from the game and not coming back, it's possible the UTD coach effectively red carded O'Donnell himself and he wasn't injured. Then, at the 21:46 mark, two Concordia players were given yellow cards seven seconds after one of them committed a foul and both of those carded players were immediately subbed out. Why? Not sure. Maybe dissent again? At this point, we have five yellow cards in the first 22 minutes (one was given to a UTD player - Luke Harris - in the 4th minute). I'm guessing the referee association was given a tape of the St. Thomas-TLU game and and they were trying to clamp down on the game early, but that's a lot of early yellows.
The game went on without incident for another 6+ minutes, during which time Concordia scored and the game was 2-1. Then things got crazy again. Less than three minutes later, UTD's Luke Harris picks up a second yellow and they are now down a man. Two minutes later, the UTD Team got a yellow (I'm assuming the bench or the coach) and ten minutes later UTD and Concordia players each got yellows a minute apart before the end of the first half. So, if you're keeping score at home, it's UTD 2-1 on the scoreboard, Concordia 11 v. 10 in terms of players on the field, and there have been 9 yellow cards between the two teams in the first half (5 for Concordia, 4 for UTD).
In the second half, Concordia scores a goal in the 53rd minute and it's now 2-2. A little over three minutes later, a Concordia player gets a yellow and 15 seconds later the UTD team got a yellow (bench? a coach?). Then, in the 69th minute, a UTD player gets a straight red card (not sure for what - the play-by-play doesn't indicate there was a foul or free kick at the same time) and now UTD is playing with 9 men to Concordia's 11, but the game remains tied 2-2 for another 14 minutes
Finally, in the 83rd minute Concordia breaks through and scores a goal to make it 3-2. BUT, the game isn't over. A UTD player gets yellow in the 85th minute and a Concordia player commits a foul in the box at the 87:20 mark to give UTD a PK. But, since regular PK taker O'Donnell has been out of the game since the first half, they let a sophomore take it who hasn't taken (or at least scored) a PK this year and his effort was saved by the Concordia GK to seal the victory. For good measure, a UTD player gets a yellow in the last 20 seconds of the game.
So, 14 cards, including two reds (one a double yellow) and two against the UTD bench/coaches and Concordia ends UTD's six game winning streak.
With Mary Hardin-Baylor's 4-1 victory over Ozarks and Hardin-Simmons 4-0 victory over Sul Ross St., they are the two leaders in the ASC, with UTD and Concordia right behind them with one conference loss apiece.
MHB in the lead with a perfect 12 points, CTX with 9 and HSU just behind with 7 and the only other unbeaten team in the ASC. Sul Ross win doesn't affect the standings as they are reclassifying to D2.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 13, 2023, 11:35:12 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 01:31:37 AM
Another "what the heck just happened" game down in Texas (seriously, if someone was there or watched the stream, pipe up because I'm sure I'm not doing this justice and maybe it wasn't that bad).
Concordia TX 3 - UT Dallas 2
I couldn't watch this game live and they took down the video almost immediately, but just based on the box score there must be something bad in the water down in Texas because this appears to be another crazy game. Not quite St. Thomas TX - Texas Lutheran crazy, but it had some of the elements. First, UTD goes up 1-0 at the 11:56 mark on a Riley O'Donnell PK after a hand ball in the box. Then, seven seconds later, Concordia turned the ball over on the kickoff and one pass and a Riley O'Donnell chip over the GK later, UTD has a 2-0 lead. Riley O'Donnell scoring a brace is not hugely surprising. It's his third brace of the season, he scored a brace last game against Ozarks, and he was first team All Region X in 2021 and second team All Region X in 2022 and first team all-ASC both years. Nevertheless, scoring a brace seven seconds apart in the first 12 minutes is pretty unusual. If that's not crazy enough, Concordia then received four yellow cards in a three-and-a-half minute stretch between the 18:09 and the 21.46 mark. To be more specific, and to make it odder, two Concordia players got yellows at the 18:09 mark and two Concordia players got yellows at the 21:46 mark. How does that happen? Well, at the 18:09 mark Riley O'Donnell was called for a foul and he was immediately subbed off the game and UTD's star player's night was done. I'm assuming he was injured when committing the foul, but not sure how two Concordia players got yellows in that exchange unless it was actually a fight after the foul or the players were carded for dissent for arguing with the referee that O'Donnell should have received a card. As for O'Donnell getting pulled from the game and not coming back, it's possible the UTD coach effectively red carded O'Donnell himself and he wasn't injured. Then, at the 21:46 mark, two Concordia players were given yellow cards seven seconds after one of them committed a foul and both of those carded players were immediately subbed out. Why? Not sure. Maybe dissent again? At this point, we have five yellow cards in the first 22 minutes (one was given to a UTD player - Luke Harris - in the 4th minute). I'm guessing the referee association was given a tape of the St. Thomas-TLU game and and they were trying to clamp down on the game early, but that's a lot of early yellows.
The game went on without incident for another 6+ minutes, during which time Concordia scored and the game was 2-1. Then things got crazy again. Less than three minutes later, UTD's Luke Harris picks up a second yellow and they are now down a man. Two minutes later, the UTD Team got a yellow (I'm assuming the bench or the coach) and ten minutes later UTD and Concordia players each got yellows a minute apart before the end of the first half. So, if you're keeping score at home, it's UTD 2-1 on the scoreboard, Concordia 11 v. 10 in terms of players on the field, and there have been 9 yellow cards between the two teams in the first half (5 for Concordia, 4 for UTD).
In the second half, Concordia scores a goal in the 53rd minute and it's now 2-2. A little over three minutes later, a Concordia player gets a yellow and 15 seconds later the UTD team got a yellow (bench? a coach?). Then, in the 69th minute, a UTD player gets a straight red card (not sure for what - the play-by-play doesn't indicate there was a foul or free kick at the same time) and now UTD is playing with 9 men to Concordia's 11, but the game remains tied 2-2 for another 14 minutes
Finally, in the 83rd minute Concordia breaks through and scores a goal to make it 3-2. BUT, the game isn't over. A UTD player gets yellow in the 85th minute and a Concordia player commits a foul in the box at the 87:20 mark to give UTD a PK. But, since regular PK taker O'Donnell has been out of the game since the first half, they let a sophomore take it who hasn't taken (or at least scored) a PK this year and his effort was saved by the Concordia GK to seal the victory. For good measure, a UTD player gets a yellow in the last 20 seconds of the game.
So, 14 cards, including two reds (one a double yellow) and two against the UTD bench/coaches and Concordia ends UTD's six game winning streak.
With Mary Hardin-Baylor's 4-1 victory over Ozarks and Hardin-Simmons 4-0 victory over Sul Ross St., they are the two leaders in the ASC, with UTD and Concordia right behind them with one conference loss apiece.
MHB in the lead with a perfect 12 points, CTX with 9 and HSU just behind with 7 and the only other unbeaten team in the ASC. Sul Ross win doesn't affect the standings as they are reclassifying to D2.
Thanks for the correction on Sul Ross. I knew that, but just forgot (partly because they've lost all of their games in the ASC this year, which means wins against them haven't provided anything other than a temporary advantage in the standings anyway). I should have said that MHB and H-S are the only unbeatens left in the ASC.
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 13, 2023, 10:56:45 AM
GK coach for UST will finish out season as head coach.
I find it utterly confounding that to my knowledge no statement, no nothing from the SCAC. That is definitely not a good look.
A 2 game suspension when it falls to bottom half teams in league isn't a huge deterrent IMO
The continuing radio silence from all parties is frustrating. StT has nothing on their website whatsoever about this disaster; TLU, just the game story posted immediately after the game; the conference, zip. I don't know if the conference has put a moratorium on statements until all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, or if some of the parties involved are threatening legal action, or what.
I've been following the SCAC since the 20th and they've never had to deal with something like this - likely erring on the side of caution as a result.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 12:11:46 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 13, 2023, 11:35:12 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 01:31:37 AM
Another "what the heck just happened" game down in Texas (seriously, if someone was there or watched the stream, pipe up because I'm sure I'm not doing this justice and maybe it wasn't that bad).
Concordia TX 3 - UT Dallas 2
I couldn't watch this game live and they took down the video almost immediately, but just based on the box score there must be something bad in the water down in Texas because this appears to be another crazy game. Not quite St. Thomas TX - Texas Lutheran crazy, but it had some of the elements. First, UTD goes up 1-0 at the 11:56 mark on a Riley O'Donnell PK after a hand ball in the box. Then, seven seconds later, Concordia turned the ball over on the kickoff and one pass and a Riley O'Donnell chip over the GK later, UTD has a 2-0 lead. Riley O'Donnell scoring a brace is not hugely surprising. It's his third brace of the season, he scored a brace last game against Ozarks, and he was first team All Region X in 2021 and second team All Region X in 2022 and first team all-ASC both years. Nevertheless, scoring a brace seven seconds apart in the first 12 minutes is pretty unusual. If that's not crazy enough, Concordia then received four yellow cards in a three-and-a-half minute stretch between the 18:09 and the 21.46 mark. To be more specific, and to make it odder, two Concordia players got yellows at the 18:09 mark and two Concordia players got yellows at the 21:46 mark. How does that happen? Well, at the 18:09 mark Riley O'Donnell was called for a foul and he was immediately subbed off the game and UTD's star player's night was done. I'm assuming he was injured when committing the foul, but not sure how two Concordia players got yellows in that exchange unless it was actually a fight after the foul or the players were carded for dissent for arguing with the referee that O'Donnell should have received a card. As for O'Donnell getting pulled from the game and not coming back, it's possible the UTD coach effectively red carded O'Donnell himself and he wasn't injured. Then, at the 21:46 mark, two Concordia players were given yellow cards seven seconds after one of them committed a foul and both of those carded players were immediately subbed out. Why? Not sure. Maybe dissent again? At this point, we have five yellow cards in the first 22 minutes (one was given to a UTD player - Luke Harris - in the 4th minute). I'm guessing the referee association was given a tape of the St. Thomas-TLU game and and they were trying to clamp down on the game early, but that's a lot of early yellows.
The game went on without incident for another 6+ minutes, during which time Concordia scored and the game was 2-1. Then things got crazy again. Less than three minutes later, UTD's Luke Harris picks up a second yellow and they are now down a man. Two minutes later, the UTD Team got a yellow (I'm assuming the bench or the coach) and ten minutes later UTD and Concordia players each got yellows a minute apart before the end of the first half. So, if you're keeping score at home, it's UTD 2-1 on the scoreboard, Concordia 11 v. 10 in terms of players on the field, and there have been 9 yellow cards between the two teams in the first half (5 for Concordia, 4 for UTD).
In the second half, Concordia scores a goal in the 53rd minute and it's now 2-2. A little over three minutes later, a Concordia player gets a yellow and 15 seconds later the UTD team got a yellow (bench? a coach?). Then, in the 69th minute, a UTD player gets a straight red card (not sure for what - the play-by-play doesn't indicate there was a foul or free kick at the same time) and now UTD is playing with 9 men to Concordia's 11, but the game remains tied 2-2 for another 14 minutes
Finally, in the 83rd minute Concordia breaks through and scores a goal to make it 3-2. BUT, the game isn't over. A UTD player gets yellow in the 85th minute and a Concordia player commits a foul in the box at the 87:20 mark to give UTD a PK. But, since regular PK taker O'Donnell has been out of the game since the first half, they let a sophomore take it who hasn't taken (or at least scored) a PK this year and his effort was saved by the Concordia GK to seal the victory. For good measure, a UTD player gets a yellow in the last 20 seconds of the game.
So, 14 cards, including two reds (one a double yellow) and two against the UTD bench/coaches and Concordia ends UTD's six game winning streak.
With Mary Hardin-Baylor's 4-1 victory over Ozarks and Hardin-Simmons 4-0 victory over Sul Ross St., they are the two leaders in the ASC, with UTD and Concordia right behind them with one conference loss apiece.
MHB in the lead with a perfect 12 points, CTX with 9 and HSU just behind with 7 and the only other unbeaten team in the ASC. Sul Ross win doesn't affect the standings as they are reclassifying to D2.
Thanks for the correction on Sul Ross. I knew that, but just forgot (partly because they've lost all of their games in the ASC this year, which means wins against them haven't provided anything other than a temporary advantage in the standings anyway). I should have said that MHB and H-S are the only unbeatens left in the ASC.
Easy to forget when they aren't getting results anyway! Crazy CTX-UTD game last night though... Astounding how UTD nearly came back whilst down to 9 men... Didn't seem nearly as chippy as UST-TLU(I'm not sure any game will match that ever), but definitely card heavy. CTX GK salvaging their hopes for the top seed with that late PK save.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 13, 2023, 11:32:22 AM
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 13, 2023, 10:56:45 AM
GK coach for UST will finish out season as head coach.
I find it utterly confounding that to my knowledge no statement, no nothing from the SCAC. That is definitely not a good look.
A 2 game suspension when it falls to bottom half teams in league isn't a huge deterrent IMO
I believe the GK coach(Manu Hernandez) was a volunteer. Perhaps staying on as an assistant. Officially, the head coach will be Assistant AD Nikola Barjaktarevic, formerly the Celt's women's soccer coach, I am hearing.
https://www.ustcelts.com/Nik?view=bio
Putting Barjaktarevic as HC, who is currently the Asst AD in charge of compliance, oversaw the transition to D3 for St. Thomas that was completed last year, and was the supervisor of soccer, suggests a strong athletic department push to completely clean house, although he will likely just be a caretaker for the rest of the season. I wonder if he was the voice from the press box yelling at what sounded like a player during the game.
I'll be interested to hear what happens at Texas Lutheran, if anything, because they were far from blameless in this whole fiasco.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 13, 2023, 12:19:14 PM
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 13, 2023, 10:56:45 AM
GK coach for UST will finish out season as head coach.
I find it utterly confounding that to my knowledge no statement, no nothing from the SCAC. That is definitely not a good look.
A 2 game suspension when it falls to bottom half teams in league isn't a huge deterrent IMO
The continuing radio silence from all parties is frustrating. StT has nothing on their website whatsoever about this disaster; TLU, just the game story posted immediately after the game; the conference, zip. I don't know if the conference has put a moratorium on statements until all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, or if some of the parties involved are threatening legal action, or what.
I've been following the SCAC since the 20th and they've never had to deal with something like this - likely erring on the site of caution as a result.
Agreed... I'm sure UST is trying to keep things quiet as they deal with all the repercussions internally. I did notice that the red for the nasty leg-breaking tackle was switched from #25 to #30 after the mistaken identity appeal(https://www.ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/boxscores/20231008_53g9.xml). Unclear if it was just a boxscore typo or if #30 actually remained in the game last Sunday.
Regardless, that type of challenge would get you a multi-game ban in the pro ranks. I.e. Brian Mullan on Steve Zakuani(https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6443775/brian-mullan-colorado-rapids-suspended-10-games-tackle)
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 13, 2023, 12:30:18 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 13, 2023, 12:19:14 PM
Quote from: jaysoccer on October 13, 2023, 10:56:45 AM
GK coach for UST will finish out season as head coach.
I find it utterly confounding that to my knowledge no statement, no nothing from the SCAC. That is definitely not a good look.
A 2 game suspension when it falls to bottom half teams in league isn't a huge deterrent IMO
The continuing radio silence from all parties is frustrating. StT has nothing on their website whatsoever about this disaster; TLU, just the game story posted immediately after the game; the conference, zip. I don't know if the conference has put a moratorium on statements until all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, or if some of the parties involved are threatening legal action, or what.
I've been following the SCAC since the 20th and they've never had to deal with something like this - likely erring on the site of caution as a result.
Agreed... I'm sure UST is trying to keep things quiet as they deal with all the repercussions internally. I did notice that the red for the nasty leg-breaking tackle was switched from #25 to #30 after the mistaken identity appeal(https://www.ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/boxscores/20231008_53g9.xml). Unclear if it was just a boxscore typo or if #30 actually remained in the game last Sunday.
Regardless, that type of challenge would get you a multi-game ban in the pro ranks. I.e. Brian Mullan on Steve Zakuani(https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6443775/brian-mullan-colorado-rapids-suspended-10-games-tackle)
#30 remained in the game and #25 left. The post game appeal transfers the suspension and the accumulation to the correct player.
If 30 stayed in the game and 25 left......could this game be protested?
Quote from: soccerpapa on October 13, 2023, 02:58:03 PM
If 30 stayed in the game and 25 left......could this game be protested?
It was protested as outlined above. NCAA rules do not allow for the results of games to be changed as a result of post game protests.
Games of interest to me in Region X Friday - Sunday
Friday 10/13
Southwestern @ Colorado College
Both teams are coming in hot. CC has beaten Christopher Newport and St. Thomas in a 4 game win streak and is 7-2-1 overall and 2-0 in the SCAC. Southwestern is in the midst of a 3 game win streak that also includes a win against St. Thomas and is 7-1-3 and 3-1 in conference. The ways things are going in the SCAC, the winner of this game could come out of this game in very good shape in the conference.
St. Thomas @ Austin
Normally, this game wouldn't hold much interest, but after last week's card-fest, rumored coaching turnover, and possible suspensions, it will be interesting just to see who shows up for St. Thomas and how they react after last week's game. Lost in the shuffle over the cards is that St. Thomas actually won the game after two home losses. If they play their normal game, they should win the next three even with all the turmoil, setting things up for a very spicy game two weeks from today at Trinity. If, on the other hand, St. Thomas falls apart, then this is the most likely game for them to lose.
Saturday 10/14
Chapman @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Chapman is not the same team that won the SCIAC last year, but they do have some experience in big games and have played a bunch of the conference leaders tough, including beating CMS at home 1-0 a month ago. CMS may be starting to pull things together finally, winning big against Cal tech and Occidental in the last week. If CMS is going to get all the way back, it needs to win a game like this.
Pacific Lutheran @ Whitworth
#1 v. #2 in the NWC. Pacific Lutheran has had a couple of stumbles (ties against Linfield and Pacific), but otherwise has dominated in the NWC and is coming off a 4-0 thrashing of Willamette. Whitworth is the only team that has kept pace lately and is on a 6 game winning streak and a 7 game unbeaten streak. The last game it lost, though, was to Pacific Lutheran, which won the game 4-1. In the absence of a conference tournament, this rematch might determine who wins the NWC.
UT Dallas @ Mary Hardin-Baylor
MHB has been the leader in the ASC for awhile, but UTD isn't far behind with only one loss. The problem is that UTD is going to be missing a couple of players for this one due to red card suspension from the Concordia TX game. This game is a chance for MHB to put some distance between itself and UTD.
Sunday 10/15
Texas Lutheran @ Colorado College
If CC wins against Southwestern and TLU, it sets up a SCAC showdown next Friday against Trinity, possible for the SCAC lead. It's also the first game for TLU since the St. Thomas game and it will be interesting to see how it reacts to that game. Their starting keeper is out because of red card suspension (along with two other players), but their freshman backup has quality if he can control his emotions.
Pacific Lutheran @ Whitman
It's hard to win the NWC without beating the Whits. Whitman is a clear #3 behind PLU and Whitworth and lost to PLU 6-0 the first time they played this year, but playing on the road at the Whits is always a battle.
Colorado College 1 - Southwestern 0
Big win for Colorado College. Tight game. Very even and pretty clean, with only one yellow card and relatively few fouls. CC scored in the 70th minute and held on for the win. CC is now 8-2-1 and 3-0 in the SCAC ahead of the big game against Texas Lutheran. Southwestern drops to 7-2-3 and 3-2 in the SCAC.
No Taty Aleman in the starting lineup for St. Thomas v Austin College. Not sure if that means he was disciplined, but it's worth noting.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 09:40:28 PM
No Taty Aleman in the starting lineup for St. Thomas v Austin College. Not sure if that means he was disciplined, but it's worth noting.
No audio commentary on the game and a single field-level camera with crummy resolution, but Lazo just made a huge leaping save to keep it scoreless around 35' of the first. Only three subs for each team so far. Fouls 4-3 STT and no cards.
And AC turned the ball over just outside the penalty area late, Castro had a 1v1 on the keeper, a wide open net left and blasted it wide right. Scoreless at the half despite some late pressure by the Celts, who have a 3-2 lead on SOG.
It does look like Baez coaching (if he's shaved off his facial hair), looks like the GK coach is there and at least one other.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 09:40:28 PM
No Taty Aleman in the starting lineup for St. Thomas v Austin College. Not sure if that means he was disciplined, but it's worth noting.
No Taty Aleman, but St. Thomas didn't need him, beating Austin College 3-0.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 14, 2023, 02:52:21 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 09:40:28 PM
No Taty Aleman in the starting lineup for St. Thomas v Austin College. Not sure if that means he was disciplined, but it's worth noting.
No Taty Aleman, but St. Thomas didn't need him, beating Austin College 3-0.
And unlike the TLU match (for which still nothing), there's a writeup on the STT site, which mentions nothing about coaching changes or anything else. The STT site still shows the entire coaching staff.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 14, 2023, 09:24:09 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 14, 2023, 02:52:21 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2023, 09:40:28 PM
No Taty Aleman in the starting lineup for St. Thomas v Austin College. Not sure if that means he was disciplined, but it's worth noting.
No Taty Aleman, but St. Thomas didn't need him, beating Austin College 3-0.
And unlike the TLU match (for which still nothing), there's a writeup on the STT site, which mentions nothing about coaching changes or anything else. The STT site still shows the entire coaching staff.
I really think St. Thomas just does AI recaps. The wording is too trite/cliche and exclusively from the stats and box score. That's why there's no extra info about the circumstances or coaching.
A few results of note in Region X
Pacific Lutheran 4 - Whitworth 2
PLU blew up a tight 2-2 game early in the second half, scoring goals in the 66th and 73rd to win 4-2 at Whitworth against the second place Pirates in an important NWC game. With the Lutes beating Whitworth 4-1 at home and 4-2 away, beating Willamette 4-0 at home and beating Whitman 6-0 at home, the game today between PLU and Whitman (currently 3rd in the NWC) could almost seal the deal for PLU with the next five games at home.
Trinity (TX) 3 - Schreiner 1
Schreiner put in a scare on Trinity by scoring first, but Trinity tied them up about three-and-a-half minutes later and then added another about 10 minutes later and a third after halftime. Trinity is 9-1-2 and 4-1 in the SCAC. The next two games against Colorado College in Colorado Springs and St. Thomas will be critical for the Tigers, which currently sit in first in the SCAC.
Concordia (TX) 6 - Ozarks 0
Concordia dominates this game to go 4-1 in conference, with games coming up against Hardin-Simmons and Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Chapman 0 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
Chapman continues to frustrate some of the top SCIAC teams, following up a tie of current 2n place Occidental a few weeks ago with a tie against 3rd place CMS.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 2 - UT Dallas 0
MHB scores 2 in the first half, 1 after UTD player got a straight red card in the 32nd minute, to remain in first place in the ASC with a 5-0 record.
Colorado College 2 - Texas Lutheran 1
Big win (and weekend) for Colorado College, which beat Southwestern on Friday (and St. Thomas last Sunday). They always have an advantage at home with their altitude and the travel, but they still had to take care of business. They started fast with an early goal and then finished with a goal midway through the second half that proved to be the winner. I don't know if this would have made a difference on the goals, but I do think Texas Lutheran was missing its senior GK Noel Pena, who is out because of the head butt and red card in the St. Thomas game. Not only is he an underrated shot stopper for his height, but he just has a lot of experience organizing his defense. His replacement is a freshman who is still likely feeling the pressure of how the St. Thomas game ended.
Colorado College moves to 9-2-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference, while Texas Lutheran drops to 12-2 and 3-2 in the SCAC. Trinity's game at Colorado College next Friday will be huge for both teams.
St. Thomas 6 - Dallas 1
This result was not surprising given the talent differential. What was noteworthy was that Tay Aleman was once again not playing. Neither was Diego Garcia (the player who should have gotten the red card in the bad challenge on the TLU player, but it was instead mistakenly given to one of his teammates until corrected after the game). I don't know why Aleman was out. He only received a yellow in the TLU game and it's not like St. Thomas sat all of the players who received yellows in that game. Maybe he was disciplined by the school for something that occurred afterward or maybe he quit when the coach was removed. Garcia has missed the last two games, possibly because he was given an automatic two game suspension for his red card tackle, but I wonder if he got something far longer for that tackle. Both players are still listed on the roster, but so are the coaches (who I suppose could have been suspended rather than removed entirely). I guess we'll have to wait until next Friday's game against Centenary (LA) to find out the status of everyone.
The suspension from the NCAA for the tackle was 1 game.Anything additional came from the achool or conference.
One thing Trinity and Southwestern will *not* miss when they leave the SCAC for the SAA in a couple of years are those trips to Colorado Springs. The altitude is a *huge* advantage for their teams - Trinity just had a dual swim meet with them and I can't imagine how hard it is to gasp for air when you're not accustomed to breathing at 7000'.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 15, 2023, 09:32:31 PM
One thing Trinity and Southwestern will *not* miss when they leave the SCAC for the SAA in a couple of years are those trips to Colorado Springs. The altitude is a *huge* advantage for their teams - Trinity just had a dual swim meet with them and I can't imagine how hard it is to gasp for air when you're not accustomed to breathing at 7000'.
6,033 and you make more out of this than it actually is.
Quote from: SKUD on October 15, 2023, 10:04:41 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 15, 2023, 09:32:31 PM
One thing Trinity and Southwestern will *not* miss when they leave the SCAC for the SAA in a couple of years are those trips to Colorado Springs. The altitude is a *huge* advantage for their teams - Trinity just had a dual swim meet with them and I can't imagine how hard it is to gasp for air when you're not accustomed to breathing at 7000'.
6,033 and you make more out of this than it actually is.
Can you elaborate on your view on this? And why so aggressive over the past week or so?
A few games of note in the Northwest Conference
Pacific Lutheran 3 - Whitman 1
After losing to Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth earlier this year, Whitman has been flirting with the upper tier of the NWC for awhile, going unbeaten for the six games prior to today, including a 2-2 tie at Willamette. This game was closer than the 6-0 loss it suffered to PLU back in Tacoma, but home field still didn't equal a victory. Pacific Lutheran is now 9-1-4 and 8-0-2 in the NWC and has created some separation from its closest NWC rivals, having beaten the Whits twice and Willamette once.
Puget Sound 1 - Whitworth 1
Not a good weekend for Whitworth after a loss to PLU and a tie to Puget Sound. Whitworth is now 6 points behind PLU in the NWC, which doesn't have a conference tourney.
One Whitworth player who deserves recognition, however, is Chula Vista, CA native Cole Friesen. He scored Whitworth's lone goal today, which was actually a down day for him. It broke his string of six straight multiple goal games in a row. He now has an impressive 19 goals and 3 assists in 14 games this season. He still is behind Amir Luckovic of Montclair State, who has 23 goals after a brace against The College of New Jersey and a PK against Amherst this weekend, but Friesen jumps ahead of Enrique Gonzalez of Aurora and Ermin Mackic of Purchase, for second place in the DIII men's soccer golden boot race (as does Oscar Horowitz of F&M, who is just behind Friesen in third with 18 goals after his 4 goal game ("quadruple?") against Johns Hopkins yesterday).
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 15, 2023, 10:30:18 PM
Quote from: SKUD on October 15, 2023, 10:04:41 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 15, 2023, 09:32:31 PM
One thing Trinity and Southwestern will *not* miss when they leave the SCAC for the SAA in a couple of years are those trips to Colorado Springs. The altitude is a *huge* advantage for their teams - Trinity just had a dual swim meet with them and I can't imagine how hard it is to gasp for air when you're not accustomed to breathing at 7000'.
6,033 and you make more out of this than it actually is.
Can you elaborate on your view on this? And why so aggressive over the past week or so?
1.There will always be some who have issues at altitude There are things coaches and trainers can do to reduce the risk of AMS and fatigue that a Coaching staff must do. At 6k vs 7k or higher the symptoms and risks are not as great.
2. Personal experience of living and visiting there often and working out when I am there as I come from sea level
As far as aggressive-I went back and looked at my last 15 posts; Maybe 6-8 compliments, a few jokes, and some predictions. Yes I have seen MSU and Amherst play many times and think my choice of words was appropriate. Yes I made fun of your sleeper and would own it if you were correct. In addition I do think I asked for peace and a new thread if people wanted to aggressively chirp and be mean to YOU. So was question about aggression a compliment? If not let's take it private. Thanks
I will preface this with I have a son on another SCAC team. But that said it is shameful how the SCAC has(n't) handled the TLU-UST debacle. It is hard for me to fathom that the mandatory minimum is the ok punishment. That will serve as ZERO deterrent or point of accountability.
Interestingly UST players displayed posters with messages about needing their coaches back and that they support their coaches. (I understand the sentiment from college aged kids) but again not a good look particularly by the administration of UST. And the fact UST itself hasn't said anything publicly is just another black eye.
Pollyanna-ish I know, but we should expect more from D3 soccer and its conferences/schools
The altitude thing isn't some uniform, one size fits all type of a deal. I've spent a fair amount of time in CO the last 5 years or so and I can say you ABSOLUTELY are going to feel it when you get to 8k and up... some folks rather dramatically when you get to 10k. (Technically, altitude sickness is possible with some folks at 6500 feet. But that's not really the same as shortness of breath.)
It'll really get the uninitiated when you go from, say, 6k up a to place like Pike's Peak (14k) in a car. Or the drive through Rocky Mountain NP... You go from Estes entrance (7k) up to the peaks at 14k. That'll get just about anybody slightly woozy.
We've talked about the altitude advantage for Colorado College last year. It's also a long travel day for opponents and weather, turbulence, and delays can be a factor in the Rockies too. Maybe the beautiful mountain views from the field are distracting. Whatever it is (and it's probably a combination of things), Colorado College's home record over the last decade or so has been very good. And they often play strong teams at home, including strong non-conference teams. This year, four of their five home wins have come against teams with winning records -- Christopher Newport, UC Santa Cruz, Southwestern, Texas Lutheran -- and three of the four have been regionally ranked. Only home loss was to Pacific Lutheran, which is 9-1-4 and regionally ranked too.
2023: 5-1 (so far)
2022: 4-0-1
2021: 6-1-1
2019: 9-0
2018: 7-2-1
2017: 4-1-2
2016: 8-1
2015: 9-1-1
2014: 10-2
2013: 6-2-2
2012: 9-0-1
And a time zone change for most of those teams too. Good stuff as always Kuiper
Games of interest to me in Region X Wed-Thurs:
Wednesday, 10/18
Cal Tech @ Chapman
Cal Tech is currently tied for 5th in the SCIAC with Chapman. The two teams played a week ago at Cal Tech and they tied 2-2. Both need a win here to try to position themselves to sneak into the SCIAC conference tournament (which would be the first time ever for Cal Tech).
Occidental @ Cal Lutheran
Both teams are on two game winless streaks (Oxy has had two losses in a row and Cal Lu two ties in a row). They are both currently in playoff position at #2 and #4, respectively, but Cal Lu could drop out if one of Cal Tech or Chapman wins their game and Cal Lu loses and Oxy could drop from #2 to #3 if Claremont-Mudd-Scripps beats Whittier, but could jump ahead of Redlands if it wins and Redlands loses.
CMS @ Whittier
As I said above, a CMS victory and an Oxy loss would allow CMS to vault up to #2 in the SCIAC. Whittier is in last and has lost 4 in a row, so they may be obliging.
La Verne @ Redlands
Redlands is on a 4 game winning streak and in first place in the SCIAC. It needs to win to stay ahead of Oxy. Redlands beat La Verne a week ago, but it was a 2-1 win and La Verne has proven a tougher out than expected.
Whitworth @ Whitman
The Battle of the Whits is always a big game regardless of whether it has Northwest Conference implications. This year, however, it does have those implications. If either team wants to have any chance of catching Pacific Lutheran, they have to win this game (and hope PLU stumbles).
Thursday 10/19
Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Hardin-Simmons
#1 v. #2 in the American Southwest Conference. Both are unbeaten, although Hardin-Simmons has one tie and is 5 points back of MHB. Both are coming in off of winning streaks (2 for MHB and 3 for H-S). Both teams have games remaining against Concordia TX, which is the third place team in the ASC right now. If MHB can win in Abilene, they take control of the ASC. If they lose, they open the door not only to H-S, but to Concordia and even UT Dallas.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 16, 2023, 08:17:39 PM
Games of interest to me in Region X Wed-Thurs:
Wednesday, 10/18
Cal Tech @ Chapman
Cal Tech is currently tied for 5th in the SCIAC with Chapman. The two teams played a week ago at Cal Tech and they tied 2-2. Both need a win here to try to position themselves to sneak into the SCIAC conference tournament (which would be the first time ever for Cal Tech).
Occidental @ Cal Lutheran
Both teams are on two game winless streaks (Oxy has had two losses in a row and Cal Lu two ties in a row). They are both currently in playoff position at #2 and #4, respectively, but Cal Lu could drop out if one of Cal Tech or Chapman wins their game and Cal Lu loses and Oxy could drop from #2 to #3 if Claremont-Mudd-Scripps beats Whittier, but could jump ahead of Redlands if it wins and Redlands loses.
CMS @ Whittier
As I said above, a CMS victory and an Oxy loss would allow CMS to vault up to #2 in the SCIAC. Whittier is in last and has lost 4 in a row, so they may be obliging.
La Verne @ Redlands
Redlands is on a 4 game winning streak and in first place in the SCIAC. It needs to win to stay ahead of Oxy. Redlands beat La Verne a week ago, but it was a 2-1 win and La Verne has proven a tougher out than expected.
Whitworth @ Whitman
The Battle of the Whits is always a big game regardless of whether it has Northwest Conference implications. This year, however, it does have those implications. If either team wants to have any chance of catching Pacific Lutheran, they have to win this game (and hope PLU stumbles).
Thursday 10/19
Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Hardin-Simmons
#1 v. #2 in the American Southwest Conference. Both are unbeaten, although Hardin-Simmons has one tie and is 5 points back of MHB. Both are coming in off of winning streaks (2 for MHB and 3 for H-S). Both teams have games remaining against Concordia TX, which is the third place team in the ASC right now. If MHB can win in Abilene, they take control of the ASC. If they lose, they open the door not only to H-S, but to Concordia and even UT Dallas.
UMHB @ HSU features a reunion of longtime UMHB head coach Brad Bankhead, who went into administration at UMHB then left to coach again at his alma mater. His longtime assistant, Ben Allen, now in his second season as the head coach at UMHB. First season back at the helm in Abilene, for Bankhead. Always a lot riding on this matchup and a big rivalry given the Hardin name and both having Baptist roots, but this year's contest will be extra special.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 17, 2023, 12:57:49 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 16, 2023, 08:17:39 PM
Games of interest to me in Region X Wed-Thurs:
Wednesday, 10/18
Cal Tech @ Chapman
Cal Tech is currently tied for 5th in the SCIAC with Chapman. The two teams played a week ago at Cal Tech and they tied 2-2. Both need a win here to try to position themselves to sneak into the SCIAC conference tournament (which would be the first time ever for Cal Tech).
Occidental @ Cal Lutheran
Both teams are on two game winless streaks (Oxy has had two losses in a row and Cal Lu two ties in a row). They are both currently in playoff position at #2 and #4, respectively, but Cal Lu could drop out if one of Cal Tech or Chapman wins their game and Cal Lu loses and Oxy could drop from #2 to #3 if Claremont-Mudd-Scripps beats Whittier, but could jump ahead of Redlands if it wins and Redlands loses.
CMS @ Whittier
As I said above, a CMS victory and an Oxy loss would allow CMS to vault up to #2 in the SCIAC. Whittier is in last and has lost 4 in a row, so they may be obliging.
La Verne @ Redlands
Redlands is on a 4 game winning streak and in first place in the SCIAC. It needs to win to stay ahead of Oxy. Redlands beat La Verne a week ago, but it was a 2-1 win and La Verne has proven a tougher out than expected.
Whitworth @ Whitman
The Battle of the Whits is always a big game regardless of whether it has Northwest Conference implications. This year, however, it does have those implications. If either team wants to have any chance of catching Pacific Lutheran, they have to win this game (and hope PLU stumbles).
Thursday 10/19
Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Hardin-Simmons
#1 v. #2 in the American Southwest Conference. Both are unbeaten, although Hardin-Simmons has one tie and is 5 points back of MHB. Both are coming in off of winning streaks (2 for MHB and 3 for H-S). Both teams have games remaining against Concordia TX, which is the third place team in the ASC right now. If MHB can win in Abilene, they take control of the ASC. If they lose, they open the door not only to H-S, but to Concordia and even UT Dallas.
UMHB @ HSU features a reunion of longtime UMHB head coach Brad Bankhead, who went into administration at UMHB then left to coach again at his alma mater. His longtime assistant, Ben Allen, now in his second season as the head coach at UMHB. First season back at the helm in Abilene, for Bankhead. Always a lot riding on this matchup and a big rivalry given the Hardin name and both having Baptist roots, but this year's contest will be extra special.
Very true! I forgot to mention that connection with Bankhead. That only adds to the "Hardin" rivalry.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 10, 2023, 04:29:43 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 03, 2023, 01:32:39 PM
USC Regional Rankings for Region X
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 4 - October 3, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Texas Lutheran University 3 11-0-0
2 Colorado College 8 7-2-1
3 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 1 7-1-1
4 Trinity University (Texas) 2 6-1-2
5 Occidental College 4 8-1-1
6 University of Redlands 5 7-1-1
7 Pacific Lutheran University 6 5-1-4
8 California Lutheran University NR 4-1-4
Colorado College jumps all the way from 8 to 2 after beating St. Thomas. Occidental drops one spot from 4 to 5 after the tie to Cal Lutheran, which enters the rankings at 8. Pacific Lutheran drops from 6 to 7 after tying Pacific. Redlands drops from 5 to 6 after tying Pomona-Pitzer. Southwestern drops out completely after losing big to Trinity.
I think we're at the point where the top of Region X has separated itself from the rest of the pack. Normally some of these results would drop teams more than they did, but there just aren't a lot of other options and only Colorado College has more than 1 loss currently. CMS is 4-2-2 and could get back into it, but they have tied or lost to four teams in the regional rankings and also to Chapman, which isn't on this list. Chapman's tie to La Verne and loss to UC Santa Cruz rules them out. Willamette's loss to Whitworth rules it out. Whitworth, at 6-3-1, has a better chance of making an appearance on the rankings next, but its losses to Cal Lu, UC Santa Cruz, and Pacific Lutheran, and tie to Puget Sound, are keeping them out right now. No one in the ASC appears to deserve it.
Region X - Poll 5 - October 10, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Texas Lutheran University 1 12-1-0
2 Colorado College 2 7-2-1
3 Trinity University (Texas) 4 8-1-2
4 Pacific Lutheran University 7 7-1-4
5 Southwestern University NR 6-1-3
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 3 8-2-1
7 University of Redlands 6 9-1-1
8 Occidental College 5 8-2-2
St. Thomas drops after losing to Southwestern, as does Occidental, which lost to UC Santa Cruz and tied Chapman. Texas Lutheran remains up top despite losing to St. Thomas, which is a bit unusual, but it's hard to argue that anyone else really grabbed the spot since last week. Southwestern moves back in after beating St. Thomas. Colorado College has a huge chance to take the top spot after this weekend when they host Southwestern on Friday and Texas Lutheran (without at least their starting GK for his misadventures in head butting against St. Thomas) on Sunday.
Region X - Poll 6 - October 17, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University 4 9-1-4
2 Colorado College 2 9-2-1
3 Texas Lutheran University 1 12-2-0
4 Trinity University (Texas) 3 9-1-2
5 Southwestern University 5 7-2-3
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 9-2-1
7 University of Redlands 7 10-1-1
8 Occidental College 8 8-3-2
Pacific Lutheran jumps from 4th to 1st. I understand Texas Lutheran dropping past Colorado College after losing to them in Colorado Springs (and losing to St. Thomas before that), but kind of harsh that Pacific Lutheran jumps all the way to 1st over Trinity. The issue is that Trinity beat a weak conference opponent (Schreiner), while the Lutes beat Whitworth and Whitman away over the weekend. Everything else stays the same and no new entries on the list. I think Colorado College had a pretty successful weekend too with victories over Southwestern and Texas Lutheran, but Pacific Lutheran beat Colorado College earlier in the season and has 1 fewer loss.
St. Thomas men's soccer site has finally updated their coaches (https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/coaches/index) and Ian Clerihew is no longer shown, nor is former (apparent) first assistant Daniel Fragachan Quintero. None of the remaining coaches have so far had changes made to their titles, but Alex Baez is the first listed. No other mention of the change can be found.
Clerihew's LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-clerihew-0211b512) no longer lists his position at St. Thomas.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 18, 2023, 10:47:10 AM
St. Thomas men's soccer site has finally updated their coaches (https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/coaches/index) and Ian Clerihew is no longer shown, nor is former (apparent) first assistant Daniel Fragachan Quintero. None of the remaining coaches have so far had changes made to their titles, but Alex Baez is the first listed. No other mention of the change can be found.
Clerihew's LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-clerihew-0211b512) no longer lists his position at St. Thomas.
Saw that as well. Has anyone heard how the Texas Lutheran players is recovering?
Quote from: Coach Jeff on October 18, 2023, 02:14:09 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 18, 2023, 10:47:10 AM
St. Thomas men's soccer site has finally updated their coaches (https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/coaches/index) and Ian Clerihew is no longer shown, nor is former (apparent) first assistant Daniel Fragachan Quintero. None of the remaining coaches have so far had changes made to their titles, but Alex Baez is the first listed. No other mention of the change can be found.
Clerihew's LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-clerihew-0211b512) no longer lists his position at St. Thomas.
Saw that as well. Has anyone heard how the Texas Lutheran players is recovering?
No other public mention of himother than TLU Soccer's Instagram page posting a photo of him in the hospital on October 10th, two days after the game. Assuming it was post surgery.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 18, 2023, 10:47:10 AM
St. Thomas men's soccer site has finally updated their coaches (https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/coaches/index) and Ian Clerihew is no longer shown, nor is former (apparent) first assistant Daniel Fragachan Quintero. None of the remaining coaches have so far had changes made to their titles, but Alex Baez is the first listed. No other mention of the change can be found.
Clerihew's LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-clerihew-0211b512) no longer lists his position at St. Thomas.
Still very interesting to see how this will shake out... UST's senior day is this Friday when they host Centenary. We're all aware that #7 Taty Aleman has yet to appear since then, but another senior who didn't even play against TLU was #24 Matthew Turner(one of their captains, I believe), who was out with what I think was a two-game suspension for his second red of the season. Will be curious to see who all gets recognized on Friday. In addition, all three players sent off against TLU have also not made another appearance since, if that's news to anyone.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 18, 2023, 02:39:52 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 18, 2023, 10:47:10 AM
St. Thomas men's soccer site has finally updated their coaches (https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/coaches/index) and Ian Clerihew is no longer shown, nor is former (apparent) first assistant Daniel Fragachan Quintero. None of the remaining coaches have so far had changes made to their titles, but Alex Baez is the first listed. No other mention of the change can be found.
Clerihew's LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-clerihew-0211b512) no longer lists his position at St. Thomas.
Still very interesting to see how this will shake out... UST's senior day is this Friday when they host Centenary. We're all aware that #7 Taty Aleman has yet to appear since then, but another senior who didn't even play against TLU was #24 Matthew Turner(one of their captains, I believe), who was out with what I think was a two-game suspension for his second red of the season. Will be curious to see who all gets recognized on Friday. In addition, all three players sent off against TLU have also not made another appearance since, if that's news to anyone.
I wouldn't be shocked if the red card recipients each got at least an additional one game suspension from the school, which would account for them missing the Austin and Dallas games this past weekend. They might even have given them an additional two game suspension, which would leave them out of the upcoming Centenary game (not as consequential since none of them are seniors). Not that I'm cynical, but that would allow them to come back for the Trinity game a week from Friday, which would be the first game where they might be needed and where it would have implications for league standings and conference tournament placement.
Note that the three TLU players with red cards were all out for the Colorado College game this past weekend. If the additional game was from SCAC and applied to both teams (or both schools agreed each on some punishment together), then they would be out the Austin and maybe the Dallas games too if a second additional game suspension had been imposed. At the very least, that would have them back for the Southwestern game, which is the first game where they might be needed and where it would have league/tournament implications.
Here are the first official NCAA Regional Rankings for Region X (in alphabetical order and without accounting yet for the games against regionally ranked teams factor)
REGION X REGION - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 18, 2023
D3 Overall
Colorado College 9-2-1 9-2-1
Mary Hardin-Baylor 7-3-1 7-3-2
Pacific Lutheran 9-1-4 9-1-4
Redlands 7-1-1 10-1-1
St. Thomas (Texas) 9-2-0 10-2-1
Texas Lutheran 12-2-0 12-2-0
Trinity (Texas) 9-1-1 9-1-2
Colorado College will be helped when they add in the RvR factor next time, since they have beaten Ohio Northern, Christopher Newport, St. Thomas, and Texas Lutheran. They also played Pacific Lutheran and that was one of their two losses. Redlands will be hurt because no other SCIAC team is regionally ranked and this was a year Redlands did not play D3 teams out of region and only one D3 non-conference team (UC Santa Cruz). Pacific Lutheran is also a little hurt because the NWC is having a down year, but it did beat Colorado College and its one loss was a "good" loss to regionally ranked Emory.
Four games in the SCIAC tonight:
Chapman 1 - Cal Tech 0
Hard luck for Cal Tech, which was hanging on for a tie before Chapman scored a beautiful goal from the top of the right side box to the far upper corner in the 86th minute to win the game. The two teams had tied 2-2 a week ago and Cal Tech came out with a game plan on a hot afternoon to sit back and counter attack in the first half. They may have been saving energy for the second half because CIT came out putting more pressure on Chapman. It seemed to work as they scored a fantastic volley goal from the side of the box, but it was ruled offside. Eventually, though, Cal Tech wore down. They only used 1 sub for most of the game until finally one of their defenders went down with cramps in both legs and had to be taken off. Chapman was much fresher and although they were wasteful with their chances most of the night, the goal they scored was a banger. Big win for Chapman as it stays in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot in the SCIAC.
Redlands 0 - La Verne 0
Really disappointing tie for Redlands at home. La Verne has been doing that to a lot of the upper half SCIAC teams, tying Cal Lu, CMS, and Chapman as well. If you looked at the stats alone, with Redlands outshooting La Verne 29-7, you would think this was a case of Redlands dominating, La Verne bunkering, and maybe blocking a lot of shots. In reality, Redlands was taking some really bad shots (both in terms of where they were taking them and their technique), which is often the result of impatience and lack of vision or failure to talk. La Verne had a stretch in the second half where they had the far better chances and probably should have been up 2-0 if they had better shooters in front of goal. This result doesn't change much for Redlands in terms of the SCIAC, but with their last three games against Chapman, Occidental, and Cal Lutheran, they could easily drop from first place if they aren't careful.
Occidental 0 - Cal Lutheran 0
Unlike in the Redlands game, this was a case where neither team's offense even got close enough to threaten the other team's goal. They both took only 5 shots, with Occidental only taking one shot on goal. So much for having a potent offense. Cal Lu is at risk of dropping below the playoff line as they are now tied with Chapman on conference points although they have a game in hand.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3 - Whittier 0
CMS had the easiest opponent and, not surprisingly, the most dominating performance of the evening. CMS is now tied for 2d with Occidental, although Oxy has a game in hand. On paper, CMS has an easier schedule with Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Tech left, but a Sixth Street Rivalry game is never easy and Cal Tech has proven it can make things difficult for teams. Oxy has Whittier, Redlands and La Verne.
One game in the Northwest Conference tonight
Whitman 0 - Whitworth 0
Despite dialing up the pressure (and the shots) in the second half, it is more lost points for Whitworth, which is rapidly losing time to catch Pacific Lutheran.
One game of note in the ASC tonight:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 - Hardin-Simmons 2
The Battle of the Hardin Family Beneficiaries. It looked like MHB would cruise to victory in this one after scoring in the 3rd minute, but H-S played them tough, coming back to equalize early in the second half and then getting a goal back in the 81st minute to bring it to 3-2 after MHB had scored two in the second half to make it 3-1.
As seems to happen too frequently in Texas these days, however, this game went off the rails, with H-S getting two red cards (one a second yellow) and MHB getting one red card, all in a 10 minute stretch from the 78th minute to the 88th minute of the second half (in addition to the six other yellow cards handed out in the second half). MHB stays atop the ASC at 6-0, but Concordia keeps pace, going to 5-1 after it beats McMurray 2-0. Hardin- Simmons suffers its first ASC loss and is 3-1-1, while UTD beats East Texas Baptist and is 3-2 in conference.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 19, 2023, 11:48:10 PM
One game of note in the ASC tonight:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 - Hardin-Simmons 2
The Battle of the Hardin Family Beneficiaries. It looked like MHB would cruise to victory in this one after scoring in the 3rd minute, but H-S played them tough, coming back to equalize early in the second half and then getting a goal back in the 81st minute to bring it to 3-2 after MHB had scored two in the second half to make it 3-1.
As seems to happen too frequently in Texas these days, however, this game went off the rails, with H-S getting two red cards (one a second yellow) and MHB getting one red card, all in a 10 minute stretch from the 78th minute to the 88th minute of the second half (in addition to the six other yellow cards handed out in the second half). MHB stays atop the ASC at 6-0, but Concordia keeps pace, going to 5-1 after it beats McMurray 2-0. Hardin- Simmons suffers its first ASC loss and is 3-1-1, while UTD beats East Texas Baptist and is 3-2 in conference.
[/quote
Was at the HSU-UMHB game. The box score makes it look slightly worse than it was. #23 for HSU got two yellows, both for dissent. The other two reds, were incredibly soft, especially the red to #8 for HSU. It was an extremely physical match, but nowhere near violent. Unfortunately, the officiating crew(who left the scene before anyone could shake their hands) lost control in this one and the center was card happy. Dampened the mood of what really was a great game.
P.S. #23 JJ Sissen is HSU's long throw specialist who found #15 Fiol all night. Made it really tough for UMHB and changed the game when he exited. He will be missed on Saturday vs. Concordia.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 01:12:38 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 19, 2023, 11:48:10 PM
One game of note in the ASC tonight:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 - Hardin-Simmons 2
The Battle of the Hardin Family Beneficiaries. It looked like MHB would cruise to victory in this one after scoring in the 3rd minute, but H-S played them tough, coming back to equalize early in the second half and then getting a goal back in the 81st minute to bring it to 3-2 after MHB had scored two in the second half to make it 3-1.
As seems to happen too frequently in Texas these days, however, this game went off the rails, with H-S getting two red cards (one a second yellow) and MHB getting one red card, all in a 10 minute stretch from the 78th minute to the 88th minute of the second half (in addition to the six other yellow cards handed out in the second half). MHB stays atop the ASC at 6-0, but Concordia keeps pace, going to 5-1 after it beats McMurray 2-0. Hardin- Simmons suffers its first ASC loss and is 3-1-1, while UTD beats East Texas Baptist and is 3-2 in conference.
Was at the HSU-UMHB game. The box score makes it look slightly worse than it was. #23 for HSU got two yellows, both for dissent. The other two reds, were incredibly soft, especially the red to #8 for HSU. It was an extremely physical match, but nowhere near violent. Unfortunately, the officiating crew(who left the scene before anyone could shake their hands) lost control in this one and the center was card happy. Dampened the mood of what really was a great game.
P.S. #23 JJ Sissen is HSU's long throw specialist who found #15 Fiol all night. Made it really tough for UMHB and changed the game when he exited. He will be missed on Saturday vs. Concordia.
Thanks for adding the color. I had a feeling you would have more insight on the game. I sort of wondered whether the St. Thomas-TLU game is influencing the ref crews in the region because this isn't the first game since then where the refs have been card happy trying to get control of a physical game.
Colorado College lead Trinity 1-0 midway through the first half on an absolute screamer from Alex Meyerhoff.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 06:25:00 PM
Colorado College lead Trinity 1-0 midway through the first half on an absolute screamer from Alex Meyerhoff.
I haven't been able to watch, but LiveStats shows Colorado College is up 2-0 in the 62nd minute after a Trinity own goal near the end of the first half. Trinity has a big hill to climb in this one.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 20, 2023, 07:32:59 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 06:25:00 PM
Colorado College lead Trinity 1-0 midway through the first half on an absolute screamer from Alex Meyerhoff.
I haven't been able to watch, but LiveStats shows Colorado College is up 2-0 in the 62nd minute after a Trinity own goal near the end of the first half. Trinity has a big hill to climb in this one.
And 3-0. CC on their to handing Trinity their second conference loss and taking full control of the SCAC.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 07:45:40 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 20, 2023, 07:32:59 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 06:25:00 PM
Colorado College lead Trinity 1-0 midway through the first half on an absolute screamer from Alex Meyerhoff.
I haven't been able to watch, but LiveStats shows Colorado College is up 2-0 in the 62nd minute after a Trinity own goal near the end of the first half. Trinity has a big hill to climb in this one.
And 3-0. CC on their to handing Trinity their second conference loss and taking full control of the SCAC.
Not quite done with Trinity pulling one goal back. It's now 3-1 in the 79th, but I agree that Colorado College is making a statement here.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 20, 2023, 07:52:04 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 07:45:40 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 20, 2023, 07:32:59 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 06:25:00 PM
Colorado College lead Trinity 1-0 midway through the first half on an absolute screamer from Alex Meyerhoff.
I haven't been able to watch, but LiveStats shows Colorado College is up 2-0 in the 62nd minute after a Trinity own goal near the end of the first half. Trinity has a big hill to climb in this one.
And 3-0. CC on their to handing Trinity their second conference loss and taking full control of the SCAC.
Not quite done with Trinity pulling one goal back. It's now 3-1 in the 79th, but I agree that Colorado College is making a statement here.
Squeaky bum time for CC. Trinity scores in the 85th and it's 3-2
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Texas Lutheran 4 - Austin 2
The result isn't surprising, but the lineup did provide some information about player suspensions. Both Noah Harris and Louis Hart, who got red cards in the St. Thomas game and missed the Colorado College game that followed, were back for this game. The starting GK, Noel Pena, who got a red card for head butting a St. Thomas player, was still out. At least freshman Aiden Page, who melted down on the D3 Men's soccer equivalent of national TV when he came on late against St. Thomas, and then had to play at Colorado College, got the first win of his college career in this game. And, if anyone is keeping count, there were 9 yellows in the game, 7 against Austin, including one double yellow against an Austin player. Austin also was called for 20 fouls compared to 10 for Austin. TLU goes to 13-2 overall and 4-2 in conference. They have 1 more tough-ish game left against Southwestern and another relative gimme against University of Dallas. Wonder if it will be enough for a Pool C bid if they don't win, or advance far, in the SCAC tournament.
Taty Aleman is back and has a hat-trick... Matthew Turner also returns to the lineup in what appears to be a senior heavy XI, without checking.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 10:32:00 PM
Taty Aleman is back and has a hat-trick... Matthew Turner also returns to the lineup in what appears to be a senior heavy XI, without checking.
Make that a 5 goal outing as UST leads 7-1 with under 15' to play.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 10:41:03 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 10:32:00 PM
Taty Aleman is back and has a hat-trick... Matthew Turner also returns to the lineup in what appears to be a senior heavy XI, without checking.
Make that a 5 goal outing as UST leads 7-1 with under 15' to play.
A rested Aleman with something to prove against an undermanned opponent is a dangerous combination! 5 goals on 7 shots on goal!
Note that Diego Garcia, whose foul sent the TLU player to the hospital, appears to still be out
Quote from: Kuiper on October 20, 2023, 10:52:47 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 10:41:03 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 20, 2023, 10:32:00 PM
Taty Aleman is back and has a hat-trick... Matthew Turner also returns to the lineup in what appears to be a senior heavy XI, without checking.
Make that a 5 goal outing as UST leads 7-1 with under 15' to play.
A rested Aleman with something to prove against an undermanned opponent is a dangerous combination! 5 goals on 7 shots on goal!
Note that Diego Garcia, whose foul sent the TLU player to the hospital, appears to still be out
St. Thomas 8 - Centenary 1
A senior night beatdown
Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 20, 2023, 08:22:30 PM
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Thanks for the notes! Would have loved to have been there in beautiful Colorado. Tough loss for TU.
Afternoon results of note in Region X:
Pomona-Pitzer 5 - Cal Tech 2
Cal Tech loses again in its bid for another win and Pomona-Pitzer gets revenge for a loss to Cal Tech earlier in the season, blowing up a close 1-1 game at halftime to score 4 goals in the second half and cruise to victory. This is another game where Cal Tech simply has run out of steam, literally and figuratively. They played 1 sub the whole game (a second sub got one minute). They kept it tight as long as they could, but it's tough to compete on a warm afternoon when 8 of the 11 players are getting 90 minutes, three are getting 75 minutes, and P-P is only playing 3 full 90s and using 8 subs, 7 of whom played double digit minutes.
Pacific Lutheran 7 - George Fox 0
Not a surprising result, but combined with the Willamette game described below, the Lutes have opened up an 8 point lead over Whitworth (which has lost twice to Pacific Lutheran) in the conference and a 10 point lead on Willamette (which plays Pacific Lutheran in the last game of the season). Unless something goes very wrong for PLU, I don't see how anyone can catch them for the automatic bid in the NWC, which doesn't have a conference tournament.
Puget Sound 3 - Willamette 1
Wilamette is all but done and dusted. Only a late goal in the 88th minute saves them the embarrassment of a shutout in this game against 6-3-4 Puget Sound, which is only 3 points behind Willamette for third in the conference. It's not impossible to catch Pacific Lutheran, but they basically have to win the rest of their games, including away at the Whits and home to Pacific Lutheran, to do it.
Whitman 0 - Pacific 0
Same issue for Whitman as Willamette, except Whitman has an easier schedule the remainder of the conference season (although fewer games).
One other game worth noting, not for the result, but for the trend:
Linfield 5 - Lewis & Clark 1
Lewis & Clark is now 0-15. They were 0-7 last year. They are 0-22 since they re-started the team last year. I know this is a long-term project, but I'm not sure that having the Lewis & Clark women's coaches also coach the men's team is a recipe for success for a team starting from scratch. They do have a freshman from CA, Nadav Dickovski, who has potential and is their leading scorer with 3 goals, and a few other freshman who are decent (particularly Nathanial Pi-Sunyer, another California native), but this season is going to test the patience of everyone.
A few evening games of note in the SCIAC
Redlands 5 - Chapman 0
Redlands bounced back from a tie with Cal Lu in a convincing win as Chapman falls back after beating Cal Tech.
Occidental 2 - Whittier 1
Oxy's offense still isn't back to where it was earlier in the season, but they get the win
La Verne 3 - Cal Lutheran 2
This is a surprise, but La Verne has been trending upward lately
A few results of note in the ASC:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 2 - McMurry 0
The result was expected, but noteworthy because it means MHB clinches the ASC title with this win and the other results in conference. One extremely unusual stat, especially in light of other games in Texas lately, is that there were ZERO (non, nada, zilch) fouls called on either team according to the official box score, but the ref gave out three yellow cards in the game. Perhaps someone who watched the game can confirm (@BTXCru18?). Theoretically, you can get yellow cards for dissent or something like that without a foul being called, but I don't think I've seen a soccer game at any level above U10 or U12 go an entire game without a single foul being called and if there was a game that clean it would be highly unusual for 1 yellow card to be called, let alone three. Maybe @College Soccer Observer can comment on this. The box score looks suspicious in one other respect -- it lists attendance as 1 (as in one single solitary person). I know that McMurry has had a tough season (2-6-5 and 1-2-2 in the ASC), but there must be more than one mother who loves her son and lives close enough to Abilene to attend. Attendance of 1 is sufficiently implausible even on a Friday night to wonder if the scorer also missed a few fouls while only having eyes for that one special fan.
Concordia TX 0 - Hardin-Simmons 0
Unlike the MHB-McMurry match, this one had a decent number of fouls and a second yellow card for a Concordia player in the last minute of the game. Hardin-Simmons may have missed JJ Sisson, who was out because of a red card in the prior game.
With this result, Concordia concedes the regular season title to MHB because both teams only have one game to play (against each other) and MHB holds a 5 point lead. Concordia isn't locked into 2d seed, though, because Hardin-Simmons is five points behind Concordia in third and has two games remaining, while Concordia only has one. Hardin-Simmons is only one point ahead of UT Dallas, so it also isn't locked into third, which also has two games remaining as well as teams jockey for conference tourney seeding.
UT Dallas 1 - LeTourneau 1
Disappointing result for UTD, which at one point (after its win over Colorado College) looked like it might actually contend for the ASC title. Unlike the MHB-McMurry game, this one had plenty of fouls and one red card to a LeTourneau player in the 78th minute. UTD scored 20 seconds after the red card to tie the game.
6 teams from the ASC make the conference tournament, so most of these games are about seeding. The top four teams of MHB, Concordia, H-S and UTD are in, but a bunch of other teams are fighting at the bottom for the last two spots. Ozarks beat East Texas Baptist 2-0 to claim the fifth spot for now and McMurry clings to the sixth spot after Howard Payne (in 7th) tied Sul Ross State.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 22, 2023, 12:06:51 PM
A few results of note in the ASC:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 2 - McMurry 0
The result was expected, but noteworthy because it means MHB clinches the ASC title with this win and the other results in conference. One extremely unusual stat, especially in light of other games in Texas lately, is that there were ZERO (non, nada, zilch) fouls called on either team according to the official box score, but the ref gave out three yellow cards in the game. Perhaps someone who watched the game can confirm (@BTXCru18?). Theoretically, you can get yellow cards for dissent or something like that without a foul being called, but I don't think I've seen a soccer game at any level above U10 or U12 go an entire game without a single foul being called and if there was a game that clean it would be highly unusual for 1 yellow card to be called, let alone three. Maybe @College Soccer Observer can comment on this. The box score looks suspicious in one other respect -- it lists attendance as 1 (as in one single solitary person). I know that McMurry has had a tough season (2-6-5 and 1-2-2 in the ASC), but there must be more than one mother who loves her son and lives close enough to Abilene to attend. Attendance of 1 is sufficiently implausible even on a Friday night to wonder if the scorer also missed a few fouls while only having eyes for that one special fan.
Concordia TX 0 - Hardin-Simmons 0
Unlike the MHB-McMurry match, this one had a decent number of fouls and a second yellow card for a Concordia player in the last minute of the game. Hardin-Simmons may have missed JJ Sisson, who was out because of a red card in the prior game.
With this result, Concordia concedes the regular season title to MHB because both teams only have one game to play (against each other) and MHB holds a 5 point lead. Concordia isn't locked into 2d seed, though, because Hardin-Simmons is five points behind Concordia in third and has two games remaining, while Concordia only has one. Hardin-Simmons is only one point ahead of UT Dallas, so it also isn't locked into third, which also has two games remaining as well as teams jockey for conference tourney seeding.
UT Dallas 1 - LeTourneau 1
Disappointing result for UTD, which at one point (after its win over Colorado College) looked like it might actually contend for the ASC title. Unlike the MHB-McMurry game, this one had plenty of fouls and one red card to a LeTourneau player in the 78th minute. UTD scored 20 seconds after the red card to tie the game.
6 teams from the ASC make the conference tournament, so most of these games are about seeding. The top four teams of MHB, Concordia, H-S and UTD are in, but a bunch of other teams are fighting at the bottom for the last two spots. Ozarks beat East Texas Baptist 2-0 to claim the fifth spot for now and McMurry clings to the sixth spot after Howard Payne (in 7th) tied Sul Ross State.
Interesting observation in the McM-UMHB box score... I was at this one as well and can confirm there were definitely fouls called(unsure on how many) and definitely more than 1 fan in attendance. Something I know for certain from my SID intern days is that you're supposed to count all officials, staff and players in attendance as well. I'd imagine there were close to 150 total in the stadium. Not to bash McMurry as they maybe can't help this, but they've historically been underfunded and understaffed. A lot of times there is no stream or livestats available for their home games, so the incorrect box score is likely a result of this.
A few results of note from the NWC:
Pacific Lutheran 2 - Linfield 0
PLU avenges an early season 0-0 tie to Linfield for its sixth win in a row and is now 11-1-4 overall and 10-0-2 in the NWC. It hasn't clinched yet because it has 4 regular season games left, as does second place Whitworth, which is 8 points behind the Lutes, but it's getting close.
Whitworth 1 - Pacific 0
Whitworth keeps pace with PLU, but it has to hope PLU stumbles badly if it is going to make up the necessary ground.
George Fox 2 - Willamette 1
Big win for George Fox, which lost to Willamette 6-0 first game this season. I had to check to see whether Willamette had officially given up this year and was preparing for next season by playing its youth, but that wasn't the case. That's two losses in a row and Willamette is at risk of not even finishing with a winning record in conference. It is currently 6-5-1 in the NWC with games remaining against Whitman, Whitworth, Pacific Lutheran and Pacific.
Puget Sound 3 - Lewis & Clark 1
The noteworthy part of this isn't that Puget Sound won or that Lewis & Clark lost - it's the 23rd game in a row over two seasons that L&C have lost and it is currently 0-16 in 2023. There are glimmers of improvement, though. For the first time ever in the L&C re-birth, Lewis & Clark held a lead in a game. Nadav Dicovski scored in the 8th minute to give Lewis & Clark a 1-0 lead (Dicovski has scored 4 of the 6 Lewis & Clark goals this year)! It was short-lived as Puget Sound tied it up in the 17th minute and scored two more in the 31st and 35th minutes. Nevertheless, for 9 minutes Lewis & Clark had a bona fide lead in a real game. Plus, for only the third team in 16 games this year, Lewis & Clark held an opponent to 3 goals or less. Progress!
A few results of note from the SCAC and ASC:
Colorado College 1 - Schreiner 0
Pretty underwhelming scoreline for CC on senior day, although they outshot Schreiner 28-3. They move to 11-2-1 overall and 6-0 in the SCAC. All of the other contenders for the SCAC have 2 losses in conference. Moreover, CC is the only one of the top five that doesn't have any games remaining against any other team from the top 5. If they take care of business, they should secure the #1 seed in the SCAC tournament and in the Regional Rankings going into the conference tournament.
Texas Lutheran 3 - Dallas 0
Jack Manke scores a brace and Noel Pena returns to goal for the first time since the St. Thomas game (suggesting he had received a two game violent conduct suspension). TLU is now tied with Southwestern for 2nd place and the two teams play each other in the last game before the conference tourney next Saturday night (although both Trinity and St. Thomas have a game in hand on TLU and Southwestern and could pass one or both of them).
Southwestern 2 - Austin 0
Southwestern keeps pace with TLU in the race for the second seed.
Pena's suspension was a mandatory 2 games from NCAA for Violent Behavior II (headbutting)
Quote from: Kuiper on October 23, 2023, 01:03:24 AM
A few results of note from the SCAC and ASC:
Colorado College 1 - Schreiner 0
Pretty underwhelming scoreline for CC on senior day, although they outshot Schreiner 28-3. They move to 11-2-1 overall and 6-0 in the SCAC. All of the other contenders for the SCAC have 2 losses in conference. Moreover, CC is the only one of the top five that doesn't have any games remaining against any other team from the top 5. If they take care of business, they should secure the #1 seed in the SCAC tournament and in the Regional Rankings going into the conference tournament.
Texas Lutheran 3 - Dallas 0
Jack Manke scores a brace and Noel Pena returns to goal for the first time since the St. Thomas game (suggesting he had received a two game violent conduct suspension). TLU is now tied with Southwestern for 2nd place and the two teams play each other in the last game before the conference tourney next Saturday night (although both Trinity and St. Thomas have a game in hand on TLU and Southwestern and could pass one or both of them).
Southwestern 2 - Austin 0
Southwestern keeps pace with TLU in the race for the second seed.
Looking forward to the Trinity - St. Thomas game Friday night in San Antonio. Lots of energy between these two teams. Could get interesting...
Quote from: D3Navy on October 23, 2023, 10:56:40 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 23, 2023, 01:03:24 AM
A few results of note from the SCAC and ASC:
Colorado College 1 - Schreiner 0
Pretty underwhelming scoreline for CC on senior day, although they outshot Schreiner 28-3. They move to 11-2-1 overall and 6-0 in the SCAC. All of the other contenders for the SCAC have 2 losses in conference. Moreover, CC is the only one of the top five that doesn't have any games remaining against any other team from the top 5. If they take care of business, they should secure the #1 seed in the SCAC tournament and in the Regional Rankings going into the conference tournament.
Texas Lutheran 3 - Dallas 0
Jack Manke scores a brace and Noel Pena returns to goal for the first time since the St. Thomas game (suggesting he had received a two game violent conduct suspension). TLU is now tied with Southwestern for 2nd place and the two teams play each other in the last game before the conference tourney next Saturday night (although both Trinity and St. Thomas have a game in hand on TLU and Southwestern and could pass one or both of them).
Southwestern 2 - Austin 0
Southwestern keeps pace with TLU in the race for the second seed.
Looking forward to the Trinity - St. Thomas game Friday night in San Antonio. Lots of energy between these two teams. Could get interesting...
Biggest game in the SCAC the past few seasons and UST has gotten the better of Trinity recently. There's a scenario where the loser of this game is out of the conference tournament as well depending on the TLU-SU game...
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 23, 2023, 11:06:51 AM
Quote from: D3Navy on October 23, 2023, 10:56:40 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 23, 2023, 01:03:24 AM
A few results of note from the SCAC and ASC:
Colorado College 1 - Schreiner 0
Pretty underwhelming scoreline for CC on senior day, although they outshot Schreiner 28-3. They move to 11-2-1 overall and 6-0 in the SCAC. All of the other contenders for the SCAC have 2 losses in conference. Moreover, CC is the only one of the top five that doesn't have any games remaining against any other team from the top 5. If they take care of business, they should secure the #1 seed in the SCAC tournament and in the Regional Rankings going into the conference tournament.
Texas Lutheran 3 - Dallas 0
Jack Manke scores a brace and Noel Pena returns to goal for the first time since the St. Thomas game (suggesting he had received a two game violent conduct suspension). TLU is now tied with Southwestern for 2nd place and the two teams play each other in the last game before the conference tourney next Saturday night (although both Trinity and St. Thomas have a game in hand on TLU and Southwestern and could pass one or both of them).
Southwestern 2 - Austin 0
Southwestern keeps pace with TLU in the race for the second seed.
Looking forward to the Trinity - St. Thomas game Friday night in San Antonio. Lots of energy between these two teams. Could get interesting...
Biggest game in the SCAC the past few seasons and UST has gotten the better of Trinity recently. There's a scenario where the loser of this game is out of the conference tournament as well depending on the TLU-SU game...
To add extra spice to this game, Trinity is coming off of a 3-2 loss to Colorado College after their comeback from being down 3-0 fell short and St. Thomas's offense seems to be back on track as they have outscored opponents 17-2 since the TLU game (and scored 3 against TLU, which was the most goals they've given up this season).
Games of interest to me in Region X Wednesday-Thursday:
Wed 10/25:
Redlands @ Occidental
#1 v. #2 in the SCIAC. Redlands enters with a 7 game unbeaten streak, but it's two blemishes (ties) came against lower SCIAC teams Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne. Occidental has been up and down this season -- and mostly down lately -- but its last win against a team in the upper half of the SCIAC was against Redlands (2-0 at Redlands a month ago). This game is at home for Oxy.
Pomona-Pizer @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
A Sixth Street Rivalry is an interesting game no matter what the stakes. In this case, both teams still have something to play for. P-P is second to last in the SCIAC, but still only 4 points out of fourth place with two games to go. CMS is in third place currently, but it could vault to first or drop out of the playoffs entirely. Both teams had scoring outbursts their last game (5 for P-P against Cal Tech; 8 for CMS against Bethesda).
Cal Lutheran @ Whittier
Whittier is out of the playoff race, but Cal Lutheran is still in the thick of it, currently sitting in the fourth and final spot just a tie-breaker ahead of Chapman. Cal Lu needs this game to keep pace, especially since their last game is against Redlands.
Thursday 10/26:
Hardin-Simmons @ UT Dallas
#3 v. #4 in the battle for seeing in the ASC. Both teams coming in a bit down after somewhat disappointing ties.
Great stuff-how do we share in games of the week thread?
Regarding the game between UST and Trinity. If UST loses to Trinity and Texas Lutheran loses to Southwestern, then both UST and Texas Lutheran would have 3 losses. Wouldn't UST advance to the conference playoff based on their head-to-head record?
Quote from: D-Three Fan on October 23, 2023, 06:13:52 PM
Regarding the game between UST and Trinity. If UST loses to Trinity and Texas Lutheran loses to Southwestern, then both UST and Texas Lutheran would have 3 losses. Wouldn't UST advance to the conference playoff based on their head-to-head record?
Short answer, yes. The tie-break is head-to-head I believe. UST has a game in-hand on TLU and SU and would jump TLU with just 1 win and would jump SU with a win and draw.
A bit of wrinkle here...Provided there is a winner in the TU-UST game on Friday, if TLU and SU tie, they'd move to 16 points and would mathematically knockout the loser of Friday's game regardless of Sunday's results.
From Trinity perspective, it is win or go home (no SCAC tournament, no NCAA) Friday night.
I know this means less given the NCAA regional rankings, but it's still interesting to see how coaches in the region view the teams
United Soccer Coaches
Region X - Poll 7 - October 24, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University 1 11-1-4
2 Colorado College 2 11-2-1
3 Texas Lutheran University 3 14-2-0
4 Trinity University (Texas) 4 9-2-2
5 Southwestern University 5 9-2-3
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 10-2-1
7 University of Redlands 7 11-1-2
8 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 9-3-2
5 SCAC teams (some/most of whom are going to be left at home from the NCAA tournament). Mary Hardin-Baylor makes its first appearance, taking Occidental's place.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 24, 2023, 12:08:57 PM
I know this means less given the NCAA regional rankings, but it's still interesting to see how coaches in the region view the teams
United Soccer Coaches
Region X - Poll 7 - October 24, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University 1 11-1-4
2 Colorado College 2 11-2-1
3 Texas Lutheran University 3 14-2-0
4 Trinity University (Texas) 4 9-2-2
5 Southwestern University 5 9-2-3
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 10-2-1
7 University of Redlands 7 11-1-2
8 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 9-3-2
5 SCAC teams (some/most of whom are going to be left at home from the NCAA tournament). Mary Hardin-Baylor makes its first appearance, taking Occidental's place.
I feel like the region's only hope of an at-large is Colorado College or Texas Lutheran. SCAC tournament has potential to be a circus with UST hosting, who may very well scrape in at 4th.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 24, 2023, 02:49:08 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 24, 2023, 12:08:57 PM
I know this means less given the NCAA regional rankings, but it's still interesting to see how coaches in the region view the teams
United Soccer Coaches
Region X - Poll 7 - October 24, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University 1 11-1-4
2 Colorado College 2 11-2-1
3 Texas Lutheran University 3 14-2-0
4 Trinity University (Texas) 4 9-2-2
5 Southwestern University 5 9-2-3
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 10-2-1
7 University of Redlands 7 11-1-2
8 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor NR 9-3-2
5 SCAC teams (some/most of whom are going to be left at home from the NCAA tournament). Mary Hardin-Baylor makes its first appearance, taking Occidental's place.
I feel like the region's only hope of an at-large is Colorado College or Texas Lutheran. SCAC tournament has potential to be a circus with UST hosting, who may very well scrape in at 4th.
I think you're right about the at-large bids, but @FlyingWeasel did point out out in the National Perspectives thread that there are two more at-large spots available this year than last year:
Quote(1) Due to the dissolution of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) and the merger of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and United East Conference (UEC), there are two less automatic berths (AQs) this year and thus two more Pool C at-large berths. So this year's tournament field is comprised of 41 AQs, 1 Pool B at-large berth, 22 Pool C at-large berths. That is significant. I'm not sure it should change anyone's prediction of who is on the "bubble" for at-large selection, but it probably is more a shift from trying to figure out which 2 of 6 "bubble" teams will make the cut to trying to figure out which 2 of 6 "bubble" teams will be left out.
So, it's not out of the question that one of those extra Pool C bids could come from Region X, giving Region X two Pool C bids rather than the max one (and often none) it has received in most years. One advantage from the SCAC tournament is that the losing team in the final is going to have another RvR win just from winning the first game to get there. Usually, the NESCAC is one of the few tournaments that has that kind of ranked quality in one place. On the other hand, I'm sure there will be plenty of schools from other, more DIII-heavy, regions that will have arguments for those as well though.
As for the SCAC tournament being hosted by St. Thomas at SaberCat stadium, a "circus" is putting it mildly. That's like returning to the scene of the crime, especially if St. Thomas and Texas Lutheran end up playing each other again with most or all of the suspended players returning.
REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 25, 2023
Rank
|
School | . Div. III .
Record | . Div. III .
SOS |
. R-v-R .
| . Overall .
Record | . Prev. .
Rank |
1. | Colorado College | 11-2-1 | 0.598 | 4-1-1 | 11-2-1 | Y |
2. | Texas Lutheran | 14-2-0 | 0.536 | 2-2-0 | 14-2-0 | Y |
3. | St. Thomas (Texas) | 10-2-0 | 0.544 | 2-1-0 | 11-2-1 | Y |
4. | Trinity (Texas) | 9-2-1 | 0.554 | 1-2-0 | 9-2-2 | Y |
5. | Redlands | 8-1-2 | 0.536 | -0 | 11-1-2 | Y |
6. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 9-3-1 | 0.536 | 0-3-0 | 9-3-2 | Y |
7. | Pacific Lutheran | 11-1-4 | 0.517 | 1-1-0 | 11-1-4 | Y |
Quote from: Christan Shirk on October 25, 2023, 03:21:30 PM
REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 25, 2023
Rank
|
School | . Div. III .
Record | . Div. III .
SOS |
. R-v-R .
| . Overall .
Record | . Prev. .
Rank |
1. | Colorado College | 11-2-1 | 0.598 | 4-1-1 | 11-2-1 | Y |
2. | Texas Lutheran | 14-2-0 | 0.536 | 2-2-0 | 14-2-0 | Y |
3. | St. Thomas (Texas) | 10-2-0 | 0.544 | 2-1-0 | 11-2-1 | Y |
4. | Trinity (Texas) | 9-2-1 | 0.554 | 1-2-0 | 9-2-2 | Y |
5. | Redlands | 8-1-2 | 0.536 | -0 | 11-1-2 | Y |
6. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 9-3-1 | 0.536 | 0-3-0 | 9-3-2 | Y |
7. | Pacific Lutheran | 11-1-4 | 0.517 | 1-1-0 | 11-1-4 | Y |
The three teams at the bottom of this list basically have to win their AQs because they have no chance of generating any more RvR wins at this point. Redlands might get one if a SCAC team falls out and someone like Occidental jumps up by default (since there is unlikely to be anyone in the NWC or ASC that will have the record to do it). That's about it though.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 04:23:05 PM
Quote from: Christan Shirk on October 25, 2023, 03:21:30 PM
REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 25, 2023
Rank
|
School | . Div. III .
Record | . Div. III .
SOS |
. R-v-R .
| . Overall .
Record | . Prev. .
Rank |
1. | Colorado College | 11-2-1 | 0.598 | 4-1-1 | 11-2-1 | Y |
2. | Texas Lutheran | 14-2-0 | 0.536 | 2-2-0 | 14-2-0 | Y |
3. | St. Thomas (Texas) | 10-2-0 | 0.544 | 2-1-0 | 11-2-1 | Y |
4. | Trinity (Texas) | 9-2-1 | 0.554 | 1-2-0 | 9-2-2 | Y |
5. | Redlands | 8-1-2 | 0.536 | -0 | 11-1-2 | Y |
6. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 9-3-1 | 0.536 | 0-3-0 | 9-3-2 | Y |
7. | Pacific Lutheran | 11-1-4 | 0.517 | 1-1-0 | 11-1-4 | Y |
The three teams at the bottom of this list basically have to win their AQs because they have no chance of generating any more RvR wins at this point. Redlands might get one if a SCAC team falls out and someone like Occidental jumps up by default (since there is unlikely to be anyone in the NWC or ASC that will have the record to do it). That's about it though.
For sure. PLU the most likely as they could lock it up this weekend if they take care of business and Whitworth drops any points. MHB and Redlands should control their own destiny as well which would open the door for the committee to throw another SCAC team in.
Big game for Redlands tonight as they are on the road to #2 Occidental. A win would lock up the top seed for Redlands.
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
Pomona 1 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
P-P scores a beautiful one-touch goal in the 19th minute from the top of the box after they steal a casual pass out of the box from the CMS midfielder and quickly pass it ahead. Big crowd with lots of Pomona-Pitzer supporters who walked across the street for this one.
UPDATE: P-P 2 - CMS 0
In the 37th minute, CMS' GK takes down a P-P attacker in the box who got a beautiful slipped through ball that left the defender in the dust. P-P converts the PK.
UPDATE: P-P 2 - CMS 1
CMS converts a PK to get right back into the game 42nd minute after an ill-advised challenge by a P-P defender takes down a CMS winger at the edge of the box. A Sixth Street rivalry never disappoints!
UPDATE: P-P 3 - CMS 1
CMS takes down the P-P striker in the box and P-P converts the PK
FINAL: Pomona-Pitzer 3 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1
Big rivalry win for P-P, even if I think they are out of the playoffs regardless. This wasn't a flukey win either. P-P was better than CMS in this game. Big (622 according to the box score) and rowdy crowd too for a Wednesday night, with what looked like lots of P-P students in attendance.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 10:11:48 PM
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
2000 people? That's unreal. Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 10:03:33 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 10:11:48 PM
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
2000 people? That's unreal. Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.
2003 to be precise. UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State. Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess). Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area. Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc. In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events. It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:08:12 AM
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 10:03:33 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 10:11:48 PM
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
2000 people? That's unreal. Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.
2003 to be precise. UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State. Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess). Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area. Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc. In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events. It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.
Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers
With a 0-0 result versus George Fox, congrats to Lewis and Clark for their first point (and clean sheet) in their new era of Mens Soccer!
Quote from: westroadsf on October 26, 2023, 12:36:50 PM
With a 0-0 result versus George Fox, congrats to Lewis and Clark for their first point (and clean sheet) in their new era of Mens Soccer!
Thanks westroadssf! I neglected to post about that in the excitement of the SCIAC games last night. Very cool for Lewis & Clark! It's noteworthy that all but three of the starters were freshman and they all played 78 minutes+. They have a brutal end to the season (Pacific Lutheran, Whitman, and Whitworth), but their freshman class is getting a lot of experience and getting better.
Also hard to figure out George Fox, which beats Willamette 2-1 on Sunday and then ties Lewis & Clark 0-0 on Wednesday at home. I guess it was the ultimate trap game, although GF won the statistical battle. Reality is probably that NWC games toward the end of the season can be about which team has found something to motivate them because almost all teams are out of the race for winning the conference or getting a Pool C bid. The absence of a conference tournament removes another source of motivation for a lower middling team like George Fox even though it has three games remaining and could have climbed into contention for a playoff spot if that existed. Ironically, the fact that Lewis & Clark was on a 22 game loss streak offered them more motivation than George Fox. At best, GF could have been pushing to finish above .500 in the conference. I get why the NWC doesn't do a conference tournament (there are not enough schools nearby to play a full schedule, so they do a round robin), but it would be nice if they did a playoff and consolation bracket or something like that.
Yes agree that its too bad the NWC doesn't have some additional lever to use to add more meaning for those mid-to-upper table team's last few matches. I'm sure additional travel costs for a conf tournament are a factor, so I get it, but seems something creative could be developed. Perhaps if NCAA would allow conferences without a conf tournament to play regular season OT, golden goal, pens, etc., to eliminate all the ties, that might add some excitement to the regular season and tighten up the table?
It has been raining in Texas a good deal yesterday and today, rain is in the forecast later today and tomorrow which could make for an iffy playing surface in San Antonio for the key matchup between St. Thomas and Trinity(TX) tomorrow night, especially after the preceding women's game. The forecast I'm looking at projects a 70% chance of rain between 5-8PM.
Games of interest to me in Region X, Friday-Sunday
Friday 10/27
St. Thomas @ Trinity
This is probably the biggest game of the weekend in the region. In recent years, this has been the actual or de facto championship game in the SCAC. This year, they are both 4-2 in conference and the loser of this game could be out of the SCAC playoffs entirely. There are 5 teams in contention for 4 spots and 3 losses would likely put a team on the bubble. St. Thomas should be back close to full strength and has won four in a row. Trinity is coming off a loss at Colorado College. @Ron Boerger reports that there is significant rain in the forecast, which could be a problem for Trinity's natural grass field. Not sure which team that benefits, but it could definitely alter the style of play for both teams.
Colorado College @ Austin
Colorado College is top ranked in Region X and has won 8 in a row. Austin has lost to Texas Lutheran and Southwestern in its last two games. Should be an easy game for CC, but it is away and Austin's Louis Catchpole* has scored 14 goals this year, including two against Texas Lutheran, so Colorado College won't be able to coast.
*For those interested, "Catchpole" isn't a Cherokee surname like TLU's Cole Sixkiller, but it apparently was originally used to describe medieval tax collectors and later sheriff's officers or debt collectors.
Hardin-Simmons @ UT Dallas
H-S needs to win to give it a chance to pass Concordia TX for second seed in the ASC playoffs if MHB beats Concordia on Saturday. UT Dallas is in a precarious spot. It could jump all the way to second seed or drop to fifth.
Saturday 10/28
Redlands @ Cal Lutheran
This takes on a little bit of added significance for Redlands given its loss to Occidental, but it would require a Redlands win and an Oxy tie or loss to La Verne for Redlands to move back into first. Cal Lutheran, on the other hand could drop into a tie with Chapman for the fourth and final playoff spot if it loses and Chapman beats Pomona-Pitzer. I don't know for sure the tie-breaker, but Cal Lu has beaten Chapman this year, so they would have the edge on head-to-head
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Cal Tech
CMS is already in the playoffs, but I'm sure it would prefer not to drop behind Cal Lutheran and would like to get the bad taste of its mouth after the loss to Pomona-Pitzer. Cal Tech, with a win, would finish 7-6-3, which would be its first winning season ever.
Pacific @ Pacific Lutheran
A PLU win, coupled with a Whitworth loss or tie, should give PLU the NWC automatic bid
Linfield @ Whitworth
Whitworth has to win to keep its faint hopes in the NWC alive
Concordia TX @ Mary Hardin-Baylor
MHB has the top spot locked up, but Concordia needs to win to assure itself of second seed in the ASC tourney.
Southwestern @ Texas Lutheran
These two teams are currently tied for second in the SCAC. Loser could drop to 4th and winner could challenge Colorado College for 1st.
McMurry @ UT Dallas
UTD needs a victory to maintain the fourth seed or jump higher. in the ASC.
Occidental @ La Verne
Oxy has to win to maintain its hold on first seed in the SCIAC.
Sunday 10/29
Willamette @ Whitworth
Whitworth needs to win (and hope Pacific Lutheran does not) to give it any chance of catching Pacific Lutheran for the NWC's automatic bid. If it loses, Whitworth is out.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:13:00 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:08:12 AM
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 10:03:33 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 10:11:48 PM
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
2000 people? That's unreal. Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.
2003 to be precise. UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State. Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess). Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area. Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc. In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events. It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.
Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers
Tomorrow night at Trinity against St. Thomas - a pivotal game between teams that have a stressful recent history - we'll probably see no more than 200 fans. I'll add a little volume to my cheers to make up for things.
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 07:40:40 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:13:00 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:08:12 AM
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 10:03:33 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 10:11:48 PM
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
2000 people? That's unreal. Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.
2003 to be precise. UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State. Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess). Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area. Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc. In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events. It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.
Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers
Tomorrow night at Trinity against St. Thomas - a pivotal game between teams that have a stressful recent history - we'll probably see no more than 200 fans. I'll add a little volume to my cheers to make up for things.
If it's raining with a chance of thunderstorms, that will actually be a good crowd!
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 08:30:04 PM
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 07:40:40 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:13:00 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 26, 2023, 11:08:12 AM
Quote from: D3Navy on October 26, 2023, 10:03:33 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 25, 2023, 10:11:48 PM
Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.
UPDATE: Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal. 1-1
UPDATE: Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute
FINAL: Oxy 2 - Redlands 1
Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!). Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2. Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).
2000 people? That's unreal. Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.
2003 to be precise. UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State. Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess). Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area. Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc. In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events. It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.
Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers
Tomorrow night at Trinity against St. Thomas - a pivotal game between teams that have a stressful recent history - we'll probably see no more than 200 fans. I'll add a little volume to my cheers to make up for things.
If it's raining with a chance of thunderstorms, that will actually be a good crowd!
[/quote
I'm just going off of recent memory, but I don't think it's often that Trinity has home double-headers. Usually the women and men seem to flip flop home/away on the same night. That could lend itself to increased attendance.
No, it's typical that TU, like other SCAC schools, has double-headers. The exception comes on weekends when the men play Colorado College because the CC women are D1, so it throws off the usual scheduling. Usual conference play is women then men on Friday against one opponent, Sunday against another.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 26, 2023, 09:26:23 PM
No, it's typical that TU, like other SCAC schools, has double-headers. The exception comes on weekends when the men play Colorado College because the CC women are D1, so it throws off the usual scheduling. Usual conference play is women then men on Friday against one opponent, Sunday against another.
Thanks for the clarification. For some reason, I had it in my head that if the men were home the women were on the road.
Hardin-Simmons 2 - UT Dallas 1
H-S scores a goal in the 76th minute to break a 1-1 tie and go to 4-1-2 in the ASC. If it can beat Ozarks on Sunday and Concordia loses at Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons will jump ahead of Concordia and secure the second seed and the first round bye in the ASC tournament. UT Dallas, after a 6 game winning streak that started with a win over Colorado College, has now only one win the last six games.
Good news for St. Thomas - Trinity is that San Antonio didn't get the rain forecast yesterday evening, and today's forecast calls for much lighter amounts than it did yesterday. I hear the field was overseeded a couple of weeks ago, drains well, and a picture taken Monday shows it was in immaculate condition.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 27, 2023, 09:26:26 AM
Good news for St. Thomas - Trinity is that San Antonio didn't get the rain forecast yesterday evening, and today's forecast calls for much lighter amounts than it did yesterday. I hear the field was overseeded a couple of weeks ago, drains well, and a picture taken Monday shows it was in immaculate condition.
That's great to hear! The ASC announced that they were moving the cross country championships on Saturday from the DFW area to Abilene because of the heavy rain up there.
https://ascsports.org/news/2023/10/26/mens-cross-country-2023-asc-cross-country-championship-moved-to-abilene.aspx
Howard Payne 3 - LeTourneau 1
Big victory for HP, which is now tied with LeTourneau for the 6th and final spot for the ASC conference tournament. Both of these schools have a game left (against East Texas Baptist and Sul Ross respectively), but HP now holds the head-to-head advantage over LeTourneau and presumably will advance with a win on Sunday.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 27, 2023, 06:24:22 PM
Howard Payne 3 - LeTourneau 1
Big victory for HP, which is now tied with LeTourneau for the 6th and final spot for the ASC conference tournament. Both of these schools have a game left (against East Texas Baptist and Sul Ross respectively), but HP now holds the head-to-head advantage over LeTourneau and presumably will advance with a win on Sunday.
Since LeTourneau's game against Sul Ross won't count in the standings, LeTu is out. HPU will be in the tournament provided that McMurry does not beat UTD tomorrow. Regardless if HPU beats ETBU.
Not sure if this has ever happened before in the ASC, but last year's tournament runner-up fails to qualify for the post-season...
HALF: Trinity 1 - St. Thomas 1
Two big scorers come up big for their respective teams with Michael Meese scoring for Trinity and Taty Aleman for St. Thomas. This feels like a heavyweight fight. The field is in beautiful condition too after the rains!
Trinity and St. Thomas knotted at one at the break. Meese scored first, Aleman equalized late in the first with a mighty strike from just outside the 18'. Celts are having the somewhat better run of play with very accurate passing and ball control. You can tell these guys aren't thrilled about playing each other but so far only one yellow has been assessed.
St Thomas' 4 corners have put pressure on Trinity, who have yet to earn a corner.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 27, 2023, 10:36:07 PM
HALF: Trinity 1 - St. Thomas 1
Two big scorers come up big for their respective teams with Michael Meese scoring for Trinity and Taty Aleman for St. Thomas. This feels like a heavyweight fight. The field is in beautiful condition too after the rains!
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Trinity 1
After Taty Aleman goes out with a knock, Daniel Castro settles a cross in the box and shoots a left footed ball over the GK and under the crossbar to put the Celts ahead.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Trinity 2
Meese scores a rebound on a free kick to tie it up
One thing that is clear in this game is that both teams have top class strikers and offensive play generally and both teams have undersized GKs who make things a little more difficult for the defense on high balls into the box. A taller GK could have done better on Trinity's goal in this case.
Update: Trinity 3 - St. Thomas 2
Adjei scores on a 1 v. 1 in a counter attack and Trinity retakes the lead.
Thrilla in Manilla territory now
Quote from: Kuiper on October 27, 2023, 10:54:11 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 27, 2023, 10:36:07 PM
HALF: Trinity 1 - St. Thomas 1
Two big scorers come up big for their respective teams with Michael Meese scoring for Trinity and Taty Aleman for St. Thomas. This feels like a heavyweight fight. The field is in beautiful condition too after the rains!
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Trinity 1
After Taty Aleman goes out with a knock, Daniel Castro settles a cross in the box and shoots a left footed ball over the GK and under the crossbar to put the Celts ahead.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Trinity 2
Meese scores a rebound on a free kick to tie it up
One thing that is clear in this game is that both teams have top class strikers and offensive play generally and both teams have undersized GKs who make things a little more difficult for the defense on high balls into the box. A taller GK could have done better on Trinity's goal in this case.
Update: Trinity 3 - St. Thomas 2
Adjei scores on a 1 v. 1 in a counter attack and Trinity retakes the lead.
Thrilla in Manilla territory now
Absolutely, Crazy, crazy great game. Still tons left.
First rate video production and commentary. Love how they zoom in periodically. Even with the regular camera the view looks much, much better than most (all?). Gotta at least be in top 3-5.
And the field looks fantastic.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 27, 2023, 11:12:20 PM
First rate video production and commentary. Love how they zoom in periodically. Even with the regular camera the view looks much, much better than most (all?). Gotta at least be in top 3-5.
And the field looks fantastic.
Trinity has a fantastic soccer pitch in normal circumstances, but the rain really perked up the grass under the lights.
St. Thomas needs Aleman. He came back in, but we'll see if he's ok or just gutting it out. Hard to believe one of these teams may not even make the SCAC tournament.
Both GKs are trying to give away goals. Lazo came out on a high ball where he had no chance and a UST defender saved the ball off the line. Then, Wilman spilled a high ball and got bailed out by his defenders and a shot over the cross bar.
UPDATE: Now it's starting to get a little ugly. GK concedes a PK on a 1 v. 1 and the two teams start some extracurriculars. Never a dull moment.
UPDATE: Trinity 4 - St. Thomas 2
GK tries the old stand on one side trick for the PK, but the taker know he's going central and puts it back where he was.
FINAL: Trinity 4 - St. Thomas 2
St. Thomas needs Texas Lutheran to beat Southwestern on Saturday night and it needs to beat Schreiner on Sunday. Both totally plausible, but not the position it wanted to be in at this point.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 27, 2023, 11:35:26 PM
Both GKs are trying to give away goals. Lazo came out on a high ball where he had no chance and a UST defender saved the ball off the line. Then, Wilman spilled a high ball and got bailed out by his defenders and a shot over the cross bar.
Definitely, gk play hasn't been the best in this game. One of the goals, the keeper who is not particularly tall, should have tipped the ball over the crossbar rather than give up the rebound, then saved the rebound, only to deflect it back to the player who slots it into the goal. Then the other keeper takes down the player in the box. Bad form. If you come out, you got to get the ball otherwise just get big and hope for the best.
Colorado College 3 - Austin 0
While St. Thomas and Trinity were beating each other up, Colorado College was having it way with Austin, playing lots of subs to win its 9th in a row and go to 7-0 in the SCAC.
Am I missing something? Wouldn't UST want Southwestern to beat TLU. This would give UST and TLU 3 conference losses each. Would UST go through to the tournament based on the win over TLU?
Quote from: D-Three Fan on October 28, 2023, 12:01:06 AM
Am I missing something? Wouldn't UST want Southwestern to beat TLU. This would give UST and TLU 3 conference losses each. Would UST go through to the tournament based on the win over TLU?
I was actually just going off what I heard the announcer say at the end of the broadcast, but I may have misheard or his misspoke. You're probably right since UST beat TLU and lost to Southwestern. I just don't know for sure that the first tiebreaker is head-to-head in the SCAC.
St. Thomas @ Trinity Men's Game Notes (https://www.patreon.com/posts/st-thomas-mens-91801644)
Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 28, 2023, 08:46:27 AM
St. Thomas @ Trinity Men's Game Notes (https://www.patreon.com/posts/st-thomas-mens-91801644)
Thanks, Coach! Terrific rundown.
Regarding the "melee", many were contending the goalie impeded Meese as he approached instead of attempting to stop the ball. The very active Trinity crowd at that end of the field was also stirring the pot.
And you are correct: the field was absolutely beautiful. Magazine cover perfect!
If I was itching for a fight Michael Meese is not the guy I would pick....looks like a Navy Seal in a soccer kit.
Games of note from the SCIAC:
Cal Tech 1 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1
Cal Tech's Etienne Casanova ties it up in the 88th minute and, for what I think is the first time in its history, Cal Tech does not end a season with a losing record, going 6-6-4 overall and 3-6-3 in the SCIAC. It's a big deal, but because of the Redlands-Cal Lu result (below), CMS knew it was locked into third place regardless of the result, so CMS wasn't really pushing as hard as it might have and used perhaps a few more subs. Nevertheless, if Duncan Gillis doesn't at least win coach of the year in the SCIAC, it will be a travesty (although I expect Occidental's coaching staff will get the award given past practices).
Redlands 3 - Cal Lutheran 1
Cal Lu scored first and led 1-0 at half, but Redlands equalized right after halftime and then scored two more to rebound from its disappointing loss to Occidental earlier this week.
Chapman 2 - Pomona-Pitzer 2
Chapman could have passed Cal Lu for fourth place and the last spot in the SCIAC tournament, but Pomona-Pitzer used the momentum of its big rivalry win over CMS to tie Chapman and knock it out of the playoff race.
Occidental 2 - La Verne 0
Oxy wins the regular season championship by beating La Verne in a game that was tight until late and that Oxy needed to win given Redlands' victory earlier in the day against Cal Lu.
SCIAC Tournament Matchups:
Cal Lutheran @ Occidental
CMS @ Redlands
Both semifinal games on Wednesday
Games of note in the ASC:
Concordia 2 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 1
Concordia beats MHB in Belton in a game that meant something to Concordia because it kept them ahead of Hardin-Simmons for the first round bye, but didn't affect MHB's standings going into the playoffs.
East Texas Baptist 3 - Howard Payne 0
HP had already clinched the playoffs on Friday when it beat LeTourneau, but it could have jumped Ozarks in the seeding. ETBU was only playing for pride. Pride won out.
Hardin-Simmons 1 - Ozarks 0
H-S maintained 3rd seed with this win, but Ozarks wasn't hurt because of HP's loss.
UT Dallas 5 - McMurry 1
UTD finishes the regular season strongly after a disappointing stretch
ASC Tournament Matchups
#5 Ozarks at #4 UT Dallas; winner plays Mary Hardin-Baylor
#6 Howard Payne at #3 Hardin-Simmons; winner plays Concordia TX
One game in the SCAC, but it was a big one:
Southwestern 2 - Texas Lutheran 1
If St. Thomas beats Schreiner in their last game tomorrow, St. Thomas will jump ahead of Texas Lutheran for the fourth and final spot in the SCAC playoffs (because, as someone pointed out last night, St. Thomas has the advantage on head-to-head over TLU). 14-3 Texas Lutheran would then have to hope that its SoS and RvR wins against Occidental, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Trinity will be enough to get it a Pool C bid.
NWC games of note:
Pacific Lutheran 6 - Pacific 0
PLU is now 8 points ahead of Whitworth with three games to play. If it beats Lewis & Clark Sunday (on senior day) or Whitworth loses to Willamette Sunday, then PLU will claim the NWC championship and the AQ.
Whitworth 4 - Linfield 1
Whitworth keeps pace with PLU, but need to hope Lewis & Clark pulls off a miracle tomorrow (its first win in 24 games I believe) and Whitworth can beat Willamette to stay alive.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:19:26 AM
One game in the SCAC, but it was a big one:
Southwestern 2 - Texas Lutheran 1
If St. Thomas beats Schreiner in their last game tomorrow, St. Thomas will jump ahead of Texas Lutheran for the fourth and final spot in the SCAC playoffs (because, as someone pointed out last night, St. Thomas has the advantage on head-to-head over TLU). 14-3 Texas Lutheran would then have to hope that its SoS and RvR wins against Occidental, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Trinity will be enough to get it a Pool C bid.
Schreiner has all of one win in conference, 3-2 over also one-win Centenary. I'll be more interested to see if Taty Aleman plays - he never got back up to speed after the collision Friday night and it might just be best to rest him if there are any lingering aftereffects. The Celts should be able to win this one easily without him on the pitch.
I can't figure out Southwestern. They looked absolutely terrible in a 4-0 loss at home to Trinity, then turn it around and beat St. Thomas prior to the debacle later that weekend, held Colorado College scoreless for nearly 70' before dropping a 1-0 decision on the road, now knock off TLU. Guess they figured some things out after that early-season loss.
The regional rankings will be interesting this week behind CC. Does Trinity move up to 2 with the W against St Thomas, or does TLU hang onto the spot despite the loss given the H2H result? UMHB also lost, to an unranked Concordia; Redlands lost to similarly unranked Occidental; PLU won and face winless Lewis and Clark today. Do those losses open the door for a Southwestern (10-2-3) or Occidental (10-3-3) to make an appearance?
1. Colorado (12-2-1) W @ Austin 3-0; Sun @ Dallas (1-11-3)
2. TLU (14-3) L Southwestern 1-2 (regular season over)
3. St. Thomas (11-3-1) L @ Trinity 2-4; Sun @ Schreiner (5-8-2)
4. Trinity (10-2-2) W St. Thomas 4-2; Sun Centenary (4-8-3)
5. Redlands (12-2-2) L @ Occidental 1-2; W @ CLU 3-1
6. UMHB (9-4-2) L Concordia 1-2 (regular season over)
7. PLU (11-1-4) W Pacific 6-0; Sun @ Lewis & Clark (0-16-1)
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 29, 2023, 10:30:01 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:19:26 AM
One game in the SCAC, but it was a big one:
Southwestern 2 - Texas Lutheran 1
If St. Thomas beats Schreiner in their last game tomorrow, St. Thomas will jump ahead of Texas Lutheran for the fourth and final spot in the SCAC playoffs (because, as someone pointed out last night, St. Thomas has the advantage on head-to-head over TLU). 14-3 Texas Lutheran would then have to hope that its SoS and RvR wins against Occidental, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Trinity will be enough to get it a Pool C bid.
Schreiner has all of one win in conference, 3-2 over also one-win Centenary. I'll be more interested to see if Taty Aleman plays - he never got back up to speed after the collision Friday night and it might just be best to rest him if there are any lingering aftereffects. The Celts should be able to win this one easily without him on the pitch.
I can't figure out Southwestern. They looked absolutely terrible in a 4-0 loss at home to Trinity, then turn it around and beat St. Thomas prior to the debacle later that weekend, held Colorado College scoreless for nearly 70' before dropping a 1-0 decision on the road, now knock off TLU. Guess they figured some things out after that early-season loss.
The regional rankings will be interesting this week behind CC. Does Trinity move up to 2 with the W against St Thomas, or does TLU hang onto the spot despite the loss given the H2H result? UMHB also lost, to an unranked Concordia; Redlands lost to similarly unranked Occidental; PLU won and face winless Lewis and Clark today. Do those losses open the door for a Southwestern (10-2-3) or Occidental (10-3-3) to make an appearance?
1. Colorado (12-2-1) W @ Austin 3-0; Sun @ Dallas (1-11-3)
2. TLU (14-3) L Southwestern 1-2 (regular season over)
3. St. Thomas (11-3-1) L @ Trinity 2-4; Sun @ Schreiner (5-8-2)
4. Trinity (10-2-2) W St. Thomas 4-2; Sun Centenary (4-8-3)
5. Redlands (12-2-2) L @ Occidental 1-2; W @ CLU 3-1
6. UMHB (9-4-2) L Concordia 1-2 (regular season over)
7. PLU (11-1-4) W Pacific 6-0; Sun @ Lewis & Clark (0-16-1)
Great example of things that can happen to alter Pool C chances...Texas Lutheran can "win" without playing if Oxy gets ranked, giving TLU another ranked win. Same for Trinity with Southwestern. Whoever gets to three ranked wins might edge out the others. Trinity would get to three ranked wins if Southwestern comes in....but wait, there's more...if Southwestern and/or Oxy knock MHB out of the rankings then Trinity would be back down to two ranked wins...or worse down to one if Oxy gets in but Southwestern doesn't and MHB drops out.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 11:43:16 AM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 29, 2023, 10:30:01 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:19:26 AM
One game in the SCAC, but it was a big one:
Southwestern 2 - Texas Lutheran 1
If St. Thomas beats Schreiner in their last game tomorrow, St. Thomas will jump ahead of Texas Lutheran for the fourth and final spot in the SCAC playoffs (because, as someone pointed out last night, St. Thomas has the advantage on head-to-head over TLU). 14-3 Texas Lutheran would then have to hope that its SoS and RvR wins against Occidental, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Trinity will be enough to get it a Pool C bid.
Schreiner has all of one win in conference, 3-2 over also one-win Centenary. I'll be more interested to see if Taty Aleman plays - he never got back up to speed after the collision Friday night and it might just be best to rest him if there are any lingering aftereffects. The Celts should be able to win this one easily without him on the pitch.
I can't figure out Southwestern. They looked absolutely terrible in a 4-0 loss at home to Trinity, then turn it around and beat St. Thomas prior to the debacle later that weekend, held Colorado College scoreless for nearly 70' before dropping a 1-0 decision on the road, now knock off TLU. Guess they figured some things out after that early-season loss.
The regional rankings will be interesting this week behind CC. Does Trinity move up to 2 with the W against St Thomas, or does TLU hang onto the spot despite the loss given the H2H result? UMHB also lost, to an unranked Concordia; Redlands lost to similarly unranked Occidental; PLU won and face winless Lewis and Clark today. Do those losses open the door for a Southwestern (10-2-3) or Occidental (10-3-3) to make an appearance?
1. Colorado (12-2-1) W @ Austin 3-0; Sun @ Dallas (1-11-3)
2. TLU (14-3) L Southwestern 1-2 (regular season over)
3. St. Thomas (11-3-1) L @ Trinity 2-4; Sun @ Schreiner (5-8-2)
4. Trinity (10-2-2) W St. Thomas 4-2; Sun Centenary (4-8-3)
5. Redlands (12-2-2) L @ Occidental 1-2; W @ CLU 3-1
6. UMHB (9-4-2) L Concordia 1-2 (regular season over)
7. PLU (11-1-4) W Pacific 6-0; Sun @ Lewis & Clark (0-16-1)
Great example of things that can happen to alter Pool C chances...Texas Lutheran can "win" without playing if Oxy gets ranked, giving TLU another ranked win. Same for Trinity with Southwestern. Whoever gets to three ranked wins might edge out the others. Trinity would get to three ranked wins if Southwestern comes in....but wait, there's more...if Southwestern and/or Oxy knock MHB out of the rankings then Trinity would be back down to two ranked wins...or worse down to one if Oxy gets in but Southwestern doesn't and MHB drops out.
Don't you have to extend this analysis one round further? Won't the winning teams in the SCAC semifinals also have one more ranked win (presuming that all four semifinalists are ranked)?
@kuiper, absolutely, you are correct. That's another whole set of permutations one would have to play out, including with Southwestern coming into the rankings (or not...and don't forget I was hot on Southwestern at the beginning of the season!), MHB staying or not, and the Oxy status. And I may have missed that one of TLU's ranked wins also is over MHB, so if MHB drops out TLU would be down to one ranked ranked win (and pulling for Oxy while hoping Southwestern does not get ranked (which would add a ranked loss). Southwestern's issue also is a very low SoS (akin to Mt Union that also like Mt Union gets a boost from now playing TLU and Trinity back to back.
I was mainly trying to show how a team could be helped (or hurt) even though not playing and by something as random as whether Oxy gets ranked. With TLU, if they don't end up with a bid, they have to look no further than those 90 secs playing up a man (or was it up 2 men?) when they gave up two goals to UST.
Anyway, for illustrative purposes only....let's assume that MHB drops out and Southwestern beats Trinity in the SCAC semis..and further assume that Southwestern loses to CC or UST in the final to add another ranked loss. I think that would put Southwestern at a record of 11-3-3, RvR at 3-3. If, in that scenario, Southwestern got ranked, then Trinity would pick up a ranked win and a ranked loss, and generally the former are more critical. So then Trinity would be 10-3-2 with a RvR of 3-3 (which ends up being almost a wash losing the MHB win but gaining one with Southwestern. The big difference between Southwestern and Trinity then (after splitting the two H2H encounters) would be on SoS, where Trinity now would be somewhere around .575+ and Southwestern perhaps would have climbed from .507 to maybe .535ish. Southwestern's SoS would go up even a little further after playing the final, and that benefit would accrue whether they won or lost, but of course that would only matter if they lost or if that made the difference in Southwestern getting ranked or not. Meanwhile, on this scenario TLU loses the ranked win to MHB (I previously thought that game got cancelled) and if picks one up from Oxy that keeps them at just two ranked wins. TLU's SoS likely will land around .550ish.
Hunch....TLU will be haunted for months by the UST match.
Very nice analysis. One interesting factor in Southwestern's SoS and RvR is that it was affected by a lightning and hailstorm. Southwestern was supposed to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Sept 24 and it was cancelled on account of the storm. It's possible that the weather will cause Southwestern to miss out on a Pool C bid if it doesn't win the SCAC tournament and MHB stays in the rankings, which helps other teams but not Southwestern.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:59:04 PM
Very nice analysis. One interesting factor in Southwestern's SoS and RvR is that it was affected by a lightning and hailstorm. Southwestern was supposed to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Sept 24 and it was cancelled on account of the storm. It's possible that the weather will cause Southwestern to miss out on a Pool C bid if it doesn't win the SCAC tournament and MHB stays in the rankings, which helps other teams but not Southwestern.
Ah yes, I knew there was an important cancelled game. You're pointing out another example of something one wouldn't think would or should matter that much, but yes, that was a valuable game to lose especially when the rivals benefitted.
Btw, and I'm deferring to you and Mr. Boerger, but wouldn't you expect that MHB WILL drop out?
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 03:09:38 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:59:04 PM
Very nice analysis. One interesting factor in Southwestern's SoS and RvR is that it was affected by a lightning and hailstorm. Southwestern was supposed to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Sept 24 and it was cancelled on account of the storm. It's possible that the weather will cause Southwestern to miss out on a Pool C bid if it doesn't win the SCAC tournament and MHB stays in the rankings, which helps other teams but not Southwestern.
Ah yes, I knew there was an important cancelled game. You're pointing out another example of something one wouldn't think would or should matter that much, but yes, that was a valuable game to lose especially when the rivals benefitted.
Btw, and I'm deferring to you and Mr. Boerger, but wouldn't you expect that MHB WILL drop out?
My guess is MHB drops out and Occidental comes back in because of two ranked wins (both against Redlands) and I think a higher SOS than Southwestern, but I'm no expert. I'm not sure if Southwestern's win over TLU provides a bigger bump than Oxy's win over Redlands. Oxy lost to TLU in the first game of the season after all.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 04:10:38 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 03:09:38 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:59:04 PM
Very nice analysis. One interesting factor in Southwestern's SoS and RvR is that it was affected by a lightning and hailstorm. Southwestern was supposed to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Sept 24 and it was cancelled on account of the storm. It's possible that the weather will cause Southwestern to miss out on a Pool C bid if it doesn't win the SCAC tournament and MHB stays in the rankings, which helps other teams but not Southwestern.
Ah yes, I knew there was an important cancelled game. You're pointing out another example of something one wouldn't think would or should matter that much, but yes, that was a valuable game to lose especially when the rivals benefitted.
Btw, and I'm deferring to you and Mr. Boerger, but wouldn't you expect that MHB WILL drop out?
My guess is MHB drops out and Occidental comes back in because of two ranked wins (both against Redlands) and I think a higher SOS than Southwestern, but I'm no expert. I'm not sure if Southwestern's win over TLU provides a bigger bump than Oxy's win over Redlands. Oxy lost to TLU in the first game of the season after all.
Yeah, when they won or lost should not matter by protocol. So the only bigger bump (which must be very marginal in this example) would be beating (or losing to) a team with a better record that would provide a bigger boost on SoS. But there should be no evaluation of whether Southwestern's very recent win over TLU was "better" than TLU's win over Oxy on opening day.
One more monkey wrench....if Redlands drops out lol.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 04:16:09 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 04:10:38 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 03:09:38 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 02:59:04 PM
Very nice analysis. One interesting factor in Southwestern's SoS and RvR is that it was affected by a lightning and hailstorm. Southwestern was supposed to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Sept 24 and it was cancelled on account of the storm. It's possible that the weather will cause Southwestern to miss out on a Pool C bid if it doesn't win the SCAC tournament and MHB stays in the rankings, which helps other teams but not Southwestern.
Ah yes, I knew there was an important cancelled game. You're pointing out another example of something one wouldn't think would or should matter that much, but yes, that was a valuable game to lose especially when the rivals benefitted.
Btw, and I'm deferring to you and Mr. Boerger, but wouldn't you expect that MHB WILL drop out?
My guess is MHB drops out and Occidental comes back in because of two ranked wins (both against Redlands) and I think a higher SOS than Southwestern, but I'm no expert. I'm not sure if Southwestern's win over TLU provides a bigger bump than Oxy's win over Redlands. Oxy lost to TLU in the first game of the season after all.
Yeah, when they won or lost should not matter by protocol. So the only bigger bump (which must be very marginal in this example) would be beating a team with a better record that would provide a bigger boost on SoS. But there should be no evaluation of whether Southwestern's very recent win over TLU was "better" than TLU's win over Oxy on opening day.
One more monkey wrench....if Redlands drops out lol.
Very true. And that could happen. Redlands has played a SCIAC and local schedule almost exclusively. The SCIAC has better teams at the bottom, but offers nothing on the RvR. I could see deciding to rank only one team from the SCIAC and that should be Occidental given the two wins over Redlands. That would help TLU of course.
Yes, Oxy coming in helps TLU and I'm pretty certain Southwestern also is coming in which hurts TLU. MHB going out helps Southwestern and hurts the others.
The more I think about it, I could see Redlands, MHB, and Pac Luth all dropping out (although I haven't researched who a third team coming in might be). I would bet that both Oxy and Southwestern are coming in.
Pac Luth won't care because they have an AQ. And their two ranked games [Colorado Coll (W) and Emory (L)] will have virtually no impact on anyone.
OMG...now I'm confusing myself. If Redlands drops out in the week 3 rankings then Oxy will have nothing for RvR except the loss to TLU. This is where the process can drive you insane. Oxy is in a position (if do not win the AQ) of caring (deeply) about Redlands staying ranked while simultaneously hoping the Bulldogs lose in the conference tournament (unless of course Oxy doesn't make the final).
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 04:42:17 PM
Yes, Oxy coming in helps TLU and I'm pretty certain Southwestern also is coming in which hurts TLU. MHB going out helps Southwestern and hurts the others.
The more I think about it, I could see Redlands, MHB, and Pac Luth all dropping out (although I haven't researched who a third team coming in might be). I would bet that both Oxy and Southwestern are coming in.
Pac Luth won't care because they have an AQ. And their two ranked games [Colorado Coll (W) and Emory (L)] will have virtually no impact on anyone.
Ironically, if Occidental is ranked, UC Santa Cruz suddenly has a ranked win and maybe that's enough considering it's insanely high strength of schedule (.616, which is highest in Region X and would be the highest in a bunch of other regions too). It gets hurt by having to play a bunch of NAIA and NCAA DII teams, but it has an overall record of 10-5-3.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 04:55:56 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 04:42:17 PM
Yes, Oxy coming in helps TLU and I'm pretty certain Southwestern also is coming in which hurts TLU. MHB going out helps Southwestern and hurts the others.
The more I think about it, I could see Redlands, MHB, and Pac Luth all dropping out (although I haven't researched who a third team coming in might be). I would bet that both Oxy and Southwestern are coming in.
Pac Luth won't care because they have an AQ. And their two ranked games [Colorado Coll (W) and Emory (L)] will have virtually no impact on anyone.
Ironically, if Occidental is ranked, UC Santa Cruz suddenly has a ranked win and maybe that's enough considering it's insanely high strength of schedule (.616, which is highest in Region X and would be the highest in a bunch of other regions too). It gets hurt by having to play a bunch of NAIA and NCAA DII teams, but it has an overall record of 10-5-3.
Might get them ranked but without getting a bid....too many teams above them that have far superior records and more than one ranked win, and unless this year is an exception, region X rarely gets more than one at large (or certainly not more than two). If there was going to be a year for three this might be it.
Even with the latest Redlands conundrum for Oxy, I could still see Oxy getting ranked but not high enough for serious consideration of Pool C. Some of the getting ranked (or not) outcomes won't get those teams in Pool C but may help some other team get a bid.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 05:01:30 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 04:55:56 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 04:42:17 PM
Yes, Oxy coming in helps TLU and I'm pretty certain Southwestern also is coming in which hurts TLU. MHB going out helps Southwestern and hurts the others.
The more I think about it, I could see Redlands, MHB, and Pac Luth all dropping out (although I haven't researched who a third team coming in might be). I would bet that both Oxy and Southwestern are coming in.
Pac Luth won't care because they have an AQ. And their two ranked games [Colorado Coll (W) and Emory (L)] will have virtually no impact on anyone.
Ironically, if Occidental is ranked, UC Santa Cruz suddenly has a ranked win and maybe that's enough considering it's insanely high strength of schedule (.616, which is highest in Region X and would be the highest in a bunch of other regions too). It gets hurt by having to play a bunch of NAIA and NCAA DII teams, but it has an overall record of 10-5-3.
Might get them ranked but without getting a bid....too many teams above them that have far superior records and more than one ranked win, and unless this year is an exception, region X rarely gets more than one at large (or certainly not more than two). If there was going to be a year for three this might be it.
Even with the latest Redlands conundrum for Oxy, I could still see Oxy getting ranked but not high enough for serious consideration of Pool C. Some of the getting ranked (or not) outcomes won't get those teams in Pool C but may help some other team get a bid.
I wasn't suggesting UC Santa Cruz would get a Pool C bid, but that they could be the third newly ranked team you were speculating about. As a practical matter, I don't really see Pacific Lutheran getting dropped, but it could happen.
On the Pool C front for UC Santa Cruz, the interesting twist is that in the Coast-to-Conference tournament there's a decent chance if UCSC goes on a run and wins the QFs and Semis, but not the finals, it could get two ranked wins. Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, Wisconsin-Platteville and Wisconsin-Whitewater are all going and the only other non-ranked team is Salisbury. It's not completely implausible either because the tournament is at UC Santa Cruz, so it has home field advantage for whatever that is worth.
@kuiper, yeah I knew what you were saying. The more I fiddle with this I'm realizing the smart decision is just to wait until selection day! Even this late in the season, too many variables!
UST @ Schreiner
2-0 UST with about 20' left. Barring a miracle comeback, UST scrapes into the SCAC tournament and TLU drops down to 5th.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2023, 04:55:56 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 29, 2023, 04:42:17 PM
Yes, Oxy coming in helps TLU and I'm pretty certain Southwestern also is coming in which hurts TLU. MHB going out helps Southwestern and hurts the others.
The more I think about it, I could see Redlands, MHB, and Pac Luth all dropping out (although I haven't researched who a third team coming in might be). I would bet that both Oxy and Southwestern are coming in.
Pac Luth won't care because they have an AQ. And their two ranked games [Colorado Coll (W) and Emory (L)] will have virtually no impact on anyone.
Ironically, if Occidental is ranked, UC Santa Cruz suddenly has a ranked win and maybe that's enough considering it's insanely high strength of schedule (.616, which is highest in Region X and would be the highest in a bunch of other regions too). It gets hurt by having to play a bunch of NAIA and NCAA DII teams, but it has an overall record of 10-5-3.
The Banana Slugs oozing into contention.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 29, 2023, 05:39:05 PM
UST @ Schreiner
2-0 UST with about 20' left. Barring a miracle comeback, UST scrapes into the SCAC tournament and TLU drops down to 5th.
If TLU doesn't get in, that is a disappointment given the behavior of St. Thomas in their head-to-head.
Solid win today by Trinity over Centenary. The combination of Chen Adjei and Michael Meese has become formidable.
Adjei is noticeably more confident this season and in the last few games, his pace with the ball and decision making has been superb.
Meese still seems to be a tad bit cautious due to previous injury, but he gets to the right place and every shot on goal has a chance.
Nice to see things coming together at the right time.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 29, 2023, 05:39:05 PM
UST @ Schreiner
2-0 UST with about 20' left. Barring a miracle comeback, UST scrapes into the SCAC tournament and TLU drops down to 5th.
St. Thomas 3 - Schreiner 0
UST was confident about this game, sitting both Taty Aleman and Daniel Castro. They also played two backup GKs and generally gave backups a lot of time.
Texas Lutheran is out of the SCAC tournament, which is being hosted by UST.
A team that won't care what Wednesday's rankings are is Pacific Lutheran, as they locked up the NWC AQ this afternoon with a 5-0 win over Lewis & Clark. Whitworth beat Willamette 6-2, but can't catch PLU as they're 8 points back with only 2 games left.
I thought it would be interesting to compare preseason polls with season-ending standings (pre-conference tournament ) to see how closely the Region X coaches pegged it for the three leagues that have concluded their regular seasons
Conclusion - you should pay attention to these preseason polls because the coaches were uncannily accurate for the most part!
SCIAC:
The coaches predicted it almost exactly, with only Cal Tech and La Verne flipping spots:
Preseason Poll
2023 SCIAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Occidental, 65 points (3 first-place votes)
2. Redlands, 63 pts (1)
3. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 62 pts (1)
4. California Lutheran, 56 pts (1)
5. Chapman, 55 pts (2)
6. Pomona-Pitzer, 44 pts (1)
7. La Verne, 27 pts
8. Caltech, 17 pts
9. Whittier, 16 pts
Actual Finish
1. Occidental
2. Redlands
3. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
4. Cal Lutheran
5. Chapman
6. Pomona-Pitzer
7. Cal Tech
8. La Verne
9. Whittier
SCAC:
Not quite as accurate as in the SCIAC, but they got the tournament teams right (albeit out of order) and the non-tournament teams exactly right.
Preseason Poll
1. University of St. Thomas (7) 79
2. Trinity University (2) 74
3. Colorado College 59
4. Southwestern University 57
5. Texas Lutheran University 45
6. Austin College 26
7. Schreiner University 25
8. Centenary College 21
9. University of Dallas 19
Actual Finish
1. Colorado College
2. Trinity
3. Southwestern
4. St. Thomas
5. Texas Lutheran
6. Austin
7. Schreiner
8. Centenary
9. Dallas
ASC:
They got the tournament teams right (albeit flipping UTD and Hardin-Simmons) and got the rest right except for Howard Payne, which over-performed.
2023 ASC Preseason Men's Soccer Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points 2022 Record (ASC)
1. Mary Hardin-Baylor (10) 152 13-3-2 (7-1-1)
2. Concordia Texas (4) 138 10-3-4 (6-0-3)
3. UT Dallas (1) 117 9-6-4 (4-3-2)
4. Hardin-Simmons (1) 115 6-8-4 (5-4)
5. Ozarks (1) 81 10-5-5 (3-3-3)
6. LeTourneau 72 7-7-6 (3-4-2)
7. East Texas Baptist 58 7-7-3 (2-5-2)
8. McMurry (1) 48 5-9-3 (3-5-1)
9. Howard Payne 31 6-7-4 (3-4-2)
$ - Sul Ross State - 0-11-4 (0-7-2)
Actual Finish
1. Mary Hardin-Baylor
2. Concordia
3. Hardin-Simons
4. UT Dallas
5. Ozarks
6. Howard Payne
7. LeTourneau
8. McMurry
9. East Texas Baptist
10. Sul Ross State
According to the SCAC front office, Colorado College's 7-0-0 run was the first time in almost a decade (2014) that the conference's regular season champion got through the schedule unblemished. All of their victories against the other top five squads were by a single goal with only the St. Thomas win being on the road.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 30, 2023, 09:56:50 AM
According to the SCAC front office, Colorado College's 7-0-0 run was the first time in almost a decade (2014) that the conference's regular season champion got through the schedule unblemished. All of their victories against the other top five squads were by a single goal with only the St. Thomas win being on the road.
Interesting fact! That's probably in part because it's so hard to be consistently dominant given the travel in the SCAC. Having said that, I still don't get the sense that Colorado College has been very dominant this season. They have obviously done well, but, as you say, the games against other SCAC top teams haven't been easy by any stretch and they have had the advantage of playing most of them at home and playing St. Thomas away during its worst stretch of the season. I could easily see one of the other teams winning the tournament. I think Trinity has looked very good lately, but I think their fortunes may rest on JonConnor Rule. Trinity's defense is far from airtight and its GK is competent, but isn't going to carry the team. Rule was everywhere v. St. Thomas and he took a knock at one point (although he came back on). If that is a lingering problem or someone like Meese is limited, Trinity may have issues.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 30, 2023, 11:21:29 AM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 30, 2023, 09:56:50 AM
According to the SCAC front office, Colorado College's 7-0-0 run was the first time in almost a decade (2014) that the conference's regular season champion got through the schedule unblemished. All of their victories against the other top five squads were by a single goal with only the St. Thomas win being on the road.
Interesting fact! That's probably in part because it's so hard to be consistently dominant given the travel in the SCAC. Having said that, I still don't get the sense that Colorado College has been very dominant this season. They have obviously done well, but, as you say, the games against other SCAC top teams haven't been easy by any stretch and they have had the advantage of playing most of them at home and playing St. Thomas away during its worst stretch of the season. I could easily see one of the other teams winning the tournament. I think Trinity has looked very good lately, but I think their fortunes may rest on JonConnor Rule. Trinity's defense is far from airtight and its GK is competent, but isn't going to carry the team. Rule was everywhere v. St. Thomas and he took a knock at one point (although he came back on). If that is a lingering problem or someone like Meese is limited, Trinity may have issues.
Was discussing this earlier with a friend... CC having to go on the road for the tournament may not bode well for them. Good shot for an at-large if they can't take care of business. Especially with an additional RvR win if they take down UST again in the semi, but lose the final. Nearly a lock at this point for me.
Gonna predict it now: Trinity 3, Southwestern 1 on Friday.
The TU offense is clicking, personnel are in place, and a quiet momentum is with the team.
Preview of the ASC quarterfinals tomorrow (Tues 10/31):
#5 Ozarks @ #4 UT Dallas
UTD beat Ozarks 3-1 when they played three weeks ago at UTD. It was closer than the final score though. Ozarks actually led at half 1-0 and UTD didn't tie it up until the 69th minute. Ozarks committed a penalty in the box in the 84th minute and UTD took the lead on the ensuing PK. It added an insurance goal in the 88th minute to finish them off. UTD is coming off a lopsided win over McMurry, but before that it tied LeTourneau and lost to Hardin-Simmons. It's been a long time since it beat Colorado College. I don't think Ozarks will win this one, but they just played Hardin-Simmons close, losing 1-0, and won two in a row against East Texas Baptist and McMurry. Nevertheless, Ozarks is pretty far away and does better at home. It's a 320 mile drive from University of Ozarks to UT Dallas and it takes roughly 5 hours without traffic around DFW. The last game at UTD where Ozarks played them tough was on the weekend with a week's rest. This is a quick turnaround on a weekday after a game on Saturday.
#6 Howard Payne @ #3 Hardin-Simmons
Hardin-Simmons has the strongest SoS in the ASC this season at .583 (as of 10/23), in part because they played pre-conference games against Lynchburg and Virginia Wesleyan, as well as most of the top SCAC teams. H-S even got ties v. Southwestern and Trinity. Its only loss in the ASC was a 3-2 defeat to MHB. It also beat Howard Payne 2-0 two weeks ago in a game where it outshot HP 24-9 and had a 13-2 edge on corner kicks. Howard Payne is mostly happy to be here, out-performing its preseason ranking and beating LeTourneau for the spot. It tied Sul Ross State and lost badly to East Texas Baptist in the last few games and those teams got destroyed by most teams. H-S should take this one fairly easily, although HP will likely park the bus and pray for chaos.
#1 Mary Hardin-Baylor and #2 Concordia TX have a bye to the semifinals on Thursday.
Here are the USC regional rankings, which are not to be confused with the NCAA ones that can affect tournament bids and seeding
Region X - Poll 8 - October 31, 2023
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Pacific Lutheran University 1 13-1-4
2 Colorado College 2 13-2-1
3 Trinity University (Texas) 4 11-2-2
4 Southwestern University 5 10-2-3
5 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 11-3-1
6 Texas Lutheran University 3 14-3-0
7 Occidental College NR 11-3-3
8 University of Redlands 7 12-2-2
Occidental replaces Mary Hardin-Baylor, which reflects MHB's loss to Concordia TX and Oxy's win over Redlands
ASC quarterfinals results:
Hardin-Simmons 2 - Howard Payne 1
This game was way harder than it should have been for Hardin-Simmons and it was a costly victory, leaving them in a weakened position for the semifinal match against Concordia TX on Thursday. Howard Payne came into this match 3-11-2 overall and 2-4-1 in the ASC. Nevertheless, it scored first in the 32nd minute to take a 1-0 lead, but that seemed to ignite H-S, which came back with a tying goal 8 minutes later and took the lead 2-1 on a PK in the dying seconds of the first half. In trying to maintain that lead, though, one of H-S' players, J.J. Sisson, got a red card in the 69th minute. This is Sisson's second red card of the season. It could be costly without him in the semis because he's a senior defender who is their third leading scorer, leader in assists and tied for second in shots taken and shots on goal. He also got the assist on the one non-PK goal against Howard Payne tonight. J.J. Sisson has been a locked-in starter all four years at H-S, so they lose a very experienced player for a difficult match.
UT Dallas 5 - Ozarks 1
UTD dominated this game, with five different players scoring goals that were spread out with two in the first half and three in the second half. I figured Ozarks would have a difficult time having to take a 5 hour+ bus ride after playing on Saturday, but I didn't figure it would be this difficult. UTD is now on a roll. This is the second 5-1 victory in three days after beating McMurry 5-1 on Saturday.
Semifinals on Thursday 11/2 with both games at Mary Hardin-Baylor
Mary Hardin-Baylor v. UT Dallas
Concordia v. Hardin-Simmons
SCIAC tournament semifinals preview for games Wednesday night:
Cal Lutheran @ Occidental
Oxy comes in flying high after beating Redlands and La Verne to end the season, while Cal Lu kind of backed its way into the playoffs, losing to La Verne and Redlands in two of the last three and squeaking by last place Whittier, 1-0. Nevertheless, throw all of that out the window in this game. Every team seems to have an opponent that matches up well against them, gets up for their games against them, and appears to know how to frustrate them and shut them down. Cal Lu is that team for Oxy. They played twice in 2023 and the games ended in 1-1 and 0-0 ties. They played twice in 2022 and the games ended in 1-1 and 0-0 ties. Cal Lu also has experience in these kinds of matches, tying Redlands last year in the first round through double OT and beating them in PKs before falling to eventual champion Chapman in the semis. I would still expect Oxy to win given home field advantage, but I expect Cal Lu will make things difficult for them.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Redlands
Redlands beat CMS 2-1 the only time they played this year, but that was almost six weeks ago. Redlands rebounded from its loss to Oxy to beat fellow semi-finalist Cal Lu 3-1 on Saturday, while CMS had a pretty poor end to the season against two teams that didn't even make the playoffs: losing 3-1 to Pomona-Pitzer and tying Cal Tech 1-1. CMS does get back defender Chase Keir, who had to sit out the Cal Tech game after receiving a red card late in the Pomona-Pitzer game. CMS is going to have to up its game to beat Redlands away. They have the talent to do it -- they beat Oxy away 3-1 a few weeks ago -- but it's probably been that long since they were firing on all cylinders against an opponent that didn't just roll over for them.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 31, 2023, 11:58:09 PM
ASC quarterfinals results:
Hardin-Simmons 2 - Howard Payne 1
This game was way harder than it should have been for Hardin-Simmons and it was a costly victory, leaving them in a weakened position for the semifinal match against Concordia TX on Thursday. Howard Payne came into this match 3-11-2 overall and 2-4-1 in the ASC. Nevertheless, it scored first in the 32nd minute to take a 1-0 lead, but that seemed to ignite H-S, which came back with a tying goal 8 minutes later and took the lead 2-1 on a PK in the dying seconds of the first half. In trying to maintain that lead, though, one of H-S' players, J.J. Sisson, got a red card in the 69th minute. This is Sisson's second red card of the season. It could be costly without him in the semis because he's a senior defender who is their third leading scorer, leader in assists and tied for second in shots taken and shots on goal. He also got the assist on the one non-PK goal against Howard Payne tonight. J.J. Sisson has been a locked-in starter all four years at H-S, so they lose a very experienced player for a difficult match.
UT Dallas 5 - Ozarks 1
UTD dominated this game, with five different players scoring goals that were spread out with two in the first half and three in the second half. I figured Ozarks would have a difficult time having to take a 5 hour+ bus ride after playing on Saturday, but I didn't figure it would be this difficult. UTD is now on a roll. This is the second 5-1 victory in three days after beating McMurry 5-1 on Saturday.
Semifinals on Thursday 11/2 with both games at Mary Hardin-Baylor
Mary Hardin-Baylor v. UT Dallas
Concordia v. Hardin-Simmons
Does red card accumulation reset after conference play ends like yellow cards do? If not, I think it's a standard two-game suspension for a player's second red card on the season. Not advocating for that, but if reds do not reset, HSU would be without Sissen for an eventual championship game if they get past CTX(Re: Sissen's red vs. UMHB).
It is a misnomer that yellow cards reset. The total for suspension for yellow card accumulation goes up to 8 once the postseason starts. Players who never got to 5 in the regular season are not suspended until they get to 8. A player who had one regular season yellow could pick up 6 more without being suspended. Red card totals are cumulative throughout the year. Each red card after the first carries an additional penalty that is separate from the penalty with the red card itself. Example: fighting red cards are two game suspensions. A player who was ejected for two yellows early in the season gets a fighting red card. The player sits two games for the fighting plus an additional game for the second red card of the season.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 01, 2023, 02:38:06 PM
It is a misnomer that yellow cards reset. The total for suspension for yellow card accumulation goes up to 8 once the postseason starts. Players who never got to 5 in the regular season are not suspended until they get to 8. A player who had one regular season yellow could pick up 6 more without being suspended. Red card totals are cumulative throughout the year. Each red card after the first carries an additional penalty that is separate from the penalty with the red card itself. Example: fighting red cards are two game suspensions. A player who was ejected for two yellows early in the season gets a fighting red card. The player sits two games for the fighting plus an additional game for the second red card of the season.
Thanks, CSO.
Forgot to add that players who have already reached 5 or more during the regular season will still sit when they get to 8, 10, 12, etc. The idea is to reward players who did not pick up a lot of yellows during the season.
Quote from: Christan Shirk on October 25, 2023, 03:21:30 PM
REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 25, 2023
Rank
|
School | . Div. III .
Record | . Div. III .
SOS |
. R-v-R .
| . Overall .
Record | . Prev. .
Rank |
1. | Colorado College | 11-2-1 | 0.598 | 4-1-1 | 11-2-1 | Y |
2. | Texas Lutheran | 14-2-0 | 0.536 | 2-2-0 | 14-2-0 | Y |
3. | St. Thomas (Texas) | 10-2-0 | 0.544 | 2-1-0 | 11-2-1 | Y |
4. | Trinity (Texas) | 9-2-1 | 0.554 | 1-2-0 | 9-2-2 | Y |
5. | Redlands | 8-1-2 | 0.536 | -0 | 11-1-2 | Y |
6. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 9-3-1 | 0.536 | 0-3-0 | 9-3-2 | Y |
7. | Pacific Lutheran | 11-1-4 | 0.517 | 1-1-0 | 11-1-4 | Y |
New Region X regional rankings
Region X
1 Colorado Col. 13-2-1 13-2-1
2 Trinity (TX) 11-2-1 11-2-2
3 Texas Lutheran 14-3-0 14-3-0
4 St. Thomas (TX) 11-3-0 12-3-1
5 Southwestern (TX) 10-2-3 10-2-3
6 Occidental 10-3-3 11-3-3
7 Redlands 9-2-2 12-2-2
Pacific Lutheran and Mary Hardin-Baylor drop out. This affects Colorado College (which played both) and the other SCAC schools (all of whom but Southwestern beat MHB). Texas Lutheran picks up a ranked win with Occidental entering the rankings.
REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - November 01, 2023
Rank
|
School | . Div. III .
Record | . Div. III .
SOS |
. R-v-R .
| . Overall .
Record | . Prev. .
Rank |
1. | Colorado College | 13-2-1 | 0.570 | 4-1-1 | 13-2-1 | 1 |
2. | Trinity (Texas) | 11-2-1 | 0.552 | 2-2-0 | 11-2-2 | 4 |
3. | Texas Lutheran | 14-3-0 | 0.541 | 2-2-0 | 14-3-0 | 2 |
4. | St. Thomas (Texas) | 11-3-0 | 0.537 | 2-2-0 | 12-3-1 | 3 |
5. | Southwestern | 10-2-3 | 0.529 | 2-2-0 | 10-2-3 | -- |
6. | Occidental | 10-3-3 | 0.522 | 2-1-0 | 11-3-3 | -- |
7. | Redlands | 9-2-2 | 0.540 | -- | 12-2-2 | 5 |
Quote from: Christan Shirk on November 01, 2023, 04:16:04 PM
REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - November 01, 2023
Rank
|
School | . Div. III .
Record | . Div. III .
SOS |
. R-v-R .
| . Overall .
Record | . Prev. .
Rank |
1. | Colorado College | 13-2-1 | 0.570 | 4-1-1 | 13-2-1 | 1 |
2. | Trinity (Texas) | 11-2-1 | 0.552 | 2-2-0 | 11-2-2 | 4 |
3. | Texas Lutheran | 14-3-0 | 0.541 | 2-2-0 | 14-3-0 | 2 |
4. | St. Thomas (Texas) | 11-3-0 | 0.537 | 2-2-0 | 12-3-1 | 3 |
5. | Southwestern | 10-2-3 | 0.529 | 2-2-0 | 10-2-3 | -- |
6. | Occidental | 10-3-3 | 0.522 | 2-1-0 | 11-3-3 | -- |
7. | Redlands | 9-2-2 | 0.540 | -0 | 12-2-2 | 5 |
SCAC semi-final winners pick up a win vRRO, and the finals loser picks up a loss vRRO. If you're TLU you want Trinity and St. Thomas to lose in the semis and CC to win the final. A win in the semis by Trinity *might* be enough to keep them above the other regional Pool C contenders if Colorado beats the Celts again, unless Southwestern falls out of the rankings as a result when combined with other results in the region. Colorado might even stay on top of the region if they lose the final. Heck, maybe even if they lose in the semis, since they'd still probably have a higher SOS and better record vRRO than anyone else.
That said, I wonder why TLU isn't above Trinity given the Bulldogs' slightly better overall D3 record (.003), comparable SOS, H2H result, and equal record vRRO. The only criteria Trinity wins is SOS, but it's such a small difference (.011) that you'd think H2H would be the determining factor.
SCIAC announced its All-Conference Awards
https://thesciac.org/news/2023/11/1/mens-soccer-all-conference-awards-urs-barajas-oxys-karp-athletes-of-year.aspx
Offensive Player of the Year: Jarette Barajas, Redlands
Defensive Player of the Year: Evan Karp. Occidental
Newcomer of the Year: Keyon Mandar, Pomona-Pitzer
Award of Distinction: Derek Ing, Cal Tech
Coaching Staff of the year: Occidental
I predicted the Coaching Staff award based on historical SCIAC practice of giving it to the regular season champs, but I thought Cal Tech's coach, Duncan Gillespie, did more with less and should have been recognized.
At the risk of igniting debate (but nevertheless doing it), the yellow card rules are discriminatory against defenders. I have engaged counsel to check whether this is something we can escalate to the Supreme Court. I will keep all interested parties updated.
SCIAC Semifinals updates
HALF: Occidental 1 - Cal Lutheran 0
Oxy scores in the 34th minute on an Andrew Notter header on a cross from the end-line to the near post in the six-yard box. Cal Lu is struggling offensively, having registered only 1 shot in the first half compared to 6 for Oxy, although they have had two corners by virtue of getting down the sideline.
HALF: Redlands 0 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
CMS has had more opportunities than Redlands in the first half, but it's a stalemate thus far.
One interesting note is that the play-by-play announcer for Redlands is Joe Tutino, who is the long-time regular TV and now radio play-by-play guy for the LA Galaxy. Redlands coach Ralph Perez is a former LA Galaxy assistant coach and sometimes a color guy on Galaxy radio and I bet he brought him in given that the Galaxy are out of the playoffs and Tutino was not one of the team announcers selected for the Apple TV deal. Gives the stream a pro feel for listeners.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 01, 2023, 11:02:24 PM
One interesting note is that the play-by-play announcer for Redlands is Joe Tutino, who is the long-time regular TV and now radio play-by-play guy for the LA Galaxy. Redlands coach Ralph Perez is a former LA Galaxy assistant coach and sometimes a color guy on Galaxy radio and I bet he brought him in given that the Galaxy are out of the playoffs and Tutino was not one of the team announcers selected for the Apple TV deal. Gives the stream a pro feel for listeners.
Having Tutino on the call is a real treat. CMS up 1-0 on a bouncing free kick from just outside the penalty box.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 01, 2023, 11:02:24 PM
SCIAC Semifinals updates
HALF: Occidental 1 - Cal Lutheran 0
Oxy scores in the 34th minute on an Andrew Notter header on a cross from the end-line to the near post in the six-yard box. Cal Lu is struggling offensively, having registered only 1 shot in the first half compared to 6 for Oxy, although they have had two corners by virtue of getting down the sideline.
HALF: Redlands 0 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
CMS has had more opportunities than Redlands in the first half, but it's a stalemate thus far.
One interesting note is that the play-by-play announcer for Redlands is Joe Tutino, who is the long-time regular TV and now radio play-by-play guy for the LA Galaxy. Redlands coach Ralph Perez is a former LA Galaxy assistant coach and sometimes a color guy on Galaxy radio and I bet he brought him in given that the Galaxy are out of the playoffs and Tutino was not one of the team announcers selected for the Apple TV deal. Gives the stream a pro feel for listeners.
UPDATE:
Occidental 2 - Cal Lutheran 0
In the 51st minute, Oxy scores on a corner that was headed through the scrum into the goal. Based on Cal Lu's lack of offense to this point, it's hard to see them coming back without making a formation/personnel change. They appeared to come into this game hoping to frustrate Oxy on defense and then nick a goal on a counter, which won't work anymore.
CMS 1 - Redlands 0
CMS finally cashes in on all of those chances in the first half and scores off a free kick at the corner of the box that seemed to go across the box and into the far post on a bounce untouched. That was probably something Redlands GK Seth Lawrence should have gotten to (incidentally, Lawrence was actually was named SCIAC GK of the year earlier today, but charitably that is either a college career achievement award for the senior or a sign of the weakness of the position this year in the conference)
Professional looking field too...
UPDATE:
Occidental 3 - Cal Lutheran 0
Sebastian Romero scores on a beautiful diving header from a cross and Oxy is burying Cal Lu now. Looks like they can book their spot in the finals even though it's only the 63rd minute.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 01, 2023, 11:33:05 PM
Professional looking field too...
Best grass field in the SCIAC (Pomona's isn't bad too, but it has declined a bit over the years). Redlands' field is the closest to Trinity TX the conference can offer.
UPDATE:
Redlands 1 - CMS 1
Redlands scores in the 87th minute on a header from a cross. CMS GK Kevin Box made a great reaction save on the header, but the goal was poked in on the rebound. Heading for an exciting ending to this one.
Heading to OT now.
UPDATE: Redlands 1 - CMS 1 at the end of the first OT.
Redlands had one great shot on goal that CMS' Box saved up high, but otherwise the OT was fairly even.
UPDATE: 2OT ends 1-1. It's going to PKs
FINAL: Occidental 3 - Cal Lutheran 0
Oxy dominates and will host the final against either Redlands or CMS.
By the way, for those interested in these kinds of things, the attendance at Occidental for this game was massive - 2,117 (TWO THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED, and SEVENTEEN). The SCIAC finals at Occidental on Saturday night are going to be raucous.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 01, 2023, 11:59:48 PM
UPDATE:
Redlands 1 - CMS 1
Redlands scores in the 87th minute on a header from a cross. CMS GK Kevin Box made a great reaction save on the header, but the goal was poked in on the rebound. Heading for an exciting ending to this one.
Heading to OT now.
UPDATE: Redlands 1 - CMS 1 at the end of the first OT.
Redlands had one great shot on goal that CMS' Box saved up high, but otherwise the OT was fairly even.
UPDATE: 2OT ends 1-1. It's going to PKs
FINAL: Redlands wins on PKs 5-4. Seth Lawrence earns his keep saving the final CMS kick for the victory.
SCIAC finals on Saturday at 7 pm @ Oxy will be the third game of Redlands v. Occidental this season
Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament kicks off in a couple of hours in Santa Cruz, CA with the quarterfinals. Mary Washington and Christopher Newport have byes to the semifinals.
Wisconsin-Whitewater (#4) v. UC Santa Cruz (#5) Thursday, 11/2 at 11 am Pacific
W-W is 13-1-4 and ranked #6 in Region IX, but its SoS isn't amazing (.534) and its RvR is 0-1-2. So, it at least needs to win a couple of games in the tournament and even that might not get them a Pool C bid (especially since the UCSC game won't help it other than a little SoS bump). It also doesn't help that its one game against a high regionally ranked opponent (Wisconsin-Platteville) was a 4-0 loss. It probably needs to win the tournament. UCSC is not regionally ranked, but it does have a decent record at 10-5-3 and its SoS is better than Whitewater at .571. It also beat Occidental 2-1 in early October, so it has a ranked win. Plus, UCSC is on a 10 game unbeaten streak, with its last losses to Colorado College and Christopher Newport in a tough weekend trip to Colorado Springs in late September. It definitely needs to win the conference tournament to get a bid, but, more importantly, it isn't a pushover. The fact that the whole tournament is at UC Santa Cruz is not insignificant in a tournament when all but UCSC has to travel a great distance. Unfortunately for UCSC, the 11 am local start time and the fact that they are playing one of the teams with less travel and an hour less time difference will help neutralize that advantage. UCSC also doesn't get a lot of fans at their games anyway and there will be even fewer for an 11 am game on a Thursday (I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Whitewater parents who traveled for a mini-vacation). Best UCSC can hope for is that Whitewater players' bodies will be in shock from the change of weather and they won't adjust to the field's playing conditions or will get distracted from the view of the ocean from the field (see https://goslugs.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&image_path=/images/2021/8/19/LEField_Mowed_Lined.JPG (https://goslugs.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&image_path=/images/2021/8/19/LEField_Mowed_Lined.JPG)).
Wisconsin-Platteville (#3) v. Salisbury (#6) Thursday 11/2 at 2 pm Pacific
W-P is 12-1-4 and ranked #2 in Region IX. Salisbury is 7-5-4 and is unranked. That doesn't mean W-P can take Salisbury lightly though. It has a .590 SoS v. W-P's .588 and it tied Messiah 1-1 back in September and beat Christopher Newport 1-0 a few weeks ago. This game will be an interesting test of the competitive strength and playing style of two very different regions. Incidentally, one reason to tune into this game if you haven't seen Wisconsin-Platteville play before is to watch their GK, Seth Aiken, in action. He's massive - 6'8" and it's interesting to watch him deal with a physical size that is both a blessing and a curse. If Salisbury comes in with a game plan focused on lofted crosses, that won't work very well.
ASC Semifinals later today
Mary Hardin-Baylor (#1) v. UT Dallas (#4)
MHB has a home-field advantage as the host of both semifinal games and the finals. Its last game was a home loss to Concordia on Saturday, though, so home field doesn't mean everything. The last time it played UT Dallas was at home a little over two weeks ago and it won 2-0 in a game where a UTD player got a straight red in the 32nd minute when MHB was up 1-0. So, it's hard to read too much into that win or how the teams match up. UTD has been inconsistent this season, beating Colorado College and tying Southwestern early in the season, while tying LeTourneau and losing to Hardin-Simmons in recent games. Its last two games have been 5-1 wins, but against inferior opponents. I expect MHB, with the extra rest and the home field, should take care of UTD.
Concordia TX (#2) v. Hardin-Simmons (#3)
These two teams played each other less than two weeks ago at Hardin-Simmons on Senior Night and tied 0-0. Since then, H-S has won three in a row, but not in particularly convincing fashion, and Concordia has beaten MHB. I think H-S's loss of senior defender J.J. Sissons, who received a red card against Howard Payne in the QFs, will be difficult to overcome against a solid Concordia team. One small, but not completely trivial, difference for the teams is that Concordia has the shortest distance to travel (57 miles), while Hardin-Simmons has the longest (185 miles) of the semifinalists. An hour on a bus versus three hours on a bus can be meaningful.
First, kudos to Coach Cartee at CMS. He's a quality individual and glad they have had some success this season
Second, I find it discouraging and disappointing that TLU and UST weren't disqualified in the wake of their debacle for the SCAC tournament. That is an embarrassment, only added by fact that UST I think leads D3 in red cards. Firing the coach isn't a huge accountability thing to players that faced minimal punishment.
Third, Go Trinity.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:07:58 AM
FINAL: Occidental 3 - Cal Lutheran 0
Oxy dominates and will host the final against either Redlands or CMS.
By the way, for those interested in these kinds of things, the attendance at Occidental for this game was massive - 2,117 (TWO THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED, and SEVENTEEN). The SCIAC finals at Occidental on Saturday night are going to be raucous.
Kuiper, thanks for underscoring the attendance numbers. I hope folks really, really take that in...and realize there is very good soccer and high levels of interest beyond the East Coast and eastern part of Midwest. I was reminded last night by seeing Redlands' immaculate field (and you mentioning the Trinity set-up) that there are a lot of great places to play a very good level of soccer.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:54:15 PM
ASC Semifinals later today
Mary Hardin-Baylor (#1) v. UT Dallas (#4)
MHB has a home-field advantage as the host of both semifinal games and the finals. Its last game was a home loss to Concordia on Saturday, though, so home field doesn't mean everything. The last time it played UT Dallas was at home a little over two weeks ago and it won 2-0 in a game where a UTD player got a straight red in the 32nd minute when MHB was up 1-0. So, it's hard to read too much into that win or how the teams match up. UTD has been inconsistent this season, beating Colorado College and tying Southwestern early in the season, while tying LeTourneau and losing to Hardin-Simmons in recent games. Its last two games have been 5-1 wins, but against inferior opponents. I expect MHB, with the extra rest and the home field, should take care of UTD.
Concordia TX (#2) v. Hardin-Simmons (#3)
These two teams played each other less than two weeks ago at Hardin-Simmons on Senior Night and tied 0-0. Since then, H-S has won three in a row, but not in particularly convincing fashion, and Concordia has beaten MHB. I think H-S's loss of senior defender J.J. Sissons, who received a red card against Howard Payne in the QFs, will be difficult to overcome against a solid Concordia team. One small, but not completely trivial, difference for the teams is that Concordia has the shortest distance to travel (57 miles), while Hardin-Simmons has the longest (185 miles) of the semifinalists. An hour on a bus versus three hours on a bus can be meaningful.
Not insignificant to note that UMHB's last home loss to CTX was at Belton HS on turf due to the rain. About 14 yards narrower than UMHB's grass field. Anyway, post-season excitement will surely have all four teams buzzing this evening!
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:19:21 PM
Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament kicks off in a couple of hours in Santa Cruz, CA with the quarterfinals. Mary Washington and Christopher Newport have byes to the semifinals.
Wisconsin-Whitewater (#4) v. UC Santa Cruz (#5) Thursday, 11/2 at 11 am Pacific
W-W is 13-1-4 and ranked #6 in Region IX, but its SoS isn't amazing (.534) and its RvR is 0-1-2. So, it at least needs to win a couple of games in the tournament and even that might not get them a Pool C bid (especially since the UCSC game won't help it other than a little SoS bump). It also doesn't help that its one game against a high regionally ranked opponent (Wisconsin-Platteville) was a 4-0 loss. It probably needs to win the tournament. UCSC is not regionally ranked, but it does have a decent record at 10-5-3 and its SoS is better than Whitewater at .571. It also beat Occidental 2-1 in early October, so it has a ranked win. Plus, UCSC is on a 10 game unbeaten streak, with its last losses to Colorado College and Christopher Newport in a tough weekend trip to Colorado Springs in late September. It definitely needs to win the conference tournament to get a bid, but, more importantly, it isn't a pushover. The fact that the whole tournament is at UC Santa Cruz is not insignificant in a tournament when all but UCSC has to travel a great distance. Unfortunately for UCSC, the 11 am local start time and the fact that they are playing one of the teams with less travel and an hour less time difference will help neutralize that advantage. UCSC also doesn't get a lot of fans at their games anyway and there will be even fewer for an 11 am game on a Thursday (I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Whitewater parents who traveled for a mini-vacation). Best UCSC can hope for is that Whitewater players' bodies will be in shock from the change of weather and they won't adjust to the field's playing conditions or will get distracted from the view of the ocean from the field (see https://goslugs.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&image_path=/images/2021/8/19/LEField_Mowed_Lined.JPG (https://goslugs.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&image_path=/images/2021/8/19/LEField_Mowed_Lined.JPG)).
In the first C2C conference QF match, UC Santa Cruz advances over Wisconsin-Whitewater on PKs (5-4) after ending scoreless after 2OTs. UCSC's big freshman keeper, Kian Van der Meer, makes the save to clinch the match.
UCSC will take on Mary Washington in the first semifinal game tomorrow at 11 am.
Kuiper, can you call into the booth and get the video fixed or at least get them to flip the switch to ON for live stats?
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2023, 05:50:13 PM
Kuiper, can you call into the booth and get the video fixed or at least get them to flip the switch to ON for live stats?
I actually thought about cautioning people on the video stream when I did my preview of the C2C tournament games because UC Santa Cruz is notorious for having the worst video stream around. They use some kind of AI (non-operator) Veo-like system that tries to follow the ball, sometimes can't cover the whole field, and occasionally ends up showing the field at an angle (possibly because the wind is blowing in from the ocean). It's an embarrassment, but when your nickname is the Banana Slugs, you're probably not easily embarrassed.
My hope was that UCSC was merely hosting and the C2C officials brought or hired their own video team. The quality at the C2C tournament last year, for instance, was good. Alas, it appears that the host is in charge of this and no one thought to ask UCSC to step up their game a bit for the event.
As for Live Stats, those were on for the first game and do appear to be on for the second game as well (at the Half: UW-Plattesville 0 - Salisbury 0).
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:54:15 PM
ASC Semifinals later today
Mary Hardin-Baylor (#1) v. UT Dallas (#4)
MHB has a home-field advantage as the host of both semifinal games and the finals. Its last game was a home loss to Concordia on Saturday, though, so home field doesn't mean everything. The last time it played UT Dallas was at home a little over two weeks ago and it won 2-0 in a game where a UTD player got a straight red in the 32nd minute when MHB was up 1-0. So, it's hard to read too much into that win or how the teams match up. UTD has been inconsistent this season, beating Colorado College and tying Southwestern early in the season, while tying LeTourneau and losing to Hardin-Simmons in recent games. Its last two games have been 5-1 wins, but against inferior opponents. I expect MHB, with the extra rest and the home field, should take care of UTD.
HALF: Mary Hardin-Baylor 0 - UT Dallas 0
Tight game in Belton, Texas, with neither side getting the upper hand. The biggest excitment came seconds before the end of the half when it looked like a brawl was going to break out as the MHB keeper went to ground to collect a ball and an over-zealous UT player connected with his head. I couldn't see much of it, though, because the video operator quickly shut off the feed. If that was intentional, then I suspect the ASC and/or host MHB decided they weren't going to show any extra-curricular activities, perhaps to avoid the bad press the SCAC endured after the St. Thomas. Turns out there wasn't much there or it died down quickly as the video came back on and the ref issued the UTD player a yellow right before the last seconds ticked off the clock.
UPDATE: UT Dallas 1 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 0
UTD breaks through for the first goal in the 65th minute.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:19:21 PM
Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament kicks off in Santa Cruz, CA with the quarterfinals. Mary Washington and Christopher Newport have byes to the semifinals.
Wisconsin-Platteville (#3) v. Salisbury (#6) Thursday 11/2 at 2 pm Pacific
W-P is 12-1-4 and ranked #2 in Region IX. Salisbury is 7-5-4 and is unranked. That doesn't mean W-P can take Salisbury lightly though. It has a .590 SoS v. W-P's .588 and it tied Messiah 1-1 back in September and beat Christopher Newport 1-0 a few weeks ago. This game will be an interesting test of the competitive strength and playing style of two very different regions. Incidentally, one reason to tune into this game if you haven't seen Wisconsin-Platteville play before is to watch their GK, Seth Aiken, in action. He's massive - 6'8" and it's interesting to watch him deal with a physical size that is both a blessing and a curse. If Salisbury comes in with a game plan focused on lofted crosses, that won't work very well.
At the end of 90 minutes: Wisconsin-Platteville 0 - Salisbury 0
There was a substantial delay with about 6 minutes left in the game as a UW-Platteville defender was apparently seriously injured. I couldn't see on the stream, but it may have been they were waiting for medical help. It was long enough of a delay that the players all had to come back on the field and go through warmups again. Hope the player is OK. They restarted the game and it is not in the OT.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 07:03:25 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:54:15 PM
ASC Semifinals later today
Mary Hardin-Baylor (#1) v. UT Dallas (#4)
MHB has a home-field advantage as the host of both semifinal games and the finals. Its last game was a home loss to Concordia on Saturday, though, so home field doesn't mean everything. The last time it played UT Dallas was at home a little over two weeks ago and it won 2-0 in a game where a UTD player got a straight red in the 32nd minute when MHB was up 1-0. So, it's hard to read too much into that win or how the teams match up. UTD has been inconsistent this season, beating Colorado College and tying Southwestern early in the season, while tying LeTourneau and losing to Hardin-Simmons in recent games. Its last two games have been 5-1 wins, but against inferior opponents. I expect MHB, with the extra rest and the home field, should take care of UTD.
HALF: Mary Hardin-Baylor 0 - UT Dallas 0
Tight game in Belton, Texas, with neither side getting the upper hand. The biggest excitment came seconds before the end of the half when it looked like a brawl was going to break out as the MHB keeper went to ground to collect a ball and an over-zealous UT player connected with his head. I couldn't see much of it, though, because the video operator quickly shut off the feed. If that was intentional, then I suspect the ASC and/or host MHB decided they weren't going to show any extra-curricular activities, perhaps to avoid the bad press the SCAC endured after the St. Thomas. Turns out there wasn't much there or it died down quickly as the video came back on and the ref issued the UTD player a yellow right before the last seconds ticked off the clock.
UPDATE: UT Dallas 1 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 0
UTD breaks through for the first goal in the 65th minute.
FINAL: UT Dallas 1 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 0
In an upset, #4 seeded UTD beats #1 seeded Mary Hardin-Baylor. MHB just could not generate offense, putting only one shot on goal. When they did get close, the UTD defenders blocked their shots. That gave MHB a lot of corner opportunities, but they weren't able to direct those on frame either.
Although MHB was at one point regionally ranked, they weren't in the most recent ranking and they are surely out of contention for a Pool C bid. They end the season with two straight losses to ASC opponents.
UT Dallas will play the winner of the Concordia TX - Hardin-Simmons game
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 08:02:40 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:19:21 PM
Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament kicks off in Santa Cruz, CA with the quarterfinals. Mary Washington and Christopher Newport have byes to the semifinals.
Wisconsin-Platteville (#3) v. Salisbury (#6) Thursday 11/2 at 2 pm Pacific
W-P is 12-1-4 and ranked #2 in Region IX. Salisbury is 7-5-4 and is unranked. That doesn't mean W-P can take Salisbury lightly though. It has a .590 SoS v. W-P's .588 and it tied Messiah 1-1 back in September and beat Christopher Newport 1-0 a few weeks ago. This game will be an interesting test of the competitive strength and playing style of two very different regions. Incidentally, one reason to tune into this game if you haven't seen Wisconsin-Platteville play before is to watch their GK, Seth Aiken, in action. He's massive - 6'8" and it's interesting to watch him deal with a physical size that is both a blessing and a curse. If Salisbury comes in with a game plan focused on lofted crosses, that won't work very well.
At the end of 90 minutes: Wisconsin-Platteville 0 - Salisbury 0
There was a substantial delay with about 6 minutes left in the game as a UW-Platteville defender was apparently seriously injured. I couldn't see on the stream, but it may have been they were waiting for medical help. It was long enough of a delay that the players all had to come back on the field and go through warmups again. Hope the player is OK. They restarted the game and it is not in the OT.
Still tied 0-0 at the of the first OT. On to 2OT between Wisconsin-Platteville and Salisbury.
As in the first QF match, this one is tied up 0-0 at the end of 2OT. On to PKs.
FINAL: Wisconsin-Platteville advances over Salisbury in PKs . W-P's huge GK Seth Aiken stops 2 (not that we could see because of the UCSC camera). They play Christopher Newport in the semifinals.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 02, 2023, 12:54:15 PM
ASC Semifinals
Concordia TX (#2) v. Hardin-Simmons (#3)
These two teams played each other less than two weeks ago at Hardin-Simmons on Senior Night and tied 0-0. Since then, H-S has won three in a row, but not in particularly convincing fashion, and Concordia has beaten MHB. I think H-S's loss of senior defender J.J. Sissons, who received a red card against Howard Payne in the QFs, will be difficult to overcome against a solid Concordia team. One small, but not completely trivial, difference for the teams is that Concordia has the shortest distance to travel (57 miles), while Hardin-Simmons has the longest (185 miles) of the semifinalists. An hour on a bus versus three hours on a bus can be meaningful.
FINAL: Concordia TX 1 - Hardin-Simmons 0
Concordia gets a goal in the first half and hangs on to beat H-S. They face UT Dallas on Saturday for the ASC championship and the automatic bid. Concordia won the first meeting between those teams on 10/12, but that was a WILD game (even for Texas). A UTD player was ejected with a second yellow card in the 31st minute when UTD was leading 2-1. Concordia went on tie the game in the 53rd minute. Then a UTD player got a straight red card in the 69th minute and Concordia, playing two men up, scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute. Even then, the result was not sealed up as Concordia was called for a foul in the box and UTD's PK was saved. The teams accumulated 14 cards in that game, fairly evenly divided between the two teams. Seems like there may be some bad blood between these two teams. We'll see if it spills over into the rematch in the conference championship match.
Redlands is already trying to counter Occidental's massive home field crowd for the SCIAC final by arranging a free rooter bus for students for Saturday
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzKSySBPatU/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
In the first Coast-to-Coast Conference Semifinal game:
FINAL: Mary Washington 2 - UC Santa Cruz 0
No shame in losing to one of the best teams in the country, although I wasn't able to see it.
SCAC Semifinals Preview:
Colorado College (#1) v. St. Thomas (#4)
Colorado College finished a perfect 8-0 in conference this year for the first time ever and 13-2-1 overall. It beat Christopher Newport, St. Thomas, Trinity, and Southwestern, as well as now unranked Texas Lutheran. It also tied Ohio Northern. It's only losses were to Pacific Lutheran, which has already clinched the AQ with the Northwest Conference, and UT Dallas, which has made it to the ASC Conference Championship finals and could win the AQ. Not a bad season. Having said that, all of its strong wins have been at home (where the altitude, travel, or whatever else has made CC a fortress), except a 1-0 victory at St. Thomas, which is where this game will be held. St. Thomas backed its way into the SCAC playoffs after losing to Trinity. Although it is at home, whether St. Thomas can compete with Colorado College may depend on the health of Taty Aleman, who was limping in the Trinity game and was out for the win against Schreiner.
Trinity (#2) v. Southwestern (#3)
Trinity crushed Southwestern 4-0 in their earlier meeting this season at the end of September, which was the only time all season Southwestern has given up more than 2 goals and they only did that once, earning a .80 goals against average this season. Southwestern, however, has improved since then, winning 6 out of 7 with the only loss a 1-0 defeat to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. If Trinity's Meese, Adjei and Rule play like they did against St. Thomas, they will be hard to contain. The key may be whether they can get on the board early and draw Southwestern out of its shell. That was how they unlocked the Southwestern defense in the first game.
Midway through the first half:
Wisconsin-Platteville 2 - Christopher Newport 0
Might want to turn it on if you haven't found the feed already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvVOszkQK0E
Quote from: Kuiper on November 03, 2023, 05:28:50 PM
Midway through the first half:
Wisconsin-Platteville 2 - Christopher Newport 0
Might want to turn it on if you haven't found the feed already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvVOszkQK0E
Popped this open but right at the end of the first half. Learned from the field fence that banana slugs have no known predators, so that's a win for me.
Christopher Newport pulls one back in the 55th and it is now 2-1 Wisconsin-Platteville.
Not sure which board is SAA but figured I'd try here. Can move it if necessary.
The Lynx score with 1:19 left to go up 1-0 vs Centre in the SAA semis. Exciting end and Rhodes will meet the winner of Oglethorpe vs Sewanee.
Colorado College has an early 1-0 lead on St. Thomas with 15' left in the first period. Two observations:
1. For the second straight match, no sign of Rodrigo Lazo in goal; instead, Gustavo Otero gets the start, his first of the season. Before today, Otero had a total of 40' in goal with 13' of that coming earlier in the week against Schreiner. Cristo Gayoso, who saw the bulk of the action in the Schreiner match, actually has more starts than Lazo (11 vs. 5).
2. Taty Aleman did start, but was subbed out at 13' having not taken a shot.
And with 10' left Daniel Castro ties it up. The Tigers are having a difficult time in the final third as they scored off their only SOG so far in the match. St Thomas has outshot them 7-3, 5-1 on target.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 03, 2023, 06:16:53 PM
Christopher Newport pulls one back in the 55th and it is now 2-1 Wisconsin-Platteville.
FINAL: Wisconsin-Platteville 2 - Christopher Newport 1 in the C2C semifinals
I would call it an upset, but this is a conference where there isn't really a regular season and the teams generally only play the teams close to them before the conference tournament. Christopher Newport was ranked #2 in Region VI, but Wisconsin-Platteville was ranked #2 in Region IX and there's not a lot of cross-pollination between Region VI and Region IX teams. Christopher Newport definitely had a big edge in shots, but that really only started after Platteville went up to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
There was always going to be one of Mary Washington and Christopher Newport who would need a Pool C bid, but it sure looks like two Pool C bids will come out of the C2C conference either way since both finalists are going to be deserving.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 03, 2023, 07:02:40 PM
Colorado College has an early 1-0 lead on St. Thomas with 15' left in the first period. Two observations:
1. For the second straight match, no sign of Rodrigo Lazo in goal; instead, Gustavo Otero gets the start, his first of the season. Before today, Otero had a total of 40' in goal with 13' of that coming earlier in the week against Schreiner. Cristo Gayoso, who saw the bulk of the action in the Schreiner match, actually has more starts than Lazo (11 vs. 5).
2. Taty Aleman did start, but was subbed out at 13' having not taken a shot.
And with 10' left Daniel Castro ties it up. The Tigers are having a difficult time in the final third as they scored off their only SOG so far in the match. St Thomas has outshot them 7-3, 5-1 on target.
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - Colorado College 1
I also was surprised at Otero starting. He might have been at least partially at fault on the Colorado College goal too, at least based on the announcer call (the camera only showed a partial angle of the goal). Lazo didn't cover himself in glory in the Trinity game and Otero is much bigger (6'1") than both Lazo and Gayoso (both charitably listed at 5'10", but probably shorter), but it's a heck of a time to give a sophomore a start when the longest he has played in a game in his college career was 13:48 and he has two saves on his record from way back at the beginning of the season against Pomona-Pitzer.
St. Thomas is getting some opportunities by going over the top. It could easily have been 2-1, but Colorado College's GK, Jasper Broad, came out very aggressively and blocked a 1 v 1 at the top of the box. In fact, because of that earlier save, I think Castro knew that was coming on his goal and easily adjusted to kick the ball past Broad before he was set.
Taty Aleman was ineffective. He may be done. Castro may have to carry the offense. Ramirez can also score on free kicks. They have some young players who can score too, but Aleman is such a huge part of their offense.
St Thomas had good success against Trinity over the top, it must be a big part of their style of play. Yeah they get called offsides a lot but they time the runs pretty well and their long passing can be exquisite.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Colorado College 1
UST scores on a header off a free kick by Daniel Castro in the 73rd minute. He has a brace, but looks to be injured as a result of the Colorado College GK and defense collapsing on him late.
FINAL: St. Thomas 2 - Colorado College 1
UST holds on to knock off the #1 seed (and picks up another ranked win in case they lose in the finals). Otero actually made some big saves after CC went up. Perhaps the new coach saw his potential.
Trinity gets two quick goals in the first 10', the first an OG off a deflection from just outside the 18, the second a brilliant corner from Meese that may have gone in on its own but was touched by Instrall on the way in. It's calmed down since, with 12' to go it's Trinity 2-0 Southwestern who are still in search of their first official shot.
Edit: announcers said Meese, it's impossible to tell with the crummy video which is not only distant but low-resolution, but given no assist was awarded perhaps it was Instrall on the corner. 2-0 at half and Pirates have yet to mount any kind of serious threat.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 03, 2023, 09:50:48 PM
Trinity gets two quick goals in the first 10', the first an OG off a deflection from just outside the 18, the second a brilliant corner from Meese that may have gone in on its own but was touched by Instrall on the way in. It's calmed down since, with 12' to go it's Trinity 2-0 Southwestern who are still in search of their first official shot.
HALF: Trinity 2 - Southwestern 0
Not sure Southwestern has the offensive firepower to come back, but they still haven't registered a shot, let alone a shot on goal.
Trinity gets a brilliant shot on a rebound from Braden Shuey, who struck the ball in the air after Prather's block came out near the top of the box. 3-0 ten minutes into the second period.
Edit: Gets a little chippy at the end and the ref goes yellow happy with four in the last 2' but Trinity is through to the SCAC final. With Colorado losing, they probably need to win Sunday to get into the NCAAs.
Quote from: Freddyfud on November 03, 2023, 06:54:53 PM
Not sure which board is SAA but figured I'd try here. Can move it if necessary.
The Lynx score with 1:19 left to go up 1-0 vs Centre in the SAA semis. Exciting end and Rhodes will meet the winner of Oglethorpe vs Sewanee.
Video of the goal. Was a banger.
https://youtu.be/ZtVLXyJkaJ4
SCIAC Championship preview
Redlands @ Occidental
Round 3 in this heavyweight SCIAC battle. Oxy has won both matches, 2-0 at Redlands, and 2-1 at home a little over a week ago. Redlands also may be coming in limping after going 110 minutes and PKs to advance against CMS. Striker Jarette Barajas was injured late in that game as well. He was able to come in and hit the first PK in the shootout, but it would be a big loss if he was unavailable or playing at less than 100%. He was just named SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year, although I thought that was a puzzling choice. He's had some good games, but his goals and assists total weren't even in the top 5 in the SCIAC. Nevertheless, he's clearly a big part of the Redlands offense along with Kostenko and Palmer. By contrast, Occidental had a relatively easy time of it in their semifinal match, winning 3-0 against Cal Lutheran. Oxy has had games where they lose focus and interest, but they generally seem to get it together in the big games.
The last two home games for Occidental have had eye-popping attendance numbers of 2,003 and 2,117. (You read that right - they have had over TWO THOUSAND in attendance for the last two games). For the home game that preceded those two against last place Whittier, they had 1,894. Huge, rowdy, student attendance. Lots of family, people from the community, alums, and faculty and staff. They even have the Oxy Ultras supporters group. It is loud too. Vuvuzelas, cow bells, and other noisemakers blaring. Only negative is the track surrounding the field, but it is still a pretty impressive home field environment when fans are out in full force, especially for a school that only has around 1950 students. Redlands is already trying to counter that advantage just a little bit by arranging a free bus to take its students to the game. It's a shame that the camera on the stream is at the top of the stands. It's pretty cool to see the grandstands of a former football stadium full for a D3 soccer game.
ASC Championship Preview:
UT Dallas v. Concordia TX at 6 pm central
Concordia come into the game on a 6 game unbeaten streak, while UTD has a three game streak and just beat host Mary Hardin-Baylor in a tight game. As I wrote after Concordia beat Hardin-Simmons in the semifinals, UTD and Concordia had a crazy game last time they met this season and one that suggests that this could be a physical, chippy, game. It will need a strong center ref to keep a hold on things.
QuoteConcordia won the first meeting between those teams on 10/12, but that was a WILD game (even for Texas). A UTD player was ejected with a second yellow card in the 31st minute when UTD was leading 2-1. Concordia went on tie the game in the 53rd minute. Then a UTD player got a straight red card in the 69th minute and Concordia, playing two men up, scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute. Even then, the result was not sealed up as Concordia was called for a foul in the box and UTD's PK was saved. The teams accumulated 14 cards in that game, fairly evenly divided between the two teams. Seems like there may be some bad blood between these two teams. We'll see if it spills over into the rematch in the conference championship match.
NWC regular season finale
Willamette 2 - Pacific Lutheran 1
I haven't posted about the NWC in awhile because Pacific Lutheran clinched first place and the automatic bid with about 4 games left in the season. The benefit of not having a conference tournament is the best team throughout the season is rewarded. The disadvantage is that it takes out the excitement from the end of the season, although for the NWC it gives everyone more games, which they need when there are no other D3 teams for hundreds of miles (and you have to go over a thousand miles to get more than one). The question whether it is better or worse for the early clinching team. I guess we'll see because Pac Lu is the one that looks like it doesn't care about these last few games, while Willamette and the rest of the NWC are treating it like it's their NCAA tournament.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 04, 2023, 12:15:26 PM
SCIAC Championship preview
Redlands @ Occidental
Round 3 in this heavyweight SCIAC battle. Oxy has won both matches, 2-0 at Redlands, and 2-1 at home a little over a week ago. Redlands also may be coming in limping after going 110 minutes and PKs to advance against CMS. Striker Jarette Barajas was injured late in that game as well. He was able to come in and hit the first PK in the shootout, but it would be a big loss if he was unavailable or playing at less than 100%. He was just named SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year, although I thought that was a puzzling choice. He's had some good games, but his goals and assists total weren't even in the top 5 in the SCIAC. Nevertheless, he's clearly a big part of the Redlands offense along with Kostenko and Palmer. By contrast, Occidental had a relatively easy time of it in their semifinal match, winning 3-0 against Cal Lutheran. Oxy has had games where they lose focus and interest, but they generally seem to get it together in the big games.
The last two home games for Occidental have had eye-popping attendance numbers of 2,003 and 2,117. (You read that right - they have had over TWO THOUSAND in attendance for the last two games). For the home game that preceded those two against last place Whittier, they had 1,894. Huge, rowdy, student attendance. Lots of family, people from the community, alums, and faculty and staff. They even have the Oxy Ultras supporters group. It is loud too. Vuvuzelas, cow bells, and other noisemakers blaring. Only negative is the track surrounding the field, but it is still a pretty impressive home field environment when fans are out in full force, especially for a school that only has around 1950 students. Redlands is already trying to counter that advantage just a little bit by arranging a free bus to take its students to the game. It's a shame that the camera on the stream is at the top of the stands. It's pretty cool to see the grandstands of a former football stadium full for a D3 soccer game.
FINAL: Occidental 3 - Redlands 0
It's hard to beat a good team three teams in a season, but Occidental did it against Redlands and really controlled all three games. Oxy scored in the fifth minute on a deep ball that caught Redlands GK Seth Lawrence off his line and then broke open a tight game with a goal in the 77th that was against the run of play after Redlands was peppering the Oxy goal with shots (and forcing multiple goal line clearances by the Oxy defense). Redlands then seemed to run out of gas a little and Oxy scored another goal in the 84th minute to put the game to bed. This is Occidental's first men's soccer SCIAC championship in its history.
Massive crowd of 2,143. That makes three straight Oyx home games with over two thousand fans in attendance, each larger than the last one. If this wasn't the highest attendance at a D3 men's soccer game this year, it had to be close. How many schools have ever had three straight two thousand plus attendance games? You can bet the NCAA is figuring out how they can host the Region X pod at Occidental notwithstanding the fact that probably three teams from Region X will be located in Texas. They would get more than 4 times the attendance Pacific Lutheran had when it hosted in 2021.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 04, 2023, 12:36:18 PM
ASC Championship Preview:
UT Dallas v. Concordia TX at 6 pm central
Concordia come into the game on a 6 game unbeaten streak, while UTD has a three game streak and just beat host Mary Hardin-Baylor in a tight game. As I wrote after Concordia beat Hardin-Simmons in the semifinals, UTD and Concordia had a crazy game last time they met this season and one that suggests that this could be a physical, chippy, game. It will need a strong center ref to keep a hold on things.
QuoteConcordia won the first meeting between those teams on 10/12, but that was a WILD game (even for Texas). A UTD player was ejected with a second yellow card in the 31st minute when UTD was leading 2-1. Concordia went on tie the game in the 53rd minute. Then a UTD player got a straight red card in the 69th minute and Concordia, playing two men up, scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute. Even then, the result was not sealed up as Concordia was called for a foul in the box and UTD's PK was saved. The teams accumulated 14 cards in that game, fairly evenly divided between the two teams. Seems like there may be some bad blood between these two teams. We'll see if it spills over into the rematch in the conference championship match.
FINAL: UT Dallas 1 - Concordia TX 1 after 2OT. UTD advances 6-5 on PKs
UTD gets the automatic bid in what will likely be its final year of DIII eligibility after announcing in July that it planned to apply for DII status in February 2024.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 01:29:23 AM
Massive crowd of 2,143. That makes three straight Oyx home games with over two thousand fans in attendance, each larger than the last one. If this wasn't the highest attendance at a D3 men's soccer game this year, it had to be close. How many schools have ever had three straight two thousand plus attendance games? You can bet the NCAA is figuring out how they can host the Region X pod at Occidental notwithstanding the fact that probably three teams from Region X will be located in Texas. They would get more than 4 times the attendance Pacific Lutheran had when it hosted in 2021.
What are the protocols for determining the host site for the first/second rounds? Wouldn't it typically be at the highest ranked team in that grouping of four? Is it totally at the NCAA's discretion?
The handbook PaulNewman linked in another thread sets out a lot of the factors under consideration, including quality of the facilities, and infrastructure of the area (lodging etc). I was interested to see that if a school has both men's and women's teams participating in the tournament, this year the women will host at that institution (women host in odd years).
Quote from: regionxfan17 on November 05, 2023, 07:56:20 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 01:29:23 AM
Massive crowd of 2,143. That makes three straight Oyx home games with over two thousand fans in attendance, each larger than the last one. If this wasn't the highest attendance at a D3 men's soccer game this year, it had to be close. How many schools have ever had three straight two thousand plus attendance games? You can bet the NCAA is figuring out how they can host the Region X pod at Occidental notwithstanding the fact that probably three teams from Region X will be located in Texas. They would get more than 4 times the attendance Pacific Lutheran had when it hosted in 2021.
What are the protocols for determining the host site for the first/second rounds? Wouldn't it typically be at the highest ranked team in that grouping of four? Is it totally at the NCAA's discretion?
A big factor is travel costs. There are numerous examples where the NCAA forces the better team (or sometimes even teams) in a pod to travel if they can save on flights. This impacts the island teams on the West Coast and Texas more than anyone else since it is harder to put together a pod where everyone can bus (defined by the NCAA as within 500 miles). This is a significant amount of money since you're talking about putting 29 people on a plane at last-second fare costs.
I don't know of a single example in the past where the AA has based a hosting decision solely on attendance. HOWEVER, according to p. 25 of the 2023-4 Division III Soccer Pre-Championships Manual (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/championships/sports/soccer/d3/common/2023-24D3XSO_PreChampsManual.pdf), one of the hosting criteria is "[a]ttendance history and revenue potential".
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 05, 2023, 08:38:50 AM
Quote from: regionxfan17 on November 05, 2023, 07:56:20 AM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 01:29:23 AM
Massive crowd of 2,143. That makes three straight Oyx home games with over two thousand fans in attendance, each larger than the last one. If this wasn't the highest attendance at a D3 men's soccer game this year, it had to be close. How many schools have ever had three straight two thousand plus attendance games? You can bet the NCAA is figuring out how they can host the Region X pod at Occidental notwithstanding the fact that probably three teams from Region X will be located in Texas. They would get more than 4 times the attendance Pacific Lutheran had when it hosted in 2021.
What are the protocols for determining the host site for the first/second rounds? Wouldn't it typically be at the highest ranked team in that grouping of four? Is it totally at the NCAA's discretion?
A big factor is travel costs. There are numerous examples where the NCAA forces the better team (or sometimes even teams) in a pod to travel if they can save on flights. This impacts the island teams on the West Coast and Texas more than anyone else since it is harder to put together a pod where everyone can bus (defined by the NCAA as within 500 miles). This is a significant amount of money since you're talking about putting 29 people on a plane at last-second fare costs.
I don't know of a single example in the past where the AA has based a hosting decision solely on attendance. HOWEVER, according to p. 25 of the 2023-4 Division III Soccer Pre-Championships Manual (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/championships/sports/soccer/d3/common/2023-24D3XSO_PreChampsManual.pdf), one of the hosting criteria is "[a]ttendance history and revenue potential".
I was mostly kidding about Occidental hosting. The thing about geography in Region X is that if it was the number one criteria, then the pod would almost always be hosted in Texas since there are two leagues (SCAC and ASC) in Texas and one in the Northwest and one in Southern California. So, NCAA at least some of the time has to spread the hosting to one of the other leagues. The problem this year is that Colorado College is currently #1 in Region X. That probably will change after they lost in the SCAC playoffs, but Colorado College will likely be one of the SCAC teams who get a Pool C bid and maybe it will be the only Pool C bid from Region X. Colorado College is more than 500 miles from every other team in Region X, so no geography benefit for them. With UT Dallas not even regionally ranked last week and unlikely to be this week because they didn't play any regionally ranked teams in the ASC playoffs (and have a weaker record and poor RvR record), and Pacific Lutheran not ranked and even less likely to be regionally ranked after losing to Willamette yesterday, that would leave Colorado College and Occidental, both of whom are more than 500 miles away from every other team in the pod. Texas Lutheran has an outside chance of getting a Pool C bid as well, but I don't think their field has a fence around it so I'm not sure they would be eligible to host either under NCAA rules for charging tickets. To add to the complexity, if St. Thomas beats Trinity and Trinity doesn't get a Pool C bid, it's not clear St. Thomas even could host because they don't have their own stadium and instead rent the stadium from the Houston Sabercats rugby team. That might not be available on short notice. So, the typical guidelines for choosing a host, which are always a bit difficult to apply in Region X, will be particularly difficult to apply this year and it's certainly not out of the question that Occidental could be chosen to host.
Bottom line: If Trinity wins the SCAC championship today, I would guess they will host, BUT the Trinity women's soccer team is also in the SCAC championship game today and/or could get a Pool C bid, which would give them hosting priority at the school if it comes to that. If Trinity men don't win the SCAC and don't get a Pool C bid (or the women do and get to host), then it's possible Oxy could get the hosting rights over Colorado College, UT Dallas, Pacific Lutheran, and St. Thomas or whichever other TX team from the SCAC gets a Pool C bid
I think Texas Lutheran could still host even if they don't have a fence. St Olaf has no fence, and has hosted in the past and will be hosting this year. They have to put up a temporary fence, but that isn't an issue for most schools. The temporary one St Olaf has up isn't much different than something anyone could put up with some supplies from the local hardware store.
Quote from: mngopher on November 05, 2023, 01:01:27 PM
I think Texas Lutheran could still host even if they don't have a fence. St Olaf has no fence, and has hosted in the past and will be hosting this year. They have to put up a temporary fence, but that isn't an issue for most schools. The temporary one St Olaf has up isn't much different than something anyone could put up with some supplies from the local hardware store.
Good to know! Texas Lutheran's grass field itself is not that great either (unlike St. Olaf's beautiful artificial turf field), but as a practical matter I find it hard to see how Texas Lutheran gets to the highest seed in the region. Trinity/St. Thomas and Colorado College would both have better RvR and probably better SoS than Texas Lutheran, which didn't even make the SCAC playoffs.
Yes - most of the NESCAC fields are not fenced in, either, and they have definitely hosted NCAA rounds.
On another note, if UT-Dallas, Oxy, Pac Lutheran, and the SCAC playoff winner are the AQs, that's already 4 teams. If there is even one Pool C team out of the region, won't one of the teams have to be placed in a different pod?
Quote from: regionxfan17 on November 05, 2023, 01:16:39 PM
Yes - most of the NESCAC fields are not fenced in, either, and they have definitely hosted NCAA rounds.
On another note, if UT-Dallas, Oxy, Pac Lutheran, and the SCAC playoff winner are the AQs, that's already 4 teams. If there is even one Pool C team out of the region, won't one of the teams have to be placed in a different pod?
Yes. Last year they moved Willamette to the Chicago bracket (when Pacific Lutheran made it as well) and beat Willamette beat Wisconsin-Platteville. They try to keep teams from playing another conference opponent if possible, which is why it's more likely a SCAC team gets moved this year. It's possible that could be Colorado College since it could be moved to an upper midwest pod.
@Kuiper - Trinity women (who are struggling anyway against Southwestern right now, scoreless and being outshot 18-6 with 16' to go in the SCAC final) were the last team ranked in the region. Either HSU (who won the ASC, ranked third prior to the weekend) or UMHB (ranked first before losing in the ASC championship) will host the Texas women's pod.
Edit: the live stats were backwards. TUW win the SCAC 1-0.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 05, 2023, 01:33:31 PM
@Kuiper - Trinity women (who are struggling anyway against Southwestern right now, scoreless and being outshot 18-6 with 16' to go in the SCAC final) were the last team ranked in the region. Either HSU (who won the ASC, ranked third prior to the weekend) or UMHB (ranked first before losing in the ASC championship) will host the Texas women's pod.
Yeah, I was trying to be complete since Trinity technically was still in the running and is the only school in Region X that has both men and women alive for NCAA bids in a year in which the women have priority, but I saw that they are ranked low in the region. I still think Trinity is the most likely host, but if St. Thomas wins today, then it's more uncertain.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 03, 2023, 07:03:36 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 03, 2023, 06:16:53 PM
Christopher Newport pulls one back in the 55th and it is now 2-1 Wisconsin-Platteville.
FINAL: Wisconsin-Platteville 2 - Christopher Newport 1 in the C2C semifinals
I would call it an upset, but this is a conference where there isn't really a regular season and the teams generally only play the teams close to them before the conference tournament. Christopher Newport was ranked #2 in Region VI, but Wisconsin-Platteville was ranked #2 in Region IX and there's not a lot of cross-pollination between Region VI and Region IX teams. Christopher Newport definitely had a big edge in shots, but that really only started after Platteville went up to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
There was always going to be one of Mary Washington and Christopher Newport who would need a Pool C bid, but it sure looks like two Pool C bids will come out of the C2C conference either way since both finalists are going to be deserving.
Coast-to-Coast Conference Championship
HALF: Mary Washington 2 - Wisconsin-Platteville 1
Platteville scored first in the 11th minute, but Mary Washington roared back to score goals in the 15th and 29th minutes to lead 2-1 at half. Mary Washington's second goal was a beautiful header off a well-worked free kick where somehow a single M-W attacker broke through the space to head it to the far corner past the W-P GK. That is really good execution of what I assume is well-designed strategy the coaches came up with after close scouting (possibly in-person, which is what the C2C tournament enables). Because W-P's GK is so massive (6'8"), the W-P defense pushes up on free kicks to give him space to rush out and claim any ball in the air. It's a common strategy, even for shorter GKs, but the W-P defenders tend to hold their line because of the confidence they have that their GK is going to win the ball. For a well-hit driven ball that wasn't lofted and was directed closer to the near post, though, height isn't such an advantage and the GK was basically frozen while the MW attacker got the jump on his defender and the space was open to beat the GK for the ball and then redirect it.
I hope the SCAC looks for another broadcaster than Cooper Sports for its championship broadcasts. The announcers are solid, but the camera work is inconsistent, the stats were switched for the TU-Southwestern women's game, and although they announced the tourney teams, MVPs, and championship team - they didn't show the video!
Quote from: D3Navy on November 05, 2023, 02:59:07 PM
I hope the SCAC looks for another broadcaster than Cooper Sports for its championship broadcasts. The announcers are solid, but the camera work is inconsistent, the stats were switched for the TU-Southwestern women's game, and although they announced the tourney teams, MVPs, and championship team - they didn't show the video!
Cooper Sports is St. Thomas' regular broadcaster and the host school arranges the broadcasts. Since St. Thomas is the host for the men's and women's soccer championships, that's why we got Cooper Sports. To be fair, it's better than the Coast-to-Coast Conference where UC Santa Cruz mostly just provided an AI Veo-type broadcast with no announcers and a camera that didn't cover the whole field and sometimes didn't track the ball.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 02:01:33 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 03, 2023, 07:03:36 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 03, 2023, 06:16:53 PM
Christopher Newport pulls one back in the 55th and it is now 2-1 Wisconsin-Platteville.
FINAL: Wisconsin-Platteville 2 - Christopher Newport 1 in the C2C semifinals
I would call it an upset, but this is a conference where there isn't really a regular season and the teams generally only play the teams close to them before the conference tournament. Christopher Newport was ranked #2 in Region VI, but Wisconsin-Platteville was ranked #2 in Region IX and there's not a lot of cross-pollination between Region VI and Region IX teams. Christopher Newport definitely had a big edge in shots, but that really only started after Platteville went up to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
There was always going to be one of Mary Washington and Christopher Newport who would need a Pool C bid, but it sure looks like two Pool C bids will come out of the C2C conference either way since both finalists are going to be deserving.
Coast-to-Coast Conference Championship
HALF: Mary Washington 2 - Wisconsin-Platteville 1
Platteville scored first in the 11th minute, but Mary Washington roared back to score goals in the 15th and 29th minutes to lead 2-1 at half. Mary Washington's second goal was a beautiful header off a well-worked free kick where somehow a single M-W attacker broke through the space to head it to the far corner past the W-P GK. That is really good execution of what I assume is well-designed strategy the coaches came up with after close scouting (possibly in-person, which is what the C2C tournament enables). Because W-P's GK is so massive (6'8"), the W-P defense pushes up on free kicks to give him space to rush out and claim any ball in the air. It's a common strategy, even for shorter GKs, but the W-P defenders tend to hold their line because of the confidence they have that their GK is going to win the ball. For a well-hit driven ball that wasn't lofted and was directed closer to the near post, though, height isn't such an advantage and the GK was basically frozen while the MW attacker got the jump on his defender and the space was open to beat the GK for the ball and then redirect it.
FINAL: Mary Washington 3 - Wisconsin-Platteville 2
Lots of fouls in this game by two very aggressive teams. I would have predicted that W-P would be the ones fouling more to try to disrupt MW's passing game, but MW had 24 and W-P had 21. Both earned PKs in the game.
I expect both of these teams, plus Christopher Newport, will be in the NCAA tournament from the C2C conference.
Danny Ramirez of STU issued a red card only 5 minutes into the TU-STU championship. Unclear what he did (or said, seems more likely).
TU will be up a man for the remainder of the game.
Wow.
SCAC Championships
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0 early
WOW! UST's Dany Ramirez was issued a red in the 6th minute and Trinity coach Paul McGinley got a yellow. No idea what happened, but he must have said something. For that to result in a red card this quickly, it had to be bad. Not sure what McGinley said either. Feels like this is a product of the refs trying to clamp down on the game from the get-go, but playing a man down for 85 minutes is going to be rough, especially with Taty Aleman not in the starting lineup. I guess UST has won before being down men against TLU, but this is a really tall order. My guess is Trinity will need to be on their best behavior too because the refs are on high alert.
Trinity seems to be coasting, almost lethargic. Can't let this end 0-0. They need to get on it.
We're missing huge chunks of the game because of poor camera work. Can anyone get word to Cooper?
Quote from: D3Navy on November 05, 2023, 03:42:20 PM
We're missing huge chunks of the game because of poor camera work. Can anyone get word to Cooper?
No idea how to contact them, but it seems like they have multiple cameras and a producer is occasionally hitting the wrong one. They quickly switched from the camera pointed at the empty goal to the camera pointed at the goal where the corner kick was being taken on the last play.
They've missed two incidents resulting in yellow cards. Kinda important when a hyper-aggressive team like St. Thomas is playing. This is a "professional" production, not volunteers or students. Unacceptable.
iirc Dany Ramirez got a red in the game right before the TLU match.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 03:23:43 PM
SCAC Championships
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0 early
WOW! UST's Dany Ramirez was issued a red in the 6th minute and Trinity coach Paul McGinley got a yellow. No idea what happened, but he must have said something. For that to result in a red card this quickly, it had to be bad. Not sure what McGinley said either. Feels like this is a product of the refs trying to clamp down on the game from the get-go, but playing a man down for 85 minutes is going to be rough, especially with Taty Aleman not in the starting lineup. I guess UST has won before being down men against TLU, but this is a really tall order. My guess is Trinity will need to be on their best behavior too because the refs are on high alert.
HALF: Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
St. Thomas has managed to stay in it by playing tight defense and launching the occasional counter-attack despite being down a man. What makes this bunkering different is that St. Thomas is really technical and good at playing out of the back without launching it, so it's often Trinity that has to run around chasing the ball a lot, rather than the typical park the bus strategy of kicking it long and engaging in desperation defense again when the ball quickly gets returned.
I think Trinity's Adjei is getting frustrated because St. Thomas seems to be doubling him whenever he gets the ball. It was an incident between him and Ramirez that led to the red card early in the half and another foul and yellow card that left Adjei a little hobbled. Trinity is probably going to need to be a little more aggressive to unbalance St. Thomas. It's pretty unusual to be up a man from the first couple of minutes in the game yet have zero shots on goal and fewer shots overall (3 to 4).
At the end of 2OT
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
We go to PKs. Both teams pretty exhausted. I have no idea why Trinity used so few subs in this game (really only two players until very late). Meese and Adjei were exhausted and JC Rule was trying to cover for a lot of people. St. Thomas is like a basketball team with a lot of rangy wings that are interchangeable. They kept bringing in players who were able to run enough and sell out their bodies to help makeup for the man down.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 04:07:49 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 03:23:43 PM
SCAC Championships
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0 early
WOW! UST's Dany Ramirez was issued a red in the 6th minute and Trinity coach Paul McGinley got a yellow. No idea what happened, but he must have said something. For that to result in a red card this quickly, it had to be bad. Not sure what McGinley said either. Feels like this is a product of the refs trying to clamp down on the game from the get-go, but playing a man down for 85 minutes is going to be rough, especially with Taty Aleman not in the starting lineup. I guess UST has won before being down men against TLU, but this is a really tall order. My guess is Trinity will need to be on their best behavior too because the refs are on high alert.
HALF: Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
St. Thomas has managed to stay in it by playing tight defense and launching the occasional counter-attack despite being down a man. What makes this bunkering different is that St. Thomas is really technical and good at playing out of the back without launching it, so it's often Trinity that has to run around chasing the ball a lot, rather than the typical park the bus strategy of kicking it long and engaging in desperation defense again when the ball quickly gets returned.
I think Trinity's Adjei is getting frustrated because St. Thomas seems to be doubling him whenever he gets the ball. It was an incident between him and Ramirez that led to the red card early in the half and another foul and yellow card that left Adjei a little hobbled. Trinity is probably going to need to be a little more aggressive to unbalance St. Thomas. It's pretty unusual to be up a man from the first couple of minutes in the game yet have zero shots on goal and fewer shots overall (3 to 4).
It seems there is something about UST whereby they relish the dynamic. The "against all odds" and "highly motivated by grievance" dynamics. Won't even be challenging for them until they go down at least one more man lol.
Trinity would have more success if they play like THEY are a man down.
Heading into the second OT, Trinity has ten corners and exactly zero SOG to show for them. Hard to believe when playing a man up basically the entire match.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 04:07:49 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 03:23:43 PM
SCAC Championships
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0 early
WOW! UST's Dany Ramirez was issued a red in the 6th minute and Trinity coach Paul McGinley got a yellow. No idea what happened, but he must have said something. For that to result in a red card this quickly, it had to be bad. Not sure what McGinley said either. Feels like this is a product of the refs trying to clamp down on the game from the get-go, but playing a man down for 85 minutes is going to be rough, especially with Taty Aleman not in the starting lineup. I guess UST has won before being down men against TLU, but this is a really tall order. My guess is Trinity will need to be on their best behavior too because the refs are on high alert.
HALF: Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
St. Thomas has managed to stay in it by playing tight defense and launching the occasional counter-attack despite being down a man. What makes this bunkering different is that St. Thomas is really technical and good at playing out of the back without launching it, so it's often Trinity that has to run around chasing the ball a lot, rather than the typical park the bus strategy of kicking it long and engaging in desperation defense again when the ball quickly gets returned.
I think Trinity's Adjei is getting frustrated because St. Thomas seems to be doubling him whenever he gets the ball. It was an incident between him and Ramirez that led to the red card early in the half and another foul and yellow card that left Adjei a little hobbled. Trinity is probably going to need to be a little more aggressive to unbalance St. Thomas. It's pretty unusual to be up a man from the first couple of minutes in the game yet have zero shots on goal and fewer shots overall (3 to 4).
At the end of 2OT
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
We go to PKs. Both teams pretty exhausted. I have no idea why Trinity used so few subs in this game (really only two players until very late). Meese and Adjei were exhausted and JC Rule was trying to cover for a lot of people. St. Thomas is like a basketball team with a lot of rangy wings that are interchangeable. They kept bringing in players who were able to run enough and sell out their bodies to help makeup for the man down.
FINAL: St. Thomas beats Trinity in PKs 3-2
Otero was practicing all the dark arts on that PK shootout. Earned a yellow card, but two Trinity players kicked it over and he made the save to win it, so I guess it was worth it.
Trinity now has to hope it has done enough for a Pool C bid when Colorado College may be above it in the rankings and Region X generally only gets one Pool C bid if that because of the relatively lower SoS
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones).
hmm...
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 04:01:15 PM
iirc Dany Ramirez got a red in the game right before the TLU match.
This might have solved the mystery of the UST athletic department staffer yelling at someone during the TLU match. He kept yelling at someone named Dany, and if he was red carded before the game even started that would definitely track with him being the target.
Quote from: stlawus on November 05, 2023, 06:49:35 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 04:01:15 PM
iirc Dany Ramirez got a red in the game right before the TLU match.
This might have solved the mystery of the UST athletic department staffer yelling at someone during the TLU match. He kept yelling at someone named Dany, and if he was red carded before the game even started that would definitely track with him being the target.
No, he got a red (two yellows maybe with one coming at 90:00) in the Southwestern match before the TLU game and so he always was going to be missing the TLU match.
Quote from: paclassic89 on November 05, 2023, 06:44:57 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones).
hmm...
Help me out...translation?
He means that he picked up a red in the Southwestern game, so he was suspended for the TLU match.
The antics sound familiar but that's a live wire I don't particularly want to touch on here
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:53:09 PM
Quote from: stlawus on November 05, 2023, 06:49:35 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 04:01:15 PM
iirc Dany Ramirez got a red in the game right before the TLU match.
This might have solved the mystery of the UST athletic department staffer yelling at someone during the TLU match. He kept yelling at someone named Dany, and if he was red carded before the game even started that would definitely track with him being the target.
No, he got a red (two yellows maybe with one coming at 90:00) in the Southwestern match before the TLU game and so he always was going to be missing the TLU match.
Gotcha well in either case it still might have solved the mystery I've irrationally obsessed over.
Speaking of antics, a Kenyon player picked up what has to be one of the dumbest reds of all time yesterday after the NCAC final. He was ejected for cursing at the ref, therefore ruling him out of Kenyon's first NCAA tournament game.
Quote from: paclassic89 on November 05, 2023, 06:55:43 PM
The antics sound familiar but that's a live wire I don't particularly want to touch on here
OK, got it.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 05, 2023, 07:00:46 PM
Speaking of antics, a Kenyon player picked up what has to be one of the dumbest reds of all time yesterday after the NCAC final. He was ejected for cursing at the ref, therefore ruling him out of Kenyon's first NCAA tournament game.
Not sure that qualifies as an antic, but yes, certainly not a smart move. I'll just say it was a very chippy game and leave it at that. I assume you weren't suggesting some equivalency to the UST match.
Btw, you know that Kenyon player, correct?
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
SCAC was expected to disqualify UST from hosting this year's playoffs directly as a result of the TLU game. Instead, this is all that happened:
"SCAC Championship Hosted by UST" was changed to "SCAC Championship Hosted by SCAC" and SaberCats Stadium was listed in the program as a "neutral" site.
Zero teeth in these sanctions - UST still had home locker room privileges, home fan base, didn't have to travel, etc., so no, I don't think they've learned anything.
Quote from: regionxfan17 on November 05, 2023, 07:16:38 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
SCAC was expected to disqualify UST from hosting this year's playoffs directly as a result of the TLU game. Instead, this is all that happened:
"SCAC Championship Hosted by UST" was changed to "SCAC Championship Hosted by SCAC" and SaberCats Stadium was listed in the program as a "neutral" site.
Zero teeth in these sanctions - UST still had home locker room privileges, home fan base, didn't have to travel, etc., so no, I don't think they've learned anything.
!
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 06:03:17 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 04:07:49 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 03:23:43 PM
SCAC Championships
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0 early
WOW! UST's Dany Ramirez was issued a red in the 6th minute and Trinity coach Paul McGinley got a yellow. No idea what happened, but he must have said something. For that to result in a red card this quickly, it had to be bad. Not sure what McGinley said either. Feels like this is a product of the refs trying to clamp down on the game from the get-go, but playing a man down for 85 minutes is going to be rough, especially with Taty Aleman not in the starting lineup. I guess UST has won before being down men against TLU, but this is a really tall order. My guess is Trinity will need to be on their best behavior too because the refs are on high alert.
HALF: Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
St. Thomas has managed to stay in it by playing tight defense and launching the occasional counter-attack despite being down a man. What makes this bunkering different is that St. Thomas is really technical and good at playing out of the back without launching it, so it's often Trinity that has to run around chasing the ball a lot, rather than the typical park the bus strategy of kicking it long and engaging in desperation defense again when the ball quickly gets returned.
I think Trinity's Adjei is getting frustrated because St. Thomas seems to be doubling him whenever he gets the ball. It was an incident between him and Ramirez that led to the red card early in the half and another foul and yellow card that left Adjei a little hobbled. Trinity is probably going to need to be a little more aggressive to unbalance St. Thomas. It's pretty unusual to be up a man from the first couple of minutes in the game yet have zero shots on goal and fewer shots overall (3 to 4).
At the end of 2OT
Trinity 0 - St. Thomas 0
We go to PKs. Both teams pretty exhausted. I have no idea why Trinity used so few subs in this game (really only two players until very late). Meese and Adjei were exhausted and JC Rule was trying to cover for a lot of people. St. Thomas is like a basketball team with a lot of rangy wings that are interchangeable. They kept bringing in players who were able to run enough and sell out their bodies to help makeup for the man down.
FINAL: St. Thomas beats Trinity in PKs 3-2
Otero was practicing all the dark arts on that PK shootout. Earned a yellow card, but two Trinity players kicked it over and he made the save to win it, so I guess it was worth it.
Trinity now has to hope it has done enough for a Pool C bid when Colorado College may be above it in the rankings and Region X generally only gets one Pool C bid if that because of the relatively lower SoS
Trinity played very passively instead of pressing to score. They seemed to be afraid of STU counterattacks. The red card seemed to energize STU, in effect becoming an advantage.
STU truly won the game today despite their overly aggressive, yet strangely whiney, style of play.
Fingers crossed for a bid for TU.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 07:16:19 PM
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 05, 2023, 07:00:46 PM
Speaking of antics, a Kenyon player picked up what has to be one of the dumbest reds of all time yesterday after the NCAC final. He was ejected for cursing at the ref, therefore ruling him out of Kenyon's first NCAA tournament game.
Not sure that qualifies as an antic, but yes, certainly not a smart move. I'll just say it was a very chippy game and leave it at that. I assume you weren't suggesting some equivalency to the UST match.
Btw, you know that Kenyon player, correct?
No suggestion of an equivalency at all. Just amazed at how dumb people can be sometimes. Yes, I do know the young man and he has always struggled to rein in his emotions.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 05, 2023, 07:27:05 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 07:16:19 PM
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 05, 2023, 07:00:46 PM
Speaking of antics, a Kenyon player picked up what has to be one of the dumbest reds of all time yesterday after the NCAC final. He was ejected for cursing at the ref, therefore ruling him out of Kenyon's first NCAA tournament game.
Not sure that qualifies as an antic, but yes, certainly not a smart move. I'll just say it was a very chippy game and leave it at that. I assume you weren't suggesting some equivalency to the UST match.
Btw, you know that Kenyon player, correct?
No suggestion of an equivalency at all. Just amazed at how dumb people can be sometimes. Yes, I do know the young man and he has always struggled to rein in his emotions.
Yeah, I don't like it...but I also admit despite having been an athlete myself in the 1870s that I don't understand players not being able to contain themselves, or that coaches don't anticipate things that could happen to specific players and try to stop it beforehand (or maybe they do all the time and the incidents still just happen).
Does hurt too...he has been very effective for Kenyon over the past handful of games or more. Nearly scored a couple of times yesterday. And Martinez also almost got a 2nd yellow and he should be so happy just to be back and playing. Starters and the very best players must know that they need to be available.
Quote from: regionxfan17 on November 05, 2023, 07:16:38 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
SCAC was expected to disqualify UST from hosting this year's playoffs directly as a result of the TLU game. Instead, this is all that happened:
"SCAC Championship Hosted by UST" was changed to "SCAC Championship Hosted by SCAC" and SaberCats Stadium was listed in the program as a "neutral" site.
Zero teeth in these sanctions - UST still had home locker room privileges, home fan base, didn't have to travel, etc., so no, I don't think they've learned anything.
Ironically, it wouldn't be completely crazy for St. Thomas to get the #1 ranking in Region X after beating the previous #1 (Colorado College) and #2 (Trinity) teams, which would normally put them in line for hosting a pod in the first round.
The Trinity game officially goes down as a tie.
UST hosting actually seems probable.
I have not problem with UST field players trying to slow down the game by laying on the field. This happens at the highest levels of soccer. On the other hand, I have a huge problem with the stalling tactics of the goalkeeper. Some keepers seem to want to emulate the antics of E. Martinez (Argentina/Aston Villa). My thought is that he should have been warned and then issued a yellow card.
Regarding TLU, one has to remember that it was their keeper who decided to walk the length of the pitch and headbutt an opposing player. His actions (and the loss to Southwestern) are what cost them a bid to the dance.
Quote from: D-Three Fan on November 05, 2023, 08:05:02 PM
I have not problem with UST field players trying to slow down the game by laying on the field. This happens at the highest levels of soccer. On the other hand, I have a huge problem with the stalling tactics of the goalkeeper. Some keepers seem to want to emulate the antics of E. Martinez (Argentina/Aston Villa). My thought is that he should have been warned and then issued a yellow card.
Regarding TLU, one has to remember that it was their keeper who decided to walk the length of the pitch and headbutt an opposing player. His actions (and the loss to Southwestern) are what cost them a bid to the dance.
Agree that TLU had a fair degree of culpability.
The GK thing is a problem...especially in PKs....by the time you give a warning and then a yellow you're already at the third kicker. Even one miss can send you home. The kid wasn't just delaying...he was doing voodoo level stuff...sticking something under the goalposts, kneeling literally on the ground for one, rewrapping his gloves, etc. And the ref knew what was happening! He was actually pretty much on it but still was almost totally ineffective at intervening. The kid accomplished exactly what he should have accomplished. Imo the referee should explain in the little meeting with the two GKs about behavior and that he will absolutely show red or give the other team do-overs if they engage in any of that nonsense. Lol, I sound like I really am 135 years old.
Of course, all that said, Trinity just cannot let that game get to PKs. There was no way Trinity was gonna win a PK shootout at the end of that match.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 05, 2023, 07:56:49 PM
Ironically, it wouldn't be completely crazy for St. Thomas to get the #1 ranking in Region X after beating the previous #1 (Colorado College) and #2 (Trinity) teams, which would normally put them in line for hosting a pod in the first round.
I don't think that is likely to happen to the extent RvR is weighed heavily in the rankings. For calculation of RvR, I believe the final rankings are based solely on teams ranked in week 3 and final week released tomorrow, and the addition of Southwestern and loss of Pac Lutheran and MHB to the rankings in week 3 are meaningful.
Specifically, CC and Trinity beat SW so they will pick up that ranked win, but SW will now count as a ranked loss for UST. Pac Lutheran was CC's only ranked loss prior to playoffs which will no longer be counted, and the early season MHB wins for both UST and Trinity will no longer be counted. Pllayoff games decided by Pks, as was just noted, count as a tie.
I believe the new RvRs may be:
Colorado College 5-1-1 (W - TU, TLU, UST, SW, Chris Newport; L - UST; T - Ohio Northern)
Trinity 3-2-1 (W - SW x2, UST; L - CC, TLU; T - UST today based on game going to PK)
UST 2-3-1 (W- TLU, CC in playoffs; L - CC, TLU, SW; T- today's game going to PKs)
Obviously, the SoS may change a little bit, but prob not enough to allow UST to leap into #1.
I'm somewhat new to this, so if my logic or counting is incorrect, please feel free to correct!
To clarify, I am only opining on UST leaping into #1 spot in Region X, not whether they will host.
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
The actions that resulted in the red card against UST are abhorrent; if there was any integrity in D3 soccer and the SCAC they would disqualify UST (they should have been, along with TLU in the aftermath of that decacle). But I am not holding my breath --
The Cooper Sports production was HORRIBLE. Can't believe they pay to have that level of production. Among many mistakes, the announcer kept calling Joseph KURI Joseph Kurl. Kuri is a 3x all SCAC honoree. It is not like he is a last minute addition.
Quote from: jaysoccer on November 06, 2023, 08:16:28 AM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
The actions that resulted in the red card against UST are abhorrent; if there was any integrity in D3 soccer and the SCAC they would disqualify UST (they should have been, along with TLU in the aftermath of that decacle). But I am not holding my breath --
The Cooper Sports production was HORRIBLE. Can't believe they pay to have that level of production. Among many mistakes, the announcer kept calling Joseph KURI Joseph Kurl. Kuri is a 3x all SCAC honoree. It is not like he is a last minute addition.
Red card was given for gestures directed at the opponent that referenced race. The player on the receiving end of the gesture was African-American.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 06, 2023, 11:27:03 AM
Quote from: jaysoccer on November 06, 2023, 08:16:28 AM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
The actions that resulted in the red card against UST are abhorrent; if there was any integrity in D3 soccer and the SCAC they would disqualify UST (they should have been, along with TLU in the aftermath of that decacle). But I am not holding my breath --
The Cooper Sports production was HORRIBLE. Can't believe they pay to have that level of production. Among many mistakes, the announcer kept calling Joseph KURI Joseph Kurl. Kuri is a 3x all SCAC honoree. It is not like he is a last minute addition.
Red card was given for gestures directed at the opponent that referenced race. The player on the receiving end of the gesture was African-American.
I was afraid of that, but didn't want to speculate in case I was wrong. I have unfortunately seen that more than once in MLS Next as they have a banned term list and there are way too many kids who resort to those terms reflexively when they play kids of different races and ethnicities. Ramirez should be out for the tournament if the penalty is going to have any deterrent effect, but I'm not optimistic. If he is, it will be because of prior reds and yellows.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 06, 2023, 12:45:43 PM
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 06, 2023, 11:27:03 AM
Quote from: jaysoccer on November 06, 2023, 08:16:28 AM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 05, 2023, 06:34:07 PM
I am just sickened by that game....and far more upset than I was after my own team lost yesterday (and I was plenty upset). UST as a team and school seems to have learned absolutely nothing. The early red, the antics all over the field, the constant flopping and rolling around and laying on the ground, constant confrontations of the referee, and then maybe the worst display I've seen for PKs (and I've seen some bad ones). The ref should have given the GK a straight red. Unreal that he was premitted to do all that. And then the announcer, the same one who said he saw nothing when UST's first PK taker today broke a TLU player's leg in two, was aghast when UST fouled the Trinity GK in the box and again said there was nothing. He was so bad he started arguing with his color man. One of the saddest things is that UST had a fair amount of supporters (including myself) heading into this season after last year's performance and Sweet 16 run. I was a fan until that TLU game....and now I wish the program would be shut down or suspended for at least two years.
The actions that resulted in the red card against UST are abhorrent; if there was any integrity in D3 soccer and the SCAC they would disqualify UST (they should have been, along with TLU in the aftermath of that decacle). But I am not holding my breath --
The Cooper Sports production was HORRIBLE. Can't believe they pay to have that level of production. Among many mistakes, the announcer kept calling Joseph KURI Joseph Kurl. Kuri is a 3x all SCAC honoree. It is not like he is a last minute addition.
Red card was given for gestures directed at the opponent that referenced race. The player on the receiving end of the gesture was African-American.
I was afraid of that, but didn't was to speculate in case I was wrong. I have unfortunately seen that more than once in MLS Next as they have a banned term list and there are way too many kids who resort to those terms reflexively when they play kids of different races and ethnicities. Ramirez should be out for the tournament if the penalty is going to have any deterrent effect, but I'm not optimistic. If he is, it will be because of prior refs and yellows.
The SCAC should have never let them play in the postseason.
They removed the Youtube link of the game
Quote from: stlawus on November 06, 2023, 12:54:32 PM
They removed the Youtube link of the game
It appears they removed both semi-finals as well, or at least made them private.
To be more specific, the UST player reportedly imitated the sound and actions of a monkey.
Let that sink in.
The SCAC is an embarrassment to Division 3. Gutless and feckless. And same goes for UST, a Catholic school that supposedly has values they stand for.
No surprise here, but Trinity women are on the road to start their NCAA journey, so that opens the door for the TU men to host should they get a bid.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 01:54:23 PM
No surprise here, but Trinity women are on the road to start their NCAA journey, so that opens the door for the TU men to host should they get a bid.
TU hosting UTD, UST and Oxy. Pac Lu got sent to Minnesota and Colorado to Emory's regional.
Quote from: jaysoccer on November 06, 2023, 01:29:47 PM
To be more specific, the UST player reportedly imitated the sound and actions of a monkey.
Let that sink in.
The SCAC is an embarrassment to Division 3. Gutless and feckless. And same goes for UST, a Catholic school that supposedly has values they stand for.
Ready for possible round 3 on Sunday??
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 02:08:26 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 01:54:23 PM
No surprise here, but Trinity women are on the road to start their NCAA journey, so that opens the door for the TU men to host should they get a bid.
TU hosting UTD, UST and Oxy. Pac Lu got sent to Minnesota and Colorado to Emory's regional.
Nice. Best grass field of the participants, among other factors. First time for two Pool C bids from Region X in a long while.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 06, 2023, 03:03:18 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 02:08:26 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 01:54:23 PM
No surprise here, but Trinity women are on the road to start their NCAA journey, so that opens the door for the TU men to host should they get a bid.
TU hosting UTD, UST and Oxy. Pac Lu got sent to Minnesota and Colorado to Emory's regional.
Nice. Best grass field of the participants, among other factors. First time for two Pool C bids from Region X in a long while.
The Paul (field) should be in excellent condition as weather has been quite decent since the last game (with 70s/80s since Thursday, some sun). A front is coming through promising rain Thursday night into Friday morning with scattered showers possible again Sunday. Highs will be in the low-mid 60s all weekend, and it'll be a little breezy.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 06, 2023, 03:03:18 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 02:08:26 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 01:54:23 PM
No surprise here, but Trinity women are on the road to start their NCAA journey, so that opens the door for the TU men to host should they get a bid.
TU hosting UTD, UST and Oxy. Pac Lu got sent to Minnesota and Colorado to Emory's regional.
Nice. Best grass field of the participants, among other factors. First time for two Pool C bids from Region X in a long while.
2019 if I remember correctly. Trinity and Colorado also got at-large bids that year too. Almost a carbon copy of this year's situation actually, now that I think about it.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 04:43:41 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 06, 2023, 03:03:18 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 02:08:26 PM
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2023, 01:54:23 PM
No surprise here, but Trinity women are on the road to start their NCAA journey, so that opens the door for the TU men to host should they get a bid.
TU hosting UTD, UST and Oxy. Pac Lu got sent to Minnesota and Colorado to Emory's regional.
Nice. Best grass field of the participants, among other factors. First time for two Pool C bids from Region X in a long while.
2019 if I remember correctly. Trinity and Colorado also got at-large bids that year too. Almost a carbon copy of this year's situation actually, now that I think about it.
Good memory! Only time in the last decade. UT Dallas won the ASC that year too.
Here are the Pool C bids from Region X over that period:
2022 - Pacific Lutheran
2021 - none
2020 - no tournament
2019 - Trinity and Colorado College
2018 - Southwestern
2017 - Texas-Tyler
2016 - none
2015 - none
2014 - UT Dallas
2013 - none
Preview of Pacific Lutheran v. Carleton @ St. Olaf for Saturday 11/11:
Carleton is 15-2-1, ranked #4 in Region IX, has a 3-2 RvR, with the only losses to St. Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus, and a .548 SoS. Pacific Lutheran is 14-2-4, unranked, has a 1-1 RvR, with the only ranked win against Colorado College the first game of the season and the only ranked loss to Emory 2-1 in Tacoma, and a meager .488 SoS in the Northwest Conference, which was down this year. It also is coming off a 2-1 loss to Willamette to end the season when Willamette had nothing to play for anymore. So, the stats all favor Carleton.
To make matters worse, this is essentially a home game for Carleton, which is 1.4 miles from St. Olaf in Northfield. Pacific Lutheran is going to have to take a 3+ hour flight from Seattle/Tacoma, to Minneapolis and then another 40 minute drive to St. Olaf, so that's a big advantage for Carleton. Travel takes a lot longer than the time in the sky these days, so you're probably looking at a full day of travel for Pac Lu. Plus, flying itself stiffens your muscles like a bus ride, but it's more dehydrating, and there is a two hour time difference between Tacoma and Northfield, so the 1:30 pm game will feel like a 11:30 am game for Pac Lu. Not a huge difference, but it's worse than if it was an evening game. It means that if the coaches want the normal pre-game routing the Pac Lu players likely have to get up earlier in the morning than they are used to, eat at a different time than their body clocks expect etc. The Carleton players will also be more accustomed to the weather than the Pacific Lutheran players. To top it off, Carleton will likely have all the fan support (unless the St. Olaf and/or Wisconsin-Superior fans stick around to root against Carleton).
By all measures, Carleton should win this game and a loss would be deemed an upset (and a lost opportunity for Carleton). So, is all hope lost for Pacific Lutheran? Here are a few reasons for optimism among fans of the Lutes should they want to grasp on straws:
1. Pacific Lutheran has had success traveling and beating opponents who had the home field advantage. It beat Colorado College this year in Colorado Springs, where CC has built a fortress. Last year, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Pac Lu beat Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-2 in Belton, Texas where MHB was unbeaten before the Pac Lu game.
2. Pacific Lutheran is a battle-hardened NCAA tournament veteran team. This is the third straight year Pac Lu has made the NCAA tournament and it has won in the first round two years in a row, in 2021 at home against Trinity and in 2022 away at Mary Hardin-Baylor. It has 22 Seniors and Juniors on its roster, all of whom have experienced two years of success in the NCAA tournament environment, whether they played in the games or not, plus 6 sophomores who also experienced it last year. Carleton didn't qualify last year and in 2021 it lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to North Park. The last time Carleton won an NCAA tournament game was in 2018.
3. Weather is overrated as a factor in this game. Today's forecast in Tacoma is a high of 51 and a low of 44, with rain showers, while Northfield's forecast for Saturday is high of 47 and low of 40, with clouds but no rain. That's not a significant difference. Plus, Pacific Lutheran beat Mary Hardin-Baylor last year at MHB when the high was 50 degrees and the low was 39 degrees. This isn't St. Thomas (Houston) playing at Chicago, like last year. Players from the Northwest know and are comfortable with this weather.
4. St. Olaf's artificial turf field could neutralize some of the home field advantage. Carleton plays on a grass field. I don't even think Carleton has an artificial turf field to use for practice on campus. Pacific Lutheran's home field, where the Lutes were 8-0 this year, is artificial turf, as are most of the fields in the Pacific Northwest, and Pac Lu's passing game is well-suited to artificial turf. Carleton, of course, has played on artificial turf plenty in the MIAC, so I wouldn't necessarily call this an advantage for Pac Lu, but it underscores that just because Carleton is at home in Northfield doesn't mean it has a home "field" advantage on St. Olaf's turf. In fact, the last time Carleton won at Rolf Melby Field was in 2018, so there isn't a single player on the Carleton roster who has ever won a game on the field where the game with Pac Lu will be played.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 09, 2023, 01:23:25 PM
Preview of Pacific Lutheran v. Carleton @ St. Olaf for Saturday 11/11:
Carleton is 15-2-1, ranked #4 in Region IX, has a 3-2 RvR, with the only losses to St. Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus, and a .548 SoS. Pacific Lutheran is 14-2-4, unranked, has a 1-1 RvR, with the only ranked win against Colorado College the first game of the season and the only ranked loss to Emory 2-1 in Tacoma, and a meager .488 SoS in the Northwest Conference, which was down this year. It also is coming off a 2-1 loss to Willamette to end the season when Willamette had nothing to play for anymore. So, the stats all favor Carleton.
To make matters worse, this is essentially a home game for Carleton, which is 1.4 miles from St. Olaf in Northfield. Pacific Lutheran is going to have to take a 3+ hour flight from Seattle/Tacoma, to Minneapolis and then another 40 minute drive to St. Olaf, so that's a big advantage for Carleton. Travel takes a lot longer than the time in the sky these days, so you're probably looking at a full day of travel for Pac Lu. Plus, flying itself stiffens your muscles like a bus ride, but it's more dehydrating, and there is a two hour time difference between Tacoma and Northfield, so the 1:30 pm game will feel like a 11:30 am game for Pac Lu. Not a huge difference, but it's worse than if it was an evening game. It means that if the coaches want the normal pre-game routing the Pac Lu players likely have to get up earlier in the morning than they are used to, eat at a different time than their body clocks expect etc. The Carleton players will also be more accustomed to the weather than the Pacific Lutheran players. To top it off, Carleton will likely have all the fan support (unless the St. Olaf and/or Wisconsin-Superior fans stick around to root against Carleton).
By all measures, Carleton should win this game and a loss would be deemed an upset (and a lost opportunity for Carleton). So, is all hope lost for Pacific Lutheran? Here are a few reasons for optimism among fans of the Lutes should they want to grasp on straws:
1. Pacific Lutheran has had success traveling and beating opponents who had the home field advantage. It beat Colorado College this year in Colorado Springs, where CC has built a fortress. Last year, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Pac Lu beat Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-2 in Belton, Texas where MHB was unbeaten before the Pac Lu game.
2. Pacific Lutheran is a battle-hardened NCAA tournament veteran team. This is the third straight year Pac Lu has made the NCAA tournament and it has won in the first round two years in a row, in 2021 at home against Trinity and in 2022 away at Mary Hardin-Baylor. It has 22 Seniors and Juniors on its roster, all of whom have experienced two years of success in the NCAA tournament environment, whether they played in the games or not, plus 6 sophomores who also experienced it last year. Carleton didn't qualify last year and in 2021 it lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to North Park. The last time Carleton won an NCAA tournament game was in 2018.
3. Weather is overrated as a factor in this game. Today's forecast in Tacoma is a high of 51 and a low of 44, with rain showers, while Northfield's forecast for Saturday is high of 47 and low of 40, with clouds but no rain. That's not a significant difference. Plus, Pacific Lutheran beat Mary Hardin-Baylor last year at MHB when the high was 50 degrees and the low was 39 degrees. This isn't St. Thomas (Houston) playing at Chicago, like last year. Players from the Northwest know and are comfortable with this weather.
4. St. Olaf's artificial turf field could neutralize some of the home field advantage. Carleton plays on a grass field. I don't even think Carleton has an artificial turf field to use for practice on campus. Pacific Lutheran's home field, where the Lutes were 8-0 this year, is artificial turf, as are most of the fields in the Pacific Northwest, and Pac Lu's passing game is well-suited to artificial turf. Carleton, of course, has played on artificial turf plenty in the MIAC, so I wouldn't necessarily call this an advantage for Pac Lu, but it underscores that just because Carleton is at home in Northfield doesn't mean it has a home "field" advantage on St. Olaf's turf. In fact, the last time Carleton won at Rolf Melby Field was in 2018, so there isn't a single player on the Carleton roster who has ever won a game on the field where the game with Pac Lu will be played.
Very well done! And only 31 more write-ups to go!
;)
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 09, 2023, 01:37:32 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 09, 2023, 01:23:25 PM
Preview of Pacific Lutheran v. Carleton @ St. Olaf for Saturday 11/11:
Carleton is 15-2-1, ranked #4 in Region IX, has a 3-2 RvR, with the only losses to St. Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus, and a .548 SoS. Pacific Lutheran is 14-2-4, unranked, has a 1-1 RvR, with the only ranked win against Colorado College the first game of the season and the only ranked loss to Emory 2-1 in Tacoma, and a meager .488 SoS in the Northwest Conference, which was down this year. It also is coming off a 2-1 loss to Willamette to end the season when Willamette had nothing to play for anymore. So, the stats all favor Carleton.
To make matters worse, this is essentially a home game for Carleton, which is 1.4 miles from St. Olaf in Northfield. Pacific Lutheran is going to have to take a 3+ hour flight from Seattle/Tacoma, to Minneapolis and then another 40 minute drive to St. Olaf, so that's a big advantage for Carleton. Travel takes a lot longer than the time in the sky these days, so you're probably looking at a full day of travel for Pac Lu. Plus, flying itself stiffens your muscles like a bus ride, but it's more dehydrating, and there is a two hour time difference between Tacoma and Northfield, so the 1:30 pm game will feel like a 11:30 am game for Pac Lu. Not a huge difference, but it's worse than if it was an evening game. It means that if the coaches want the normal pre-game routing the Pac Lu players likely have to get up earlier in the morning than they are used to, eat at a different time than their body clocks expect etc. The Carleton players will also be more accustomed to the weather than the Pacific Lutheran players. To top it off, Carleton will likely have all the fan support (unless the St. Olaf and/or Wisconsin-Superior fans stick around to root against Carleton).
By all measures, Carleton should win this game and a loss would be deemed an upset (and a lost opportunity for Carleton). So, is all hope lost for Pacific Lutheran? Here are a few reasons for optimism among fans of the Lutes should they want to grasp on straws:
1. Pacific Lutheran has had success traveling and beating opponents who had the home field advantage. It beat Colorado College this year in Colorado Springs, where CC has built a fortress. Last year, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Pac Lu beat Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-2 in Belton, Texas where MHB was unbeaten before the Pac Lu game.
2. Pacific Lutheran is a battle-hardened NCAA tournament veteran team. This is the third straight year Pac Lu has made the NCAA tournament and it has won in the first round two years in a row, in 2021 at home against Trinity and in 2022 away at Mary Hardin-Baylor. It has 22 Seniors and Juniors on its roster, all of whom have experienced two years of success in the NCAA tournament environment, whether they played in the games or not, plus 6 sophomores who also experienced it last year. Carleton didn't qualify last year and in 2021 it lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to North Park. The last time Carleton won an NCAA tournament game was in 2018.
3. Weather is overrated as a factor in this game. Today's forecast in Tacoma is a high of 51 and a low of 44, with rain showers, while Northfield's forecast for Saturday is high of 47 and low of 40, with clouds but no rain. That's not a significant difference. Plus, Pacific Lutheran beat Mary Hardin-Baylor last year at MHB when the high was 50 degrees and the low was 39 degrees. This isn't St. Thomas (Houston) playing at Chicago, like last year. Players from the Northwest know and are comfortable with this weather.
4. St. Olaf's artificial turf field could neutralize some of the home field advantage. Carleton plays on a grass field. I don't even think Carleton has an artificial turf field to use for practice on campus. Pacific Lutheran's home field, where the Lutes were 8-0 this year, is artificial turf, as are most of the fields in the Pacific Northwest, and Pac Lu's passing game is well-suited to artificial turf. Carleton, of course, has played on artificial turf plenty in the MIAC, so I wouldn't necessarily call this an advantage for Pac Lu, but it underscores that just because Carleton is at home in Northfield doesn't mean it has a home "field" advantage on St. Olaf's turf. In fact, the last time Carleton won at Rolf Melby Field was in 2018, so there isn't a single player on the Carleton roster who has ever won a game on the field where the game with Pac Lu will be played.
Very well done! And only 31 more write-ups to go!
;)
I was actually a little embarrassed for pressing send without even mentioning a single player's name!
So, here's a few key player match-ups:
Goalkeepers - both teams have strong, experienced, keepers, although Pac Lu's keeper is a bit more experienced than Carleton's
Pacific LutheranNicholas Gaston - Senior GK for Pacific Lutheran. Three-year starter who has started 67 games in his career, including all 4 NCAA tournament games over the last two years. Gaston saved back-to-back PKs to win the shootout against Trinity to advance in 2021. Has had his best statistical record of his career this year with a .89 GAA and a .775 save percentage.
Carleton Daniel Linder - Senior GK for Carleton. Very impressive season, with a fantastic GAA this year of .28, having only given up 4 goals all season in the 15 games he has played, and having a save percentage of .889. Linder, however, has only started 26 games over the last two years and has never played in the NCAA tournament.
Scorers - Pac Lu has more experienced scorers and more scoring overall, but that is at least partly a function of weaker overall competition. On the other hand, Carleton's scorers beefed up their stats with a few big wins (a 10-0 victory over Concordia-Morehead, a 6-0 victory over Simpson, and a 5-0 victory over St. Scholastica), so they also benefited from weaker competition.
Pacific LutheranCraig Johnson - Senior MF for Pacific Lutheran. Four-year starter for the Lutes, who has started 76 of the 78 games he has played. Has scored 41 goals and 26 assists in his career, but this year has been his best with an impressive 19 goals and 11 assists on 77 shots. He is 5 for 5 on PKs.
Trevor Thompson - Junior F for Pacific Lutheran. Two-year starter, with 44 starts to his record. he has 36 goals and 21 assists in his career. This year, for the second year in a row he has 16 goals and he also has 9 assists on 96 shots.
CarletonBen Pennell - Sophomore F for Carleton (from San Francisco, CA). Two-year starter with 33 starts. After only scoring 2 goals last year, scored 13 this year to lead Carleton, along with 7 assists on 68 shots.
Briggs Priem - Sophomore MF for Carleton. Two-year starter with 35 starts. After only scoring 2 goals last year, scored 7 this year and 5 assists on 34 shots.
Preview of Colorado College v. Oglethorpe at Emory on Saturday 11/11
Oglethorpe is 14-2-2 this year, ranked #6 in Region VI, has a 1-1-1 RvR, with a victory over Washington & Lee in the first game of the season (before it got its offense on track), a loss to Lynchburg, and a tie of Emory, and had a .536 SoS. Colorado College is 13-3-1, ranked #1 in Region X, has a 5-1-1 RvR, beating all 4 ranked SCAC teams and Christopher Newport and tying Ohio Northern, while losing to Pacific Lutheran, and it has a .581 SoS. On paper, Colorado College might look like the better team.
Oglethorpe's big advantage, however, much like Carleton against Pacific Lutheran, is that the game will be played in its hometown. Oglethorpe University is 5-6 miles away from Emory University. Colorado College, on the other hand, is about 1,387 miles from Emory and a three hour flight. It's also a two hour time difference.
On the other hand, it's not like Colorado College isn't used to flights. They fly to every away game during the season because they are hundreds of miles away from any other DIII program (I think Nebraska Wesleyan is the closest at about 557 miles). It's just that Colorado College is simply better at home at altitude in Colorado Springs than away. They lost to UT Dallas in Dallas (not such a bad loss considering they won the ASC tournament) and they lost to eventual winner St. Thomas in Houston in the SCAC tournament. Nevertheless, they have played well away from altitude too this year, tying Ohio Northern in Ada and beating St. Thomas during the regular season in Houston.
One additional advantage to Oglethorpe, though, is that it should feel right at home on Emory's field. It already played a tournament at Emory to start the season, where it beat W&L and tied Covenant, and it played at Emory last year during the regular season. If comfort level is worth anything, Oglethorpe should have it.
As far as the team goes, Colorado College won't want to look at any old tape to see how Oglethorpe plays. The Stormy Petrols basically re-made their roster this year, bringing in some freshman and transfers who have played a lot this year, including freshman GK Nicolas Meija and former D1 players Luke Ferrari, JR Cozine, and Cristian Medina. Ben Alram was the SAA's offensive player of the year, with 13 goals and 9 assists on 65 shots and Oglethorpe placed 4 players on the first team All-SAA and three more on the second team, plus 5 honorable mentions.
Colorado College has had a number of standouts itself. 6'3" Junior defender Curtis Hale was named Defensive Player of the Year, while freshman Jack Hillard was newcomer of the year, and Colorado College had two others on the first team All-SCAC, four on the second team, plus 3 honorable mentions. One interesting aspect of Colorado College is that they don't really have one offensive centerpiece for their attack. Oliver Ramirez is Colorado College's point leader, scoring 7 goals and 3 assists, and perhaps their most dangerous player, but they have 5 players with at least 4 goals.
Preview of UT Dallas @ Trinity on Saturday 11/11 at 5 pm local
This one can be much shorter. Trinity is ranked #2 in Region X and is 12-2-3 with a 3-2-1 RvR and a .578 SoS. UTD is unranked and is 10-6-4 with a 1-3-2 RvR and a .535 SoS. The game is being played on Trinity's home field.
We don't need to talk about travel, familiarity, weather, or how they match up. They played each other already this year, also at Trinity, and Trinity won 4-1. It wasn't even that close as Trinity was up 2-0 by the 12th minute, was up 4-0 by the 67th minute, and only an 84th minute goal by UTD wiped out the shutout. Admittedly, this game was early in the season and it was five days after UTD returned from a challenging trip to Boston to play Wheaton to a 0-0 tie and Babson to a 1-0 loss. A little over a week later, finally playing at home, UTD beat Colorado College 2-1 to start a 6 game winning streak. After that, however, it went on a skid and only a run in a tournament, where it basically bunkered in against MHB in a 1-0 win and in a 1-1 tie with Concordia, brought it the ASC AQ by winning the PK shootout 7-6. While that was a confidence boost for UTD, Trinity beat MHB 6-1 and was leading Concordia 1-0 before it was cancelled due to high winds. The ASC teams generally got crushed by the SCAC teams this season (save for UTD's win v. Colorado College).
UTD doesn't really have a dominant scorer. They spread the goals around, which is both a strength and a weakness. Trinity is not all that different, but Chen Adjei and Michael Meese are both capable of dominating in games. When they are on the field together and firing on all cylinders, it's really hard to defend them. In fact, it was often Adam Knutson who scored because the other two have drawn all the defenders and dished off to him. Both teams GKs are experienced and generally solid, but neither tend to be able to have those stand on your head types of games teams often need.
Assuming Trinity is healthy and not carrying any knocks from the St. Thomas game, Trinity should advance. That's a big assumption though. Trinity definitely felt the absence of Knutson against St. Thomas as he came off after 18 minutes in the semifinal game of the SCAC tournament. During the St. Thomas game, 8 players went all 110 minutes and they only used 3 subs, one of whom for only 10 minutes, which suggests Coach McGinlay's confidence in his bench is not particularly high right now. Moreover, if Trinity's players are mentally scarred from the St. Thomas game or looking past this game to a re-match with St. Thomas in Round 2, though, UTD is certainly capable of hanging in there long enough to make everyone nervous.
Preview of University of St. Thomas (TX) v. Occidental at Trinity on Saturday 11/11 at 7:30 pm central
St. Thomas is ranked #3 in Region X with a 13-3-2 record, a 2-3-1 RvR, and a .564 SoS. Occidental, which won the SCIAC, is ranked #6 in Region X with a 13-3-3 record, a 3-1-0 RvR (all 3 wins coming against Redlands and the one loss against Texas Lutheran at home), and a .533 SoS.
St. Thomas isn't exactly at home in San Antonio, which is about 200 miles and a 3 hour drive from Houston, but it just played at Trinity a couple of weeks ago (losing 4-2). Occidental obviously has to fly halfway across the country to get to San Antonio (about a 3 hour flight, which isn't that much longer than the drive from Eagle Rock to LAX depending upon when they left, unless they flew out of Burbank or Ontario), but this isn't completely unfamiliar territory for the Tigers. Oxy played at Trinity in 2021, losing 5-2 to Trinity and 3-2 to Southwestern with both games on Trinity's field. About 5 Oxy players were on that team and played in both games, with three starting.
St. Thomas is deeper than Occidental, but it becomes a little one dimensional on offense if Taty Aleman is not 100% and Danys Ramirez is out (with a red card, hopefully for the whole tournament based on what he reportedly did in the Trinity game). Oxy's defense is pretty stout, limiting opponents to .79 goals per game. Evan Karp and Sebastian Romero are formidable in the back and GK Riley Nyhan may be the best keeper in this pod. He's certainly the biggest at 6'4." The most important player for Oxy might be Vicente Navarrao at the 6. He's probably one of the most technical players for Oxy and the one who likely has the most ability to navigate the middle of the field. He also has experience playing against teams like St. Thomas growing up in LA. I think St. Thomas has more overall team speed and technical ability than Oxy, but Oxy is probably the most athletic team in the SCIAC and I don't think St. Thomas' wingers will be able to blow by the Occidental defenders the way they did in the SCAC. Oxy's size also could give St. Thomas headaches on set plays. They have a number of players who can score on headers in the box.
I think this game could be closer than it looks on paper. Oxy is a maddeningly inconsistent team, but they tend to get up for the big games. St. Thomas, however, has far more experience as this is the first NCAA appearance ever for Occidental. That should push them over the line.
Really good games involving Region X teams right now.
Pacific Lutheran 0 - Carleton 0 at the end of 1OT
Really strong advertisement for playing out of the back and passing rather than chaos ball. Beautiful passing sequences and through balls by both teams and both GKs/defenses have held strong. Craig Johnson had a chance to win it for PLU in the last minute of regulation and his shot hit the underside of the cross bar and went down just outside the goal side of the line.
Colorado College 2 - Oglethorpe 2 with about 20 minutes left in regulation
Oglethorpe was up 2-0 in the 60th minute and Colorado College has roared back into it.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 05:17:46 PM
Really good games involving Region X teams right now.
Pacific Lutheran 0 - Carleton 0 at the end of 1OT
Really strong advertisement for playing out of the back and passing rather than chaos ball. Beautiful passing sequences and through balls by both teams and both GKs/defenses have held strong. Craig Johnson had a chance to win it for PLU in the last minute of regulation and his shot hit the underside of the cross bar and went down just outside the goal side of the line.
Colorado College 2 - Oglethorpe 2 with about 20 minutes left in regulation
Oglethorpe was up 2-0 in the 60th minute and Colorado College has roared back into it.
Pacific Lutheran lost in PKs to Carleton
Colorado College came back from 2-0 down in the second half to win 3-2.
Basically what my previews predicted: As I wrote above, Carleton was the clear favorite against Pac Lu, but I thought the Lutes would be a formidable opponent, while I thought Colorado College was the favorite against Oglethorpe, but the Stormy Petrols (last chance to write that nickname for awhile) had a number of advantages and they could surprise the Tigers.
Light rain in San Antonio much of the mid-late afternoon (a tenth or two) with a little more possible could certainly impact field conditions for tonight's games at Trinity.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 11, 2023, 06:14:35 PM
Light rain in San Antonio much of the mid-late afternoon (a tenth or two) with a little more possible could certainly impact field conditions for tonight's games at Trinity.
It's definitely raining steadily on the stream right now.
Trinity 1 - UTD 0
Meese scores a back post shot on a great ball across the goal mount in the 34th minute.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 06:41:01 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 11, 2023, 06:14:35 PM
Light rain in San Antonio much of the mid-late afternoon (a tenth or two) with a little more possible could certainly impact field conditions for tonight's games at Trinity.
It's definitely raining steadily on the stream right now.
Trinity 1 - UTD 0
Meese scores a back post shot on a great ball across the goal mount in the 34th minute.
UTD scores late in the first half to make it 1-1 (on a GK assist no less)
A big looping free kick by the UTD GK that went to the top of the box - too far out and in too much traffic for the Trinity GK to come out for it - and then it is headed halfway to the goal in a scrum and the GK got beat on the shot (partly because he was a couple steps off his line to try to get the second ball).
UPDATE: UTD 2 - Trinity 1
UTD has a breakaway and a retreating Trinity defender ends up deflecting the UTD shot so that it wrong foots the Trinity GK into the goal
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 06:57:02 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 06:41:01 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 11, 2023, 06:14:35 PM
Light rain in San Antonio much of the mid-late afternoon (a tenth or two) with a little more possible could certainly impact field conditions for tonight's games at Trinity.
It's definitely raining steadily on the stream right now.
Trinity 1 - UTD 0
Meese scores a back post shot on a great ball across the goal mount in the 34th minute.
UTD scores late in the first half to make it 1-1 (on a GK assist no less)
A big looping free kick by the UTD GK that went to the top of the box - too far out and in too much traffic for the Trinity GK to come out for it - and then it is headed halfway to the goal in a scrum and the GK got beat on the shot (partly because he was a couple steps off his line to try to get the second ball).
UPDATE: UTD 2 - Trinity 1
UTD has a breakaway and a retreating Trinity defender ends up deflecting the UTD shot so that it wrong foots the Trinity GK into the goal
I will say, I like how UT Dallas plays. Have some talent and have really made it difficult for Trinity to really break through.
SC.
Quote from: SimpleCoach on November 11, 2023, 07:33:08 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 06:57:02 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 06:41:01 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 11, 2023, 06:14:35 PM
Light rain in San Antonio much of the mid-late afternoon (a tenth or two) with a little more possible could certainly impact field conditions for tonight's games at Trinity.
It's definitely raining steadily on the stream right now.
Trinity 1 - UTD 0
Meese scores a back post shot on a great ball across the goal mount in the 34th minute.
UTD scores late in the first half to make it 1-1 (on a GK assist no less)
A big looping free kick by the UTD GK that went to the top of the box - too far out and in too much traffic for the Trinity GK to come out for it - and then it is headed halfway to the goal in a scrum and the GK got beat on the shot (partly because he was a couple steps off his line to try to get the second ball).
UPDATE: UTD 2 - Trinity 1
UTD has a breakaway and a retreating Trinity defender ends up deflecting the UTD shot so that it wrong foots the Trinity GK into the goal
I will say, I like how UT Dallas plays. Have some talent and have really made it difficult for Trinity to really break through.
SC.
This is the UTD team that beat Colorado College, rather than the team that fell out of contention mid-season.
At the same time, Trinity's Adjei is trying to do much by himself and keep losing the ball. Meese and Adjei have to play together to be successful.
Trinity 2 - UT Dallas 2 with 13 minutes left
Trinity scores on a header from a corner kick. The scorer did what a lot of players heading the ball on corners don't do - headed it down to the ground. Makes it difficult for the keeper.
Comets have been hanging on in recent minutes.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 07:47:57 PM
Trinity 2 - UT Dallas 2 with 13 minutes left
Trinity scores on a header from a corner kick. The scorer did what a lot of players heading the ball on corners don't do - headed it down to the ground. Makes it difficult for the keeper.
Comets have been hanging on in recent minutes.
No one breaks through in the OT periods (although only because of UTD's GK heroics at the end of the first OT to keep out a ball that hit the crossbar and bounced out for multiple rebounds) and the teams go to PKs
UPDATE: Trinity 2 - UTD 2, Trinity advances on PKs (9-8)
St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 0
Oxy has more or less played the game on UST's half, but a long ball counter attack led to an ill-advised foray by Oxy GK to the nether regions of his box to try to corral Daniel Castro, who calmly put it in on the ground from distance despite the extreme angle in the 34th minute. By contrast, UST's GK Otero has been strong, snuffing out many attacks.
UPDATE:
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 0
After it scored the goal, UST took more control of the game and Oxy looked a little rattled for awhile, booting the ball rather than passing it like it had early one. One big change was taking Oury Diane off for a rest, which eliminated the big speed threat for Oxy.
Of course, once it had a lead, St. Thomas also dipped into its bag of tricks and started rolling around with claimed injuries, kicking the ball away, and interfering with re-starts, which changed the flow of the game.
Almost rope-a-dope from the Celts after Occidental looked the much better team early in the game. Castro is a classic, "old school" type 9 and he knew exactly what he wanted to do and executed with surgical precision. Despite a fair bit of rain, Paul McGinlay Field is holding up quite well. The field is known to EnmoreKitten and I after we spent time there in 2018 and named of course, after Trinity's legendary coach.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 10:20:06 PM
St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 0
Oxy has more or less played the game on UST's half, but a long ball counter attack led to an ill-advised foray by Oxy GK to the nether regions of his box to try to corral Daniel Castro, who calmly put it in on the ground from distance despite the extreme angle in the 34th minute. By contrast, UST's GK Otero has been strong, snuffing out many attacks.
UPDATE:
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 0
After it scored the goal, UST took more control of the game and Oxy looked a little rattled for awhile, booting the ball rather than passing it like it had early one. One big change was taking Oury Diane off for a rest, which eliminated the big speed threat for Oxy.
Of course, once it had a lead, St. Thomas also dipped into its bag of tricks and started rolling around with claimed injuries, kicking the ball away, and interfering with re-starts, which changed the flow of the game.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 1
Oxy hits a PK after a hand ball called in the box. As in the Trinity game in the SCAC Championship game, Otero resorted to the dark arts and did save the penalty kick, but Oxy put it in on the rebound.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 10:58:34 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 11, 2023, 10:20:06 PM
St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 0
Oxy has more or less played the game on UST's half, but a long ball counter attack led to an ill-advised foray by Oxy GK to the nether regions of his box to try to corral Daniel Castro, who calmly put it in on the ground from distance despite the extreme angle in the 34th minute. By contrast, UST's GK Otero has been strong, snuffing out many attacks.
UPDATE:
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 0
After it scored the goal, UST took more control of the game and Oxy looked a little rattled for awhile, booting the ball rather than passing it like it had early one. One big change was taking Oury Diane off for a rest, which eliminated the big speed threat for Oxy.
Of course, once it had a lead, St. Thomas also dipped into its bag of tricks and started rolling around with claimed injuries, kicking the ball away, and interfering with re-starts, which changed the flow of the game.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 1 - Occidental 1
Oxy hits a PK after a hand ball called in the box. As in the Trinity game in the SCAC Championship game, Otero resorted to the dark arts and did save the penalty kick, but Oxy put it in on the rebound.
FINAL: Occidental 2 - St. Thomas 1
Oury Diane scores on a play where a probable St. Thomas foul was not called in the box and he kept playing and shot it home while other players looked to the referees.
Enjoyed the game and I know a lot of schools don't have much choice, but a more intimate area like Trinity's makes for good viewing. Enjoyed the commentary too, balanced and even handed. The comment made after a number of fire engines went past that it was hard to believe anything could be on fire after the rain there, was a classic.
Nice game. Game winner was odd goal. Everyone including Diane thought a Pk was going to be called but there was no whistle and he just picked the ball and score. You can see a St Thomas player just walking back like he expected a foul to be called. Commentator was nice and the replays were a nice touch that I wish some other schools would use.
Here are some game notes from the Trinity - UT Dallas game... with some Montclair-Elmira commentary interspersed...
Game Notes - Trinity v UT Dallas Men's NCAA First Round (https://www.patreon.com/posts/game-notes-v-ut-92719586?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link)
Oxy may very well defeat Trinity, but my thanks to Cali Tigers for ushering the embarrassment that are the UST Celts out of the tournament. It's going to be interesting to see who they name as HC - obviously the assistants that are in charge now have no intent of changing how that team plays.
It's rained all night and there's more in the forecast, so even with the care they take with the Paul it's going to get sloppy today.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 12, 2023, 09:00:04 AM
Oxy may very well defeat Trinity, but my thanks to Cali Tigers for ushering the embarrassment that are the UST Celts out of the tournament. It's going to be interesting to see who they name as HC - obviously the assistants that are in charge now have no intent of changing how that team plays.
It's rained all night and there's more in the forecast, so even with the care they take with the Paul it's going to get sloppy today.
It was interesting to me that the one noticeable change the interim St. Thomas HC made after taking over was to switch the goalkeeper. That did not appear to be a change because of behavior. Otero, a former D1 player at Houston Baptist (now Houston Christian), who seemed to take off a couple of years around the pandemic before moving to UST, is clearly better as a GK, but if anything he was worse in terms of behavior. Last night, he made a fantastic top-hand save at the upper corner to deny a sure goal from Diane, but he also interfered with an Oxy player trying to get a ball to make it harder them to take a corner kick at the end of the first half and was up to his same tricks on the PK Oxy scored (after the rebound) for the first goal in the second half. Given that he didn't take his own goal kicks and generally wasn't great kicking the ball, I wonder if the only reason he didn't start earlier was because of a lingering injury.
On the larger point, though, I don't know if you can easily change how a team plays mid-season when it's that baked into the team culture and really how the players' learned to play the game growing up. It didn't feel like there were players on the bench that haven't been playing that way their whole life. This is the good and bad of St. Thomas. They have very high soccer IQs in addition to their technical skill. It's both why the team was easily able to adjust when down a man against Trinity (or two men against TLU) and why they immediately flip a switch and play cynical football when the team is up and time is winding down. I bet the players play the same way against each other in small-sided games during practice. I've seen plenty of kids look at you like you're from another planet when you suggest there's anything wrong with what they are doing. And these are not bad kids for the most part (putting aside the extremes of the bad behavior, such as racism or outright fighting). This is just how they learned to play the game and behave on the pitch.
A short preview of Occidental @ Trinity at 7 pm central time
No extensive preview, but a couple of notes. The big tactical adjustment Trinity will have to make is for Adjei and Meese to play with each other and to stop trying to dribble through blocks of players. Oxy probably needs to use its wings even more than it did yesterday, especially given Trinity's vulnerability in the air that's not covered by JC Rule. That's how Oxy normally plays to generate space in the middle. Oxy's GK will also have to settle down. He almost paid several times for quick runs to the near post on corners that he wasn't able to corral despite his big frame and his play on 1 v. 1s was shaky at best.
Trinity is at home and was able to sleep in their own beds in their dorms/apartments last night. Trinity also played the earlier game, which gave them several additional hours of rest leading up to today's game. Nevertheless, I can't help wondering whether Occidental will actually be the fresher team. Trinity not only played 110 minutes plus PKs in the first game, but a whopping 9 players played the full 110 minutes and Michael Meese played 104 minutes. The only starter to sit a significant amount of time was Will Powers, who played 64 minutes, splitting his position with Braden Shuey, who played an excellent 46 minutes. Two players split the scant minutes Meese was out. McGinlay is really riding his starters and I wonder how much gas they have left in the tank after playing that much, especially in the rain and wet conditions yesterday. Adjei definitely looked like he was gassed at points in the second half.
Oxy should be more tired in that they flew in from LA, are still adjusting to the time difference most likely, and played in the rain, something they aren't exactly used to doing in LA and would rarely happen on a natural grass field. They also played the second game and therefore got to sleep much later than Trinity and will have less overall rest than Trinity. But Coach Rod Lafaurie rotated his players a ton more than Trinity. Not only did Oxy play 90 minutes rather than 110 minutes, but only 4 players including the GK played the full 90 (basically, the spine of the defense - GK Nyhan, CBs Karp and Romero, and defensive mid Navarro). The player most likely to be feeling it today could be MF Joey Schwartz, who played 86 minutes, but rarely went 90 during the regular season and averaged about 72 minutes per game. The strikers and midfielders, however, were liberally rotated. Starters Chimielewski and Diane played 42 and 62 minutes respectively, and their backups Notter, Na-nakornpanom, and Fieldelhotz played 39, 41, and 35 minutes respectively. This isn't all that different from how they play during the season. Oxy's offensive players come at you in waves. When you factor in how the time difference actually helped Oxy last night because they probably got to sleep early LA time and the game time today benefits them because they can sleep in, wake up LA time and be ready for the evening game, it's not quite so bad (although they still aren't in their own beds etc).
In any event, it should be a good game. The field looked in decent shape, but was starting to show wear by the end of the second game last night. If it's raining and the field is sloppy as Ron Boerger predicts, that will slow both offenses down.
Colorado College 1 - Emory 0 in the 23rd minute
Emory gives up a ball on a throw-in in the CC side, which leads to a break for Colorado College leads to a goal. That's an underrated defensive play that not enough coaches emphasize, because you get the throwing team unbalance as they creep up and leave themselves exposed, especially for a ball down the line. The shot itself was off a nice run and through ball in the box, but Emory's GK saves the ball without controlling it, leaving it for a rebound shot and CC gets on the board.
CC's MF press has affected Emory. We'll see what adjustments they make.
UPDATE:
Halftime: Colorado College 1 - Emory 0
Emory picked up the pace after CC's goal, but couldn't put one in. They had perhaps their best chance in the last minute or two on a free header off a corner kick, but CC GK (and first team All SCAC GK) Jasper Broad made a great full stretch dive to keep it out, and more importantly, push it wide.
UPDATE: Colorado College 1 - Emory 1
Emory steals the ball after a CC player tries something too cute on the pass and then sends it wide for a cross that Emory puts home with 6 minutes left in the game.
UPDATE: Regulations tied 1-1. On to overtime
Quote from: SimpleCoach on November 12, 2023, 07:13:59 AM
Here are some game notes from the Trinity - UT Dallas game... with some Montclair-Elmira commentary interspersed...
Game Notes - Trinity v UT Dallas Men's NCAA First Round (https://www.patreon.com/posts/game-notes-v-ut-92719586?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link)
Thanks for the notes, Coach. Wish you'd stuck around for the 2nd half! The tension during so many PKs was intense!
FINAL: Colorado College wins in PKs over Emory
Region X is now guaranteed to have two teams in the Sweet 16 of this year's tournament, with the second team to be determined by the Occidental @ Trinity game in a couple of hours.
Big moment for Colorado College. I believe this is the first time it has made the Sweet 16 since 1993
Trinity goes a man down in the 16th minute when Wilman draws a red trying to break up a two man Oxy jailbreak just outside of the box and loses 4-1.
Big win for Oxy last night, but interesting selection of photo to use for the game recap. Maybe Oxy GK Riley Nyhan offended the Trinity Sports Communications staff and in a passive-aggressive attempt to get back at him, this was the only photo they provided to their sports communications counterparts at Occidental?
https://oxyathletics.com/news/2023/11/13/mens-soccer-tigers-roll-into-sweet-sixteen-with-impressive-win.aspx
Quote from: Kuiper on November 13, 2023, 04:57:19 PM
Big win for Oxy last night, but interesting selection of photo to use for the game recap. Maybe Oxy GK Riley Nyhan offended the Trinity Sports Communications staff and in a passive-aggressive attempt to get back at him, this was the only photo they provided to their sports communications counterparts at Occidental?
https://oxyathletics.com/news/2023/11/13/mens-soccer-tigers-roll-into-sweet-sixteen-with-impressive-win.aspx
The Oxy write-up failed to mention they were up a man most of the game.
Quote from: Gray Fox on November 13, 2023, 05:51:43 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 13, 2023, 04:57:19 PM
Big win for Oxy last night, but interesting selection of photo to use for the game recap. Maybe Oxy GK Riley Nyhan offended the Trinity Sports Communications staff and in a passive-aggressive attempt to get back at him, this was the only photo they provided to their sports communications counterparts at Occidental?
https://oxyathletics.com/news/2023/11/13/mens-soccer-tigers-roll-into-sweet-sixteen-with-impressive-win.aspx
The Oxy write-up failed to mention they were up a man most of the game.
I saw that too, but I've noticed that in recaps from other schools as well. I'm not sure why, but maybe they just want to focus on the positive.
For what it's worth, Oxy was largely in control even before that and likely would have scored (since they had two players on the break) on that play if Trinity's GK had not intervened, but it surely unsettled Trinity and influenced the score if not the result too.
By the way, circling back to the leg-breaking tackle by St. Thomas vs Texas Lutheran, nothing was ever formally announced for the St. Thomas player beyond the mandatory one game suspension. Looking at the box scores, in addition to the game against Austin, he also sat out vs UT Dallas and Centenary. Whether imposed by the conference or the school, it turned out to be a three game suspension.
This isn't a full preview of the Occidental @ Amherst Sweet Sixteen game, but since we have all week, I thought I would offer one bit of "it's a small world" color to the game that most people won't know about. I'm putting it on the tournament thread and the Go WEST thread since the Amherst/NESCAC fans may not look in the Go WEST thread.
This is the first time Occidental and Amherst will ever play in men's soccer, but for a number of people, it will be a reunion. Max Landa, Amherst's starting goalkeeper, is from Southern California and went to La Canada HS, Class of 2020. Marcus Chmielewski, Occidental's starting striker also went to La Canada HS Class of 2020, as did Tyler Na-Nakornpanom, Occidental's backup striker, who was two years behind Max and Marcus. Over their four years, Max and Marcus only lost two games in league and both were first team All-League their senior year, with Marcus named league MVP, while Tyler was an honorable mention that same year. Here's a link to an article about the team:
https://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/sports/story/2020-03-25/la-canada-boys-soccer-standout-chmielewski-earns-league-mvp-honors
In addition, Max and Marcus were club teammates on LA Surf ECNL, which was coached by Rod Lafaurie, LA Surf's Director of Elite Programming and Occidental's head coach.
I don't think any of them thought they would all reunite on a field in Western Masschusetts, but it should be cool to watch.
Preview: Occidental @ Amherst @11 am local team on Saturday 11/18
Occidental is 15-3-3 and was ranked #6 in Region X. It beat St. Thomas 2-1 and Trinity TX 4-1 in the first two rounds, both played at Trinity. Amherst is 15-2-3 and was ranked #1 in Region I. It beat SUNY Poly 2-1 and Stevens 1-0 in OT in the first two rounds, both played at WPI in Worcester, MA.
Let's face it, despite having similar records, Occidental faces an extremely uphill battle here.
Occidental traveled halfway across the country - over 1300 miles - to San Antonio, Texas to play two Texas teams at Trinity University and then traveled all the way back across the country to Los Angeles and now has to fly all the way across the country - almost 3000 miles - to Amherst, Massachusetts to play in the Sweet Sixteen. That's a lot of flying in one week. Plus, after playing two games in the rain last weekend and doing all that flying, hotel, and airport time, it will be a miracle if no one is sick. And to top it off, the game on Saturday is scheduled for 11 am, which is 8 am Los Angeles time, so the jet lag could be pretty brutal unless Coach Lafaurie somehow managed to get the players to stay on central time all week. And that's to say nothing about any differences in weather, which actually won't be that terribly bad - maybe 10-15 degrees -- even if it rains since it actually rained today in LA, probably while Oxy was practicing, and they've already proven they can play in the rain.
Of course, Amherst could protest that they too played both games away last week. That 54.7 mile drive to WPI might even have taken a little over an hour if there was traffic! Occidental's trip to LAX for the flight will be longer than that, especially with LA in traffic hell because of the shut down of a crucial stretch of the I-10 due to the massive pallet fire below an overpass last weekend. And, Amherst will be sleeping in their own beds this weekend and have no commute at all.
The one possible trick up Occidental's sleeve is if the Oxy Ultras travel to Amherst as well. From the stream, it looked like they may have had as many as 20 or 25 people or more at the games in Texas. They are diehards and this is the first time Oxy is in the NCAA tournament, so if they went to Texas they might go to Amherst too. If they do make it, there will be much discomfort, tongue-clicking, harumphing and maybe even pearl-clutching among the locals. I don't know if Serpone has ever had his sideline drowned out by drums, vuvuzelas, cow bells, and non-stop chanting. The play-by-play announcer in Trinity noted that Oxy's fans created all the atmosphere at the game. He even mentioned that he was going to go crazy if they kept the drum beating all game. And, despite the rain, they did.
Putting all of that aside, does Oxy have a chance on the field? They have no common opponents. In Massey, where the ratings are updated to include this past weekend's games, Amherst is rated #4 and Occidental is rated #17, so not quite as separated as some who don't follow Regions outside their own might assume. That's ahead of some teams in the Round of 16, like Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Colorado College, Washington & Lee, Washington College, and Ohio Northern, but still behind Amherst and everyone else (and behind Bowdoin and just ahead of Williams, among NESCAC non-qualifiers).
What does Oxy have? They do have more truly legit goal scoring threats than most D3 programs. They come at you in waves with Oury Diane and Marcus Chmielweski starting, but their leading scorer, who came off the bench most games to score double the goals of anyone on Amherst's roster, is Andrew Notter, and they have other players like Tyler Na-Nakornpanom and Kai Fiedelholtz who they run out there a lot, plus they have guys in midfield who can rip a shot to the top corner. More importantly, they rotate all those players to keep them fresh and so they can run relentlessly. That rotation is something I didn't see from Amherst, at least when they had a close game against Stevens where they used most of their starters for the full 110 minutes or close to it. Oxy also has decent size and speed and their taller players are fairly athletic, but Amherst is even taller, also has some great outside speed players, and has that size at virtually every position.
As I wrote in an earlier post, the most interesting thing to watch for me is to see those boys from La Canada HS playing against each other. I bet Marcus Chmielweski has shot on Max Landa well over a 1000 times in their youth and HS careers during practices and warmups and Tyler Na-Nakornpanom probably had his fair share of shots on Landa as well during their time together in the HS team. They probably took a hundred PKs against Max in practice alone. It would be quite the full circle moment if the game came down to something like that, even though with the passage of four years all of the players have grown and changed.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 16, 2023, 02:27:19 AM
Preview: Occidental @ Amherst @11 am local team on Saturday 11/18
Occidental is 15-3-3 and was ranked #6 in Region X. It beat St. Thomas 2-1 and Trinity TX 4-1 in the first two rounds, both played at Trinity. Amherst is 15-2-3 and was ranked #1 in Region I. It beat SUNY Poly 2-1 and Stevens 1-0 in OT in the first two rounds, both played at WPI in Worcester, MA.
Let's face it, despite having similar records, Occidental faces an extremely uphill battle here.
Occidental traveled halfway across the country - over 1300 miles - to San Antonio, Texas to play two Texas teams at Trinity University and then traveled all the way back across the country to Los Angeles and now has to fly all the way across the country - almost 3000 miles - to Amherst, Massachusetts to play in the Sweet Sixteen. That's a lot of flying in one week. Plus, after playing two games in the rain last weekend and doing all that flying, hotel, and airport time, it will be a miracle if no one is sick. And to top it off, the game on Saturday is scheduled for 11 am, which is 8 am Los Angeles time, so the jet lag could be pretty brutal unless Coach Lafaurie somehow managed to get the players to stay on central time all week. And that's to say nothing about any differences in weather, which actually won't be that terribly bad - maybe 10-15 degrees -- even if it rains since it actually rained today in LA, probably while Oxy was practicing, and they've already proven they can play in the rain.
Of course, Amherst could protest that they too played both games away last week. That 54.7 mile drive to WPI might even have taken a little over an hour if there was traffic! Occidental's trip to LAX for the flight will be longer than that, especially with LA in traffic hell because of the shut down of a crucial stretch of the I-10 due to the massive pallet fire below an overpass last weekend. And, Amherst will be sleeping in their own beds this weekend and have no commute at all.
The one possible trick up Occidental's sleeve is if the Oxy Ultras travel to Amherst as well. From the stream, it looked like they may have had as many as 20 or 25 people or more at the games in Texas. They are diehards and this is the first time Oxy is in the NCAA tournament, so if they went to Texas they might go to Amherst too. If they do make it, there will be much discomfort, tongue-clicking, harumphing and maybe even pearl-clutching among the locals. I don't know if Serpone has ever had his sideline drowned out by drums, vuvuzelas, cow bells, and non-stop chanting. The play-by-play announcer in Trinity noted that Oxy's fans created all the atmosphere at the game. He even mentioned that he was going to go crazy if they kept the drum beating all game. And, despite the rain, they did.
Putting all of that aside, does Oxy have a chance on the field? They have no common opponents. In Massey, where the ratings are updated to include this past weekend's games, Amherst is rated #4 and Occidental is rated #17, so not quite as separated as some who don't follow Regions outside their own might assume. That's ahead of some teams in the Round of 16, like Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Colorado College, Washington & Lee, Washington College, and Ohio Northern, but still behind Amherst and everyone else (and behind Bowdoin and just ahead of Williams, among NESCAC non-qualifiers).
What does Oxy have? They do have more truly legit goal scoring threats than most D3 programs. They come at you in waves with Oury Diane and Marcus Chmielweski starting, but their leading scorer, who came off the bench most games to score double the goals of anyone on Amherst's roster, is Andrew Notter, and they have other players like Tyler Na-Nakornpanom and Kai Fiedelholtz who they run out there a lot, plus they have guys in midfield who can rip a shot to the top corner. More importantly, they rotate all those players to keep them fresh and so they can run relentlessly. That rotation is something I didn't see from Amherst, at least when they had a close game against Stevens where they used most of their starters for the full 110 minutes or close to it. Oxy also has decent size and speed and their taller players are fairly athletic, but Amherst is even taller, also has some great outside speed players, and has that size at virtually every position.
As I wrote in an earlier post, the most interesting thing to watch for me is to see those boys from La Canada HS playing against each other. I bet Marcus Chmielweski has shot on Max Landa well over a 1000 times in their youth and HS careers during practices and warmups and Tyler Na-Nakornpanom probably had his fair share of shots on Landa as well during their time together in the HS team. They probably took a hundred PKs against Max in practice alone. It would be quite the full circle moment if the game came down to something like that, even though with the passage of four years all of the players have grown and changed.
Interesting about the crowd and noise makers. Maybe our NESCAC fan - College Soccer Observer — who I understand knows the rules quite well - can comment on whether noise makers like cowbells/drums etc are permitted in the crowds. I was under the impression that they were not allowed. In the past they have been a part of the Middlebury scene but I have noticed that this year they are not.
Here is the actual rule:
5.6.9 Suspend the game, stop the clock and direct the game management personnel to remove whistles, air horns, electronic amplifiers and any other items that are not permitted from the spectators' areas.
5.6.9.1 It is permissible for bands to play at any time during the game.
5.6.9.2 It is permissible for musical instruments and artificial noisemakers to be used at any time during the game.
A.R. 5.6.9.a. Is amplified or pre-recorded music permissible? RULING: Only during pregame, intervals between periods, and anytime the clock is stopped and the ball is not in play.
A.R. 5.6.9.b. Are artificial noisemakers permissible? RULING: Yes, provided they are not one of the prohibited items under Rule 5.6.9 and do not interfere with the administration of the game.
So in theory, things like drums, cowbells, etc. are permissible. The loophole, however, is in the last line. Essentially, the host institution can decide that certain things interfere with the administration of the game and ban them. An example for Midd was in 2021, Franklin and Marshall did not permit cowbells.
As far as cowbells this year, the players are not big fans of the cowbells, so they have been retired. They made an appearance at one game this year, and perhaps not coincidentally, it was the game they lost.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 16, 2023, 09:08:15 AM
Here is the actual rule:
5.6.9 Suspend the game, stop the clock and direct the game management personnel to remove whistles, air horns, electronic amplifiers and any other items that are not permitted from the spectators' areas.
5.6.9.1 It is permissible for bands to play at any time during the game.
5.6.9.2 It is permissible for musical instruments and artificial noisemakers to be used at any time during the game.
A.R. 5.6.9.a. Is amplified or pre-recorded music permissible? RULING: Only during pregame, intervals between periods, and anytime the clock is stopped and the ball is not in play.
A.R. 5.6.9.b. Are artificial noisemakers permissible? RULING: Yes, provided they are not one of the prohibited items under Rule 5.6.9 and do not interfere with the administration of the game.
So in theory, things like drums, cowbells, etc. are permissible. The loophole, however, is in the last line. Essentially, the host institution can decide that certain things interfere with the administration of the game and ban them. An example for Midd was in 2021, Franklin and Marshall did not permit cowbells.
As far as cowbells this year, the players are not big fans of the cowbells, so they have been retired. They made an appearance at one game this year, and perhaps not coincidentally, it was the game they lost.
Thanks - Super helpful.
Preview: Colorado College v. Ohio Northern @ Tufts (Medford, MA) at 1:30 ET on Saturday 11/18
These are two relatively evenly matched teams.
Colorado College is 14-3-2 this year and ranked #1 in Region X, while Ohio Northern is 13-5-4 and ranked #3 in Region VII. Colorado College got here by beating Oglethorpe 3-2 and advancing over Emory 5-3 in PKs after a 1-1 tie, with both games at Emory. Ohio Northern got here by advancing over Lynchburg 7-6 in PKs after a 2-2 tie and beating Messiah 1-0, with both games at Lynchburg.
This is a rematch of a game played @ONU on 9/9, which ended in a 1-1 tie. CC scored its goal in the 9th minute on a cross that was tapped in on the back post and ONU scored on a PK in the 34th minute. ONU outshot CC 17-8 and goalkeeper Jasper Broad, who was SCAC GK of the year this year as a sophomore, made 5 saves to preserve the tie. ONU had lost to Calvin 1-0 the day before as part of the ONU invitational, and the tie with CC was the second game in a four game winless streak that included losses to Ohio Wesleyan and North Central. So, this was probably both the toughest stretch of the season for ONU and a particularly hard series of opponents. On the other hand, the tie with Colorado College was before they really went on their big run with a win against Christopher Newport that began a 10 game winning streak. So, neither team was at the top of their game yet on Sept. 9. Nevertheless, the game provides an unusual level of familiarity for two teams that wouldn't ordinarily cross paths in the regular season.
Both teams have proven the ability to travel and get wins, although Colorado College really specializes in travel. As the most isolated DIII school in the country, they have a DI travel schedule really. I think this will be the seventh airplane trip of the season for the Tigers. By contrast, this is probably Ohio Northern's first travel to a game by airplane this season since the Lynchburg trip was under 500 miles.
As far as players to watch for Colorado College's defense is anchored by Broad in goal and fellow 1st team All-SCAC and defender of the year Curtis Hale on defense. Oliver Ramirez in the midfield is speedy and is tied for the team lead in goals and Alexander Ward and Connor Webster are dangerous too, all of whom were named 2d team All SCAC. For Ohio Northern, Will Shafer and Ryan Sommerfield were 1st team All-OAC and are the top goal scorers. Defender Brendon Gervers anchors the back line and was 1st team all OAC, along with Noah Zebrek, who was 2nd team All OAC. GK Lucas Hickey was also 2nd team All-OAC.
One other difference between Colorado College and Ohio Northern that is probably only of interest to me, but may affect D3 student-athletes (who are, after all, students first) more than D1 athletes:
Colorado College has a 4 block system where they take one class at a time for four weeks and then move on to the next class. Colorado Colleges' third block ended Wed 11/15 and they have a fall break until 11/27 when the fourth block starts. On the one hand, that might mean they had a little less practice time/focus this week as they got back from Atlanta and went straight into finishing up a project or taking an exam. On the other hand, after that, they are free and clear and can focus entirely on this weekend's games and travel etc without worrying about missed class time or exam studying etc. Ohio Northern has a traditional semester calendar and therefore they presumably had classes all week, although they probably are saving exam prep until after this weekend (more likely after Thanksgiving break). Not a big deal, but little stresses can sometimes make a difference below the surface that we can't see.
Kudos to Occidental on a really well played game. They went toe to toe with Amherst, and their crowd support was phenomenal.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 17, 2023, 11:16:15 AM
One other difference between Colorado College and Ohio Northern that is probably only of interest to me, but may affect D3 student-athletes (who are, after all, students first) more than D1 athletes:
Colorado College has a 4 block system where they take one class at a time for four weeks and then move on to the next class. Colorado Colleges' third block ended Wed 11/15 and they have a fall break until 11/27 when the fourth block starts. On the one hand, that might mean they had a little less practice time/focus this week as they got back from Atlanta and went straight into finishing up a project or taking an exam. On the other hand, after that, they are free and clear and can focus entirely on this weekend's games and travel etc without worrying about missed class time or exam studying etc. Ohio Northern has a traditional semester calendar and therefore they presumably had classes all week, although they probably are saving exam prep until after this weekend (more likely after Thanksgiving break). Not a big deal, but little stresses can sometimes make a difference below the surface that we can't see.
With no teams "out west" making it to the Final 4, now seems a good enough time to give a huge shout out to Kuiper for once again sharing an incredible amount of information and insight about the west coast teams (including Colorado and Texas) throughout the season and into the tourney.
I always enjoy the Simple Coach/Paul Newman sessions but wondering if room for Kuiper next year to join them in breaking down the tournament field.
Thanks Kuiper.
Quote from: jfreddys on November 19, 2023, 07:35:49 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 17, 2023, 11:16:15 AM
One other difference between Colorado College and Ohio Northern that is probably only of interest to me, but may affect D3 student-athletes (who are, after all, students first) more than D1 athletes:
Colorado College has a 4 block system where they take one class at a time for four weeks and then move on to the next class. Colorado Colleges' third block ended Wed 11/15 and they have a fall break until 11/27 when the fourth block starts. On the one hand, that might mean they had a little less practice time/focus this week as they got back from Atlanta and went straight into finishing up a project or taking an exam. On the other hand, after that, they are free and clear and can focus entirely on this weekend's games and travel etc without worrying about missed class time or exam studying etc. Ohio Northern has a traditional semester calendar and therefore they presumably had classes all week, although they probably are saving exam prep until after this weekend (more likely after Thanksgiving break). Not a big deal, but little stresses can sometimes make a difference below the surface that we can't see.
With no teams "out west" making it to the Final 4, now seems a good enough time to give a huge shout out to Kuiper for once again sharing an incredible amount of information and insight about the west coast teams (including Colorado and Texas) throughout the season and into the tourney.
I always enjoy the Simple Coach/Paul Newman sessions but wondering if room for Kuiper next year to join them in breaking down the tournament field.
Thanks Kuiper.
Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated. As people saw with Colorado College and Occidental, there's a lot of good D3 men's soccer played in Region X and it's only getting better. For example, CC's GK Broad and co-leading scorers - Ramirez and Webster -- are all only sophomores and defensive leader Hale is a junior. Oxy's midfield duo of Navarro and Aly are also only Sophomores and 4 of the 5 forwards in its regular rotation return next year. Plus, the leading point scorer in the NWC this year was a sophomore - Cole Friesen from Whitworth with 24 goals and 5 assists and the leaders of the Cal Tech revival - Etienne Casanova and Ishaan Mantripragada, who each had 11 goals - are both sophomores (and I wouldn't be surprised if the bench players are working on cloning protocols as part of their offseason training assignment!). I'm happy to be promoting all of it from this little corner of the board.
Quote from: jfreddys on November 19, 2023, 07:35:49 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 17, 2023, 11:16:15 AM
One other difference between Colorado College and Ohio Northern that is probably only of interest to me, but may affect D3 student-athletes (who are, after all, students first) more than D1 athletes:
Colorado College has a 4 block system where they take one class at a time for four weeks and then move on to the next class. Colorado Colleges' third block ended Wed 11/15 and they have a fall break until 11/27 when the fourth block starts. On the one hand, that might mean they had a little less practice time/focus this week as they got back from Atlanta and went straight into finishing up a project or taking an exam. On the other hand, after that, they are free and clear and can focus entirely on this weekend's games and travel etc without worrying about missed class time or exam studying etc. Ohio Northern has a traditional semester calendar and therefore they presumably had classes all week, although they probably are saving exam prep until after this weekend (more likely after Thanksgiving break). Not a big deal, but little stresses can sometimes make a difference below the surface that we can't see.
With no teams "out west" making it to the Final 4, now seems a good enough time to give a huge shout out to Kuiper for once again sharing an incredible amount of information and insight about the west coast teams (including Colorado and Texas) throughout the season and into the tourney.
I always enjoy the Simple Coach/Paul Newman sessions but wondering if room for Kuiper next year to join them in breaking down the tournament field.
Thanks Kuiper.
'
I would totally love to have Kuiper on the show. He is a star in the making!
SC.
USC All-Region X selections are out.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-NCAA-D3-Men-All-Region-Teams.pdf
Couple of observations:
1. St. Thomas was finally punished for their behavior (and perhaps Texas Lutheran too)
Not a single St. Thomas player was selected. That can't just be a coincidence. Taty Aleman had 17 goals in 16 games, which was the third highest in Region X this year and tied for 15th in the country. Daniel Castro had 13 goals in 16 games, which was 7th in Region X and tied for 36th in the country. Hard to believe neither would be among the 9 best forwards in Region X if their team and individual behavior weren't factored in to the equation.
Texas Lutheran also only had two players selected and their GK Noel Pena was left out completely despite having a .41 GAA and a .864 save percentage, both of which are probably best in Region X.
I'm not disagreeing with any of these decisions, but noting that the coaches effectively did what the conferences and the NCAA did not.
2. GK was a weak position in Region X
Surprised Seth Lawrence was voted top GK in Region X. He's a good keeper, but neither his stats nor his performance this year smacked of first team all Region X. I frankly think it was a down year for keepers in Region X, but the best keeper for my money was Colorado College's sophomore GK Jasper Broad, who had a lower GAA (.84 to 1.19) and a better save percentage (.804 to .733), while facing a ton more shots than Lawrence (203 v. 65). Gaston was also better than Lawrence, with a .83 GAA and a .789 save percentage while facing 157 shots, but the competition he faced in the Northwest Conference was weaker than what Lawrence faced in the SCIAC and Broad faced in the SCAC. Broad, however, didn't make any of the teams. I think he was better than Pena for Texas Lutheran as well given the differences in their defenses and style of play (and, of course, Broad didn't lose his mind in a key moment of an important game).
3. When was the last time Cal Tech had a first team All Region X player?
I have no idea, but I'm guessing never or a really long time. Sophomore Etienne Casanova is the youngest member of the All Region X team and his importance to Cal Tech is far more than in the stats. He was so crucial in moving that team forward and in two years of play he's already only five goals short of tying the all-time Cal Tech career scoring record of 21 goals, which was set in 1967-1970.
First Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Seth Lawrence Sr. University of Redlands Redlands, Calif.
D Skylar Darwen Sr. University of Redlands Los Angeles, Calif.
D Curtis Hale Jr. Colorado College Richmond, Va.
D Evan Karp Sr. Occidental College Portland, Ore.
M Jarette Barajas Sr. University of Redlands San Jose, Calif.
M Etienne Casanova So. California Institute of Technology San Jose, Calif.
M Craig Johnson Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Puyallup, Wash.
M Jack Manke Sr. Texas Lutheran University Houston, Texas
F Chen Adjei GR-5 Trinity University (Texas) Euless, Texas
F Michael Meese Jr. Trinity University (Texas) Williamsburg, Va.
F Andrew Notter Jr. Occidental College Truckee, Calif.
Second Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Nick Gaston Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Mililani, Hawaii
D Pieter Blank GR-5 Trinity University (Texas) The Hague, Netherlands
D Tyler Sherard Sr. California Lutheran University Chula Vista, Calif.
D Alex White Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Henderson, Nev.
M Will Bavier Jr. Colorado College Cambridge, Mass.
M Louis Instrall Jr. Trinity University (Texas) London, England
M Joey Schwartz GR-5 Occidental College Highland Park, Ill.
M Sawyer Young Jr. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Plano, Texas
F Cole Friesen Jr. Whitworth University Chula Vista, Calif.
F Ishaan Mantripragada So. California Institute of Technology Saratoga, Calif.
F Trevor Thompson Jr. Pacific Lutheran University Olympia, Wash.
Third Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Riley Nyhan Jr. Occidental College Seattle, Wash.
D Max Beldner Sr. University of California Santa Cruz San Francisco, Calif.
D Cameron Burleson Jr. Concordia University (Texas) San Antonio, Texas
D Kayson Marriott Sr. University of Texas-Dallas Frisco, Texas
D Diego Roman Sr. Texas Lutheran University Houston, Texas
M Michael Grimm Jr. Southwestern University Southlake, Texas
M Spencer Palmer Sr. University of Redlands San Diego, Calif.
M Oliver Ramirez So. Colorado College Fort Collins, Colo.
F Alex Bethke So. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Austin, Texas
F Theo Givens Sr. Concordia University (Texas) Austin, Texas
F Robby Guyer Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Ravensdale, Wash
I know this is the men's board, but since so few people seem to frequent the women's soccer board (where I cross-posted this), I thought people would indulge me if I posted about this on the men's board as well (at least in the Go WEST thread where it might be of interest). Cal Lutheran, a school located west of Los Angles in Thousand Oaks, has made the NCAA Final Four for the first time in its history and is playing Tufts tomorrow. It's a huge achievement for the working-class school that is by far the youngest of the final four participants and it's a testament to the strength of soccer in Region X (especially in Los Angeles, where Pomona-Pitzer has been strong on the women's side for years). The LA Times ran a long story about the achievement:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-11-28/cal-lutheran-womens-soccer-ncaa-tournament-rise (https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-11-28/cal-lutheran-womens-soccer-ncaa-tournament-rise)
Quote
CLU, unranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches national top 25, faces Tufts (11-5-4) in the national semifinals in Salem, Va. And if the Regals get past that, they'll face the winner of the other semifinal between second-ranked Washington University (17-1-3) and Messiah (21-2-0), a six-time Division III champion, in Saturday's title game.
QuoteIt wasn't a fluke. At 18-1-5, this year's team is the best in school history. The Regals outscored opponents 43-12 and posted 14 shutouts. The only loss was a 1-0 result against Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC tournament final, one they reversed in the second round of the NCAAs before upsetting unbeaten and top-ranked Christopher Newport University on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.
I also thought this quote from Cal Lu's head coach was a good summary of some of what DIII soccer offers, especially for women who have a lot more opportunities to go DI than men:
Quote"What we're seeing is Division I kids that have either started at a Division I and they're not winning, they're not playing a lot, they're not enjoying their experience and they go, 'I want to play and I want to win'," said Marino, whose roster includes two Division I transfers. "A kid that comes here, legitimately we have a chance to win a national championship. For some kids, that's more fun. And the environment is good. Players are supportive, they care about each other."
Quote from: Kuiper on November 29, 2023, 07:12:25 PM
I know this is the men's board, but since so few people seem to frequent the women's soccer board (where I cross-posted this), I thought people would indulge me if I posted about this on the men's board as well (at least in the Go WEST thread where it might be of interest). Cal Lutheran, a school located west of Los Angles in Thousand Oaks, has made the NCAA Final Four for the first time in its history and is playing Tufts tomorrow. It's a huge achievement for the working-class school that is by far the youngest of the final four participants and it's a testament to the strength of soccer in Region X (especially in Los Angeles, where Pomona-Pitzer has been strong on the women's side for years). The LA Times ran a long story about the achievement:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-11-28/cal-lutheran-womens-soccer-ncaa-tournament-rise (https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-11-28/cal-lutheran-womens-soccer-ncaa-tournament-rise)
Quote
CLU, unranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches national top 25, faces Tufts (11-5-4) in the national semifinals in Salem, Va. And if the Regals get past that, they'll face the winner of the other semifinal between second-ranked Washington University (17-1-3) and Messiah (21-2-0), a six-time Division III champion, in Saturday's title game.
QuoteIt wasn't a fluke. At 18-1-5, this year's team is the best in school history. The Regals outscored opponents 43-12 and posted 14 shutouts. The only loss was a 1-0 result against Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC tournament final, one they reversed in the second round of the NCAAs before upsetting unbeaten and top-ranked Christopher Newport University on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.
I also thought this quote from Cal Lu's head coach was a good summary of some of what DIII soccer offers, especially for women who have a lot more opportunities to go DI than men:
Quote"What we're seeing is Division I kids that have either started at a Division I and they're not winning, they're not playing a lot, they're not enjoying their experience and they go, 'I want to play and I want to win'," said Marino, whose roster includes two Division I transfers. "A kid that comes here, legitimately we have a chance to win a national championship. For some kids, that's more fun. And the environment is good. Players are supportive, they care about each other."
The last quote from Coach Lu applies across all D3 sports. It'd be great to see athletes who might ride the bench in DI make the move to DIII.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 29, 2023, 07:12:25 PM
I know this is the men's board, but since so few people seem to frequent the women's soccer board (where I cross-posted this), I thought people would indulge me if I posted about this on the men's board as well (at least in the Go WEST thread where it might be of interest). Cal Lutheran, a school located west of Los Angles in Thousand Oaks, has made the NCAA Final Four for the first time in its history and is playing Tufts tomorrow. It's a huge achievement for the working-class school that is by far the youngest of the final four participants and it's a testament to the strength of soccer in Region X (especially in Los Angeles, where Pomona-Pitzer has been strong on the women's side for years). The LA Times ran a long story about the achievement:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-11-28/cal-lutheran-womens-soccer-ncaa-tournament-rise (https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-11-28/cal-lutheran-womens-soccer-ncaa-tournament-rise)
Quote
CLU, unranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches national top 25, faces Tufts (11-5-4) in the national semifinals in Salem, Va. And if the Regals get past that, they'll face the winner of the other semifinal between second-ranked Washington University (17-1-3) and Messiah (21-2-0), a six-time Division III champion, in Saturday's title game.
QuoteIt wasn't a fluke. At 18-1-5, this year's team is the best in school history. The Regals outscored opponents 43-12 and posted 14 shutouts. The only loss was a 1-0 result against Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC tournament final, one they reversed in the second round of the NCAAs before upsetting unbeaten and top-ranked Christopher Newport University on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.
I also thought this quote from Cal Lu's head coach was a good summary of some of what DIII soccer offers, especially for women who have a lot more opportunities to go DI than men:
Quote"What we're seeing is Division I kids that have either started at a Division I and they're not winning, they're not playing a lot, they're not enjoying their experience and they go, 'I want to play and I want to win'," said Marino, whose roster includes two Division I transfers. "A kid that comes here, legitimately we have a chance to win a national championship. For some kids, that's more fun. And the environment is good. Players are supportive, they care about each other."
The last quote from Coach Lu applies across all D3 sports. It'd be great to see athletes who might ride the bench in DI make the move to DIII.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 28, 2023, 08:12:12 PM
USC All-Region X selections are out.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-NCAA-D3-Men-All-Region-Teams.pdf
Couple of observations:
1. St. Thomas was finally punished for their behavior (and perhaps Texas Lutheran too)
Not a single St. Thomas player was selected. That can't just be a coincidence. Taty Aleman had 17 goals in 16 games, which was the third highest in Region X this year and tied for 15th in the country. Daniel Castro had 13 goals in 16 games, which was 7th in Region X and tied for 36th in the country. Hard to believe neither would be among the 9 best forwards in Region X if their team and individual behavior weren't factored in to the equation.
Texas Lutheran also only had two players selected and their GK Noel Pena was left out completely despite having a .41 GAA and a .864 save percentage, both of which are probably best in Region X.
I'm not disagreeing with any of these decisions, but noting that the coaches effectively did what the conferences and the NCAA did not.
2. GK was a weak position in Region X
Surprised Seth Lawrence was voted top GK in Region X. He's a good keeper, but neither his stats nor his performance this year smacked of first team all Region X. I frankly think it was a down year for keepers in Region X, but the best keeper for my money was Colorado College's sophomore GK Jasper Broad, who had a lower GAA (.84 to 1.19) and a better save percentage (.804 to .733), while facing a ton more shots than Lawrence (203 v. 65). Gaston was also better than Lawrence, with a .83 GAA and a .789 save percentage while facing 157 shots, but the competition he faced in the Northwest Conference was weaker than what Lawrence faced in the SCIAC and Broad faced in the SCAC. Broad, however, didn't make any of the teams. I think he was better than Pena for Texas Lutheran as well given the differences in their defenses and style of play (and, of course, Broad didn't lose his mind in a key moment of an important game).
3. When was the last time Cal Tech had a first team All Region X player?
I have no idea, but I'm guessing never or a really long time. Sophomore Etienne Casanova is the youngest member of the All Region X team and his importance to Cal Tech is far more than in the stats. He was so crucial in moving that team forward and in two years of play he's already only five goals short of tying the all-time Cal Tech career scoring record of 21 goals, which was set in 1967-1970.
First Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Seth Lawrence Sr. University of Redlands Redlands, Calif.
D Skylar Darwen Sr. University of Redlands Los Angeles, Calif.
D Curtis Hale Jr. Colorado College Richmond, Va.
D Evan Karp Sr. Occidental College Portland, Ore.
M Jarette Barajas Sr. University of Redlands San Jose, Calif.
M Etienne Casanova So. California Institute of Technology San Jose, Calif.
M Craig Johnson Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Puyallup, Wash.
M Jack Manke Sr. Texas Lutheran University Houston, Texas
F Chen Adjei GR-5 Trinity University (Texas) Euless, Texas
F Michael Meese Jr. Trinity University (Texas) Williamsburg, Va.
F Andrew Notter Jr. Occidental College Truckee, Calif.
Second Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Nick Gaston Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Mililani, Hawaii
D Pieter Blank GR-5 Trinity University (Texas) The Hague, Netherlands
D Tyler Sherard Sr. California Lutheran University Chula Vista, Calif.
D Alex White Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Henderson, Nev.
M Will Bavier Jr. Colorado College Cambridge, Mass.
M Louis Instrall Jr. Trinity University (Texas) London, England
M Joey Schwartz GR-5 Occidental College Highland Park, Ill.
M Sawyer Young Jr. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Plano, Texas
F Cole Friesen Jr. Whitworth University Chula Vista, Calif.
F Ishaan Mantripragada So. California Institute of Technology Saratoga, Calif.
F Trevor Thompson Jr. Pacific Lutheran University Olympia, Wash.
Third Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Riley Nyhan Jr. Occidental College Seattle, Wash.
D Max Beldner Sr. University of California Santa Cruz San Francisco, Calif.
D Cameron Burleson Jr. Concordia University (Texas) San Antonio, Texas
D Kayson Marriott Sr. University of Texas-Dallas Frisco, Texas
D Diego Roman Sr. Texas Lutheran University Houston, Texas
M Michael Grimm Jr. Southwestern University Southlake, Texas
M Spencer Palmer Sr. University of Redlands San Diego, Calif.
M Oliver Ramirez So. Colorado College Fort Collins, Colo.
F Alex Bethke So. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Austin, Texas
F Theo Givens Sr. Concordia University (Texas) Austin, Texas
F Robby Guyer Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Ravensdale, Wash
Leaving off St. Thomas players is a very tough action. Do you think it'll give players pause to attend St. Thomas or to change their behavior? Or do you think it'll motivate them because they feel slighted and get angry? Sadly, I'm inclined to think the latter.
break
How in the heck did Adam Knutson (Trinity) not make a regional team? His offensive stats are obvious, but his overall effect on games is harder to quantify. The guy was everywhere and brings great energy on defense as well. Only a sophomore, I expect to see his name a lot over the next couple of years.
I think coaches nominate their own payers for USC All-Region honors and are limited to 4 field players. Trinity has four field players on the teams, so that means that Knutson wasn't one of the four field players that Coach McGinley nominated.
I wonder if the lack of St. Thomas players has to do with no one at St. Thomas submitting nominations?
Quote from: Flying Weasel on November 30, 2023, 09:17:03 AM
I think coaches nominate their own payers for USC All-Region honors and are limited to 4 field players. Trinity has four field players on the teams, so that means that Knutson wasn't one of the four field players that Coach McGinley nominated.
I wonder if the lack of St. Thomas players has to do with no one at St. Thomas submitting nominations?
That's a very good point. It's possible St. Thomas didn't nominate anyone because of the void at coach or because the athletic administration at St. Thomas (where the interim HC came from) made the decision that no one should be honored this year.
It also suggests the possibility that TLU did not nominate their GK for the same reason and perhaps even that Colorado College left off their GK in favor of some upperclassmen, although that would been unfortunate since there are definitely sophomores who make the teams.
Also, in order to be eligible for an award, the coach must be a member of the United Soccer Coaches. I wonder if the interim coach was not a member, and therefore could not nominate anyone.
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 30, 2023, 11:50:33 AM
Also, in order to be eligible for an award, the coach must be a member of the United Soccer Coaches. I wonder if the interim coach was not a member, and therefore could not nominate anyone.
I know that that is true you must be a member. He probably was able to join during the season. It is a shame especially if the player was not one that could not be control during the TX Lutheran game.
Just to update on Cal Lu in the women's final
Four:
LCal Lu beats Tufts in PKs to advance to the Finals after being tied 1-1 in 2OT
Wow. This was a game where Cal Lu looked like they were hanging on for dear life, with three top starters injured during regulation and the players looking tired. Cal Lu's GK was Uber aggressive to keep them in the game, coming out on all corners and crosses to snuff out plays, but they had almost no offensive chances in the second half and first OT. Somehow, however, the coach brought in a few different players, motivated them, and they controlled the second OT, owning possession and almost winning with a ball hitting the underside of the cross bar on a great shot. It was as if they had played possum, lulling Tufts into beautiful passing sequences and runs while they conserved energy for the second OT.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 30, 2023, 05:54:19 PM
Just to update on Cal Lu in the women's final
Four:
LCal Lu beats Tufts in PKs to advance to the Finals after being tied 1-1 in 2OT
Wow. This was a game where Cal Lu looked like they were hanging on for dear life, with three top starters injured during regulation and the players looking tired. Cal Lu's GK was Uber aggressive to keep them in the game, coming out on all corners and crosses to snuff out plays, but they had almost no offensive chances in the second half and first OT. Somehow, however, the coach brought in a few different players, motivated them, and they controlled the second OT, owning possession and almost winning with a ball hitting the underside of the cross bar on a great shot. It was as if they had played possum, lulling Tufts into beautiful passing sequences and runs while they conserved energy for the second OT.
When Avery West went off the game totally changed and Cal Lu did whatever it could to survive. The second half I thought Tufts would knock in three, but the Cal Lu Keeper and Tufts errors in the final third.... Well OT.
Disappointed in the result. Wish Cal Lu would have kept the clean sheet since I predicted them winning 1-0. So much for my influencing.
SC
Some content idea, next year do a from the final 4 location!
Quote from: camosfan on November 30, 2023, 06:27:34 PM
Some content idea, next year do a from the final 4 location!
SC you will have to travel to Las Vegas if you are going to do on site for the Final 4. I hear the weather is nicer in Las Vegas that time of year. You and Jackie won't need winter coats.
Quote from: Coach Jeff on December 01, 2023, 10:02:34 AM
Quote from: camosfan on November 30, 2023, 06:27:34 PM
Some content idea, next year do a from the final 4 location!
SC you will have to travel to Las Vegas if you are going to do on site for the Final 4. I hear the weather is nicer in Las Vegas that time of year. You and Jackie won't need winter coats.
Now we are talking!
SC.
Quote from: SimpleCoach on December 01, 2023, 11:06:48 AM
Quote from: Coach Jeff on December 01, 2023, 10:02:34 AM
Quote from: camosfan on November 30, 2023, 06:27:34 PM
Some content idea, next year do a from the final 4 location!
SC you will have to travel to Las Vegas if you are going to do on site for the Final 4. I hear the weather is nicer in Las Vegas that time of year. You and Jackie won't need winter coats.
Now we are talking!
SC.
IT can get very cold in Las Vegas. It is not always summer there.
Quote from: SimpleCoach on November 30, 2023, 06:05:05 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on November 30, 2023, 05:54:19 PM
Just to update on Cal Lu in the women's final
Four:
LCal Lu beats Tufts in PKs to advance to the Finals after being tied 1-1 in 2OT
Wow. This was a game where Cal Lu looked like they were hanging on for dear life, with three top starters injured during regulation and the players looking tired. Cal Lu's GK was Uber aggressive to keep them in the game, coming out on all corners and crosses to snuff out plays, but they had almost no offensive chances in the second half and first OT. Somehow, however, the coach brought in a few different players, motivated them, and they controlled the second OT, owning possession and almost winning with a ball hitting the underside of the cross bar on a great shot. It was as if they had played possum, lulling Tufts into beautiful passing sequences and runs while they conserved energy for the second OT.
When Avery West went off the game totally changed and Cal Lu did whatever it could to survive. The second half I thought Tufts would knock in three, but the Cal Lu Keeper and Tufts errors in the final third.... Well OT.
Disappointed in the result. Wish Cal Lu would have kept the clean sheet since I predicted them winning 1-0. So much for my influencing.
SC
The story of Cal Lutheran might be depth, which is a very underrated strength for teams in short seasons when you get to the NCAA tournament and start having to play OTs. In fact, perhaps the most amazing depth piece for Cal Lu was not a player who came off the bench against Tufts to hold down the fort, but one who came off the bench right before the start of the tournament - GK Kelsey Slaugh. She subbed in for starter Logan Durford in the SCIAC championship game after Durford came out with 17 minutes left and she has started every game in the NCAA tournament, coming up big against Tufts. Slaugh had only played in 5 games before this tourney run. That's a pretty big step up for a sophomore GK.
Apologies for the Women's Final cross-post, but there's really no one on the Women's Board and this might be of interest to Region X soccer fans on the men's side too
HALF: Cal Lutheran 1 - Washington University 0
Cal Lu's Bella Veljacic scores on a fantastic looping shot that beats the GK over the top to the far right corner, hits the corner and then off the GK's back into the goal. Cal Lu is doing it without Avery West, although Savanna Durr is back.
UPDATE: Spoke too soon on Durr, who had to come out because she wasn't able to go after a few minutes. They moved back a MF to CB and she's been holding down the fort.
UPDATE:
FINAL: Cal Lutheran 1 - Wash U 0
They hold on amidst injuries and against blue bloods to win the national championship!
Here's a link to video of Cal Lu's winning goal a little less than halfway through the first half. You won't find a more beautifully placed goal (and hard luck for the Wash U GK on the rebound)
https://x.com/NCAADIII/status/1731001875212722199?s=20
that is perfection!
Congratulations to Cal Lutheran...fantastic season and run in the tourney.
Always great to see some Southern California contributions to the division 3 world.
Plenty of so cal players sprinkled throughout the U.S. but when a local team shows its stuff, always nice.
And one last congratulations to Occidental on its run...probably still smarting it all considering how close they were against Amherst.
United Soccer Coaches came out with its 2023 DIII Men's Soccer Scholar All Americans regional awards. Only three from the West Region, which I suspect may be because only the SCAC had its act together enough to nominate players. Still, it's nice to honor these players who competed strongly both on and off the field.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/D3-Men-Scholar-All-Region.pdf
D Pieter Blank GR-5 Trinity University (Texas) Business-Mathematics 3.64 Leidschendam, The Netherlands
M Michael Grimm Jr. Southwestern University Business 3.70 Southlake, Texas
F Michael Meese Jr. Trinity University (Texas) Business 3.56 Williamsburg, Va.
Cross-posting this in case someone interested in Region X isn't checking the Coaching Carousel thread. One additional note is that having experience coaching in Region X is not insignificant, even though Ramirez hasn't been in TX or the SCAC. It means you know more about the challenges with SoS, regional rankings, and getting out of the area!
University of St. Thomas (TX) has announced it has hired Occidental Men's soccer Assistant Coach Ernesto Ramirez as its new head coach of men's soccer.
https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/releases/20240220hr0oas
This is a bit of a "if you can't beat them, hire someone from their staff" hire since Oxy beat St. Thomas in NCAA tournament this year.
He'll have his hands full there, especially trying to wrangle a group of talented, but not necessarily disciplined, group of players. Based on what I have seen of him in youth coaching at the MLS Next/EA level as well as at Oxy, he'll connect with the players (probably better than the last head coach), but needs to take a step from being a player's coach to being a head coach to maximize their potential and minimize the fighting and griping with referees. He's definitely a very hard worker and he is uber-organized, though, so that's a good start. His last experience as a head coach at the college level (at DII Salem University in WV soon after he graduated college) was a tough situation at a school where it has been difficult for anyone to succeed.
I also saw the UST women's soccer coach post on Linkedin last month that they were still searching for candidates, so I'm guessing it was a difficult job to fill. Getting an assistant coach from another western power that was just voted Region X Coaching Staff of the Year was probably about as good an outcome as they could have expected.
Bob Quillman, host of a D# hoops podcast, is reporting that the remaining members of the American Southwest Conference are discussing moving to the Coast-to-Coast Conference for all sports except football: Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, LeTourneau, and East Texas Baptist (it was already announced that UTD is going DII, and Concordia, McMurry, and Ozarks are going to the SCAC).
QuoteHearing talks are heating up re: UMHB, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, ETBU, and LeTourneau joining the Coast-to-Coast conference. This would be for all sports except football. Football would be played via local scheduling alliances.
Coast-to-Coast conference will be like a set of pods during the regular season, with a pod in the Mid-Atlantic playing each other (e.g., Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury), one in Wisconsin (Platteville and Whitewater) one in Texas, and then UC Santa Cruz all by its lonesome effectively playing as an affiliate of the SCIAC. The conference tournament could be pretty competitive. The Texas teams will pick up some serious strength-of-schedule playing teams from the SCAC, teams from the SAA (where Trinity and Southwestern are going), and then the teams from all over the country in the C2C tournament. That's a heck of a lot of cross-pollination.
The demise of the ASC would also presumably mean one less automatic bid and one more Pool C bid available. That would also have implications for Region X's typical pod in the tournament. If only the three conference champions qualified, one team from another region would have to play in Region X's pod, which could be a pretty significant disadvantage depending upon where the pod is held and the length of travel. On the other hand, it might put the thumb on the scale for a Region X Pool C bid to complete the pod and avoid the significant travel burden.
Bob reported this some time back - I have seen pushback (don't remember exactly where) from some people with excellent ASC contacts saying they had not heard this. The excellent reporter from Texas Football/Basketball who covers non-D1 sports, Cory Hogue, has also not reported anything to date.
If it does happen, that's going to be a *lot* of games to try and schedule in almost all sports to replace the current ASC in-conference schedules, and it's doubtful that there are enough open games (and/or desire) amongst the non-ASC(/C2C) schools in Texas to pick up all of the slack. I don't see the bulk of the SAA (excluding Trinity/Southwestern) being interested in a lot of this. I could see the Texas C2C pod playing a double round-robin to reduce the stress of having to put that many games together each season.
It also doesn't address the elephant in the room for four of the five schools, which is what to do with their football programs. Unless the program at Schreiner fails to ignite (they finally opened a coaching search with a planned JV season starting in 2025) the SCAC has zero interest, and you won't find any conference wanting to fly to Texas twice a year to face UMHB/HSU.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on February 21, 2024, 03:16:01 PMBob reported this some time back - I have seen pushback (don't remember exactly where) from some people with excellent ASC contacts saying they had not heard this. The excellent reporter from Texas Football/Basketball who covers non-D1 sports, Cory Hogue, has also not reported anything to date.
If it does happen, that's going to be a *lot* of games to try and schedule in almost all sports to replace the current ASC in-conference schedules, and it's doubtful that there are enough open games (and/or desire) amongst the non-ASC(/C2C) schools in Texas to pick up all of the slack. I don't see the bulk of the SAA (excluding Trinity/Southwestern) being interested in a lot of this. I could see the Texas C2C pod playing a double round-robin to reduce the stress of having to put that many games together each season.
It also doesn't address the elephant in the room for four of the five schools, which is what to do with their football programs. Unless the program at Schreiner fails to ignite (they finally opened a coaching search with a planned JV season starting in 2025) the SCAC has zero interest, and you won't find any conference wanting to fly to Texas twice a year to face UMHB/HSU.
Ron - are there other options to get the 5 remaining ASC teams full schedules in all sports (presumably other than football) while staying in D3? My assumption is that C2C would be a temporary solution to bridge the 1 team gap so they wouldn't go without an AQ opportunity. So, I assume it wouldn't prevent them from pursuing those other options. I just don't know if there are other nearby schools that are a good fit for the ASC long term.
They're really stuck between a rock and a hard place. You would think by now that if the SCAC wanted them they'd have already done a deal (which would probably encompass having to go to two divisions like they did pre-SAA split). Maybe something gets announced towards the end of the school year, but what from I hear it's highly unlikely. One consideration is that you already have half the old ASC there who left for whatever reason and bringing the whole gang back together (less D2 defections) would probably make for some very unhappy members. Votes must be unanimous to allow new members; who knows, maybe one or more of the ASC Five already tried. SCAC policy sez if you are a full member and you have football (or any other conference-sponsored sport) you must play it in the SCAC. Pretty sure that's common to most conferences, making the "come on along for everything but football" even harder.
So who else is "around" that plays football?
- the SAA. Non-starter, I can't believe they took Trinity and Southwestern which was probably partially in response to the financial situation at Birmingham-Southern and other members seeing declining enrollment.
- the SCIAC. Sure, everyone wants to fly halfway across the country. Maybe you do two divisions and then a championship at the end between the two but with only five schools left in the ASC it would be pretty unbalanced in most sports.
- the USAS. Like the SCIAC only with poorer schools.
- the UMAC. They're down to six football schools but again you have the travel and unbalanced division situation in other sports.
The elephant in the room applies here. None of these weaker football conferences wants to lose their Pool A bid for the foreseeable future - they have to see some reward for taking on these five teams. Unless it's a conference survival issue, it's a hard sell.
Occidental has a great article in its alumni magazine about the Oxy Men's soccer team's run in the NCAA tournament this year and how it built it's program up in recent years.
https://www.oxy.edu/magazine/issues/winter-2024/kicking-and-dreaming
A few excerpts that I found interesting:
1. Oxy coach Rod Lafaurie credits Trinity coach Paul McGinlay for helping him turn the program around
QuoteThe victory over Trinity "felt like a full-circle moment," he adds—the culmination of a 10-year process that began with a conversation with Trinity coach Paul McGinlay following a 2013 campaign in which the Tigers went 3-16. "I made phone calls to a few coaches across the country who had successful Division III programs," Lafaurie recalls. "Paul was one of two coaches who got back to me. I asked him, 'Just how did you create this program at Trinity?'" McGinlay walked him through his process in terms of creating a culture, how to recruit, and so on.
That speaks really highly of McGinlay, who is a legendary coach at Trinity. Lafaurie started at Oxy in 2010 as a young coach with few mentors to turn to in the D3 community (he played D1 at CSUN and is one of the still small number of minority head coaches out there in D3 and likely the only Afro-Dominican).
2. Oxy's attendance is phenomenal and its "SuperFans" group is led by a rocket scientist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA
QuoteOccidental has led the SCIAC in attendance for men's soccer games in recent seasons "by far," Lafaurie says, "and I wouldn't be surprised if we were in the top 25 in all divisions of NCAA soccer." For its 2022 SCIAC Tournament semifinal vs. Pomona, 3,689 spectators were on hand at Jack Kemp Stadium—and a crowd of 4,200 was recorded for the 2023 championship game with Redlands.
QuoteIt takes a lot to stand out in a crowd of 4,200 at Jack Kemp Stadium, but Art Chmielewski—resplendent in his orange tuxedo and top hat and blowing into a vuvuzela like it's the 2014 World Cup—proves the exception to the rule. A fixture at every Oxy men's soccer game for the last three years, Art is the father of both Marcus and his older brother Lucas Chmielewski '21, a Second Team All-SCIAC pick in men's tennis and Oxy's top singles player for two and a half seasons.
A veteran of 15 space missions over nearly 44 years at JPL, Art has worked with 11 student interns from Oxy. "I've had students not only in engineering and computer science but also psychology and economics," he says. "They were all fabulous people and that made me also try to contribute something to the College."
In tracing his evolution from supportive parent into leader of the superfans, Art cites three key factors that came together: "I work for NASA—I'm expected to think these things through." Having played soccer at the University of Michigan, "I always wanted my parents to come to my game. I was MVP one year. And my stepfather and my mom never came. So, I said to myself, 'Well, if Marcus plays, I'm going to show him the support.' That was one motivation."
The second was that he read a Ph.D. thesis that examined more than 3,000 baseball, basketball, and soccer games in an effort to figure out why the home team wins 60 percent of the time. "To make a long story short, the outcome of this Ph.D. thesis was that it's because of the fans," Art explains. "The fans have an impact on the players who are more energized, and perhaps unconsciously on the referees who make better calls for the home team. So, here was an opportunity to truly contribute to the team's success.
"The third factor was when I went to some soccer games, I'd see these people who are mainly watching their kids nervously. And I thought: What if we turned this energy into happy, fun energy? And that was what I came up with—the vuvuzelas, the trumpets, the cowbells, the drums, waving the flags. Now everybody was happier. It was an event; it was a happening."
Incidentally, Art's son Marcus turned down an opportunity to be on the soccer team at D1 University of Washington to go to Oxy, so that was a pretty big endorsement of staying close to home and getting to play a lot.
3. Oxy's fundraising for men's soccer is phenomenal and it uses some of that $ to help attract teams to play them in LA as well as to travel all over to recruit
QuoteMen's soccer has benefited from the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends on Day For Oxy since its inception in 2020, raising $47,000 from 67 donors last year. "That allows us to have more equipment for training, buy the new goals on the field, and pay for pregame dinners and things like that. It even means we can buy brand-new soccer balls," Lafaurie says. "All those little things add up."
QuoteFor the 2024 season, Lafaurie has scheduled Willamette, UC Santa Cruz, and Swarthmore so far. "The biggest benefit of our preseason, nonconference schedule this year was that it was hard, and we were able to come through it. That prepared us for the whole season. So, we're going to try to do it again."
Over the last several years, Lafaurie has tried to lure more NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents from outside the region (such as Texas Lutheran and Marymount University of Virginia this season) to Oxy by offering to help out with their travel expenses. "In the past, we would travel to other places to play these teams, because you need to see top-level opponents from different parts of the country," he says.
Off the field, Lafaurie traveled to Brazil and Singapore on recruiting trips in the last 12 months, and in early December he visited Korea to scout a gathering of international school players. "The talent level at these events is really high," he says. "All these players speak English already, and they want to go to school in America." Upon returning from Korea, he attended the MLS NEXT Fest Tournament in Phoenix, a six-day event that showcases some of the top high school players in the United States.
My guess is that few fans of teams on the east coast (or even some coaches) ever thought about the possibility that teams on the west coast have to actually pay good opponents to come west and play them out there (or at least share expenses) so they can help their strength of schedule numbers and play teams with different playing styles. I don't know that this happens the other way when west coast teams travel to the east coast since east coast teams can find unique opponents close by.
Pomona-Pitzer put its Spring scrimmages on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356WqoyODM/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356EZ3SsHL/
As is their custom, they are taking advantage of the single game day to have two games (presumably to get everybody on their roster playing time during the single game day). Both games are at home on their grass field.
Sunday March 3
11 am v. Santa Monica College (JC)
3:00 pm v. Cal State San Marcos (D2)
Quote from: Kuiper on February 28, 2024, 04:18:50 PMPomona-Pitzer put its Spring scrimmages on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356WqoyODM/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356EZ3SsHL/
As is their custom, they are taking advantage of the single game day to have two games (presumably to get everybody on their roster playing time during the single game day). Both games are at home on their grass field.
Sunday March 3
11 am v. Santa Monica College (JC)
3:00 pm v. Cal State San Marcos (D2)
Looks like Ditta has stepped away from the program. Any idea if Swartz is back from sabbatical?
Quote from: smoova on February 28, 2024, 09:56:18 PMQuote from: Kuiper on February 28, 2024, 04:18:50 PMPomona-Pitzer put its Spring scrimmages on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356WqoyODM/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356EZ3SsHL/
As is their custom, they are taking advantage of the single game day to have two games (presumably to get everybody on their roster playing time during the single game day). Both games are at home on their grass field.
Sunday March 3
11 am v. Santa Monica College (JC)
3:00 pm v. Cal State San Marcos (D2)
Looks like Ditta has stepped away from the program. Any idea if Swartz is back from sabbatical?
I saw that too, but I don't know anything more than he is simply not on the website anymore. Swartz is still listed as on sabbatical and I tend to doubt he is back. The team has definitely been practicing based upon what they've been showing on instagram, but I don't know who is running those practices.
Quote from: Kuiper on February 28, 2024, 10:45:44 PMQuote from: smoova on February 28, 2024, 09:56:18 PMQuote from: Kuiper on February 28, 2024, 04:18:50 PMPomona-Pitzer put its Spring scrimmages on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356WqoyODM/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C356EZ3SsHL/
As is their custom, they are taking advantage of the single game day to have two games (presumably to get everybody on their roster playing time during the single game day). Both games are at home on their grass field.
Sunday March 3
11 am v. Santa Monica College (JC)
3:00 pm v. Cal State San Marcos (D2)
Looks like Ditta has stepped away from the program. Any idea if Swartz is back from sabbatical?
I saw that too, but I don't know anything more than he is simply not on the website anymore. Swartz is still listed as on sabbatical and I tend to doubt he is back. The team has definitely been practicing based upon what they've been showing on instagram, but I don't know who is running those practices.
Looks like I was wrong about Swartz. The Pomona-Pitzer men's soccer page (https://sagehens.com/sports/mens-soccer/coaches) updated its coaches and Bill Swartz is back up top and the sabbatical parenthetical has been removed from his name. Also, more significantly, Jen Clark, who has a very long coaching resume in women's college soccer, including HC at Christopher Newport in the late 1990s, assistant coach at Colby and Middlebury during two different stints, HC at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps from both 2000-2004 and 2017-2022, and HC at Cal Tech in 2022, has joined Pomona-Pitzer men's soccer as an assistant coach. She was an assistant to Swartz there in Spring 2022 before taking the Cal Tech women's job for a season and now apparently is back. My guess is she is doing more of the day-to-day coaching Ditta was doing while Swartz is overseeing the program, although it's possible one of the other assistants is the lead. Should be interesting to watch when games start.
I like Cal Tech and Pasadena as much as the next guy, but anyone who picks Cal Tech because they think it's a great college town is in for a rude awakening.
https://x.com/D3Direct/status/1767248973793013928?s=20
The Top 5 D3 College Towns in 2024
Quote1. Ithaca, NY - @BomberSports
2. Cambridge, MA - @MITAthletics
3. Lincoln, NE - @NWUSports
4. Pasadena, CA - @CaltechBeavers
5. Amherst, MA - @AmherstMammoths
I mean they do have a great college stadium, but the Rose Bowl is UCLA's home field and UCLA's campus is like 45 minutes away on a good day. Although Old town Pasadena is kind of quaint, I'm just not sure the kids are really doing much in the local neighborhood. Maybe they mean the college town is great because you won't be bothered in the isotope handling laboratory (conveniently located near the athletic fields) by a lot of loud partying in the neighborhood?
In the other four towns, it seems like the D3 school may be free-riding on some other, bigger, universities nearby. Nothing of that sort in Pasadena, although Pasadena City College, a community college, is right next door to Cal Tech. I bet those two student populations mingle a lot ;) .
A bit of Northwest Conference (now somewhat old) news:
Kevin Moon, a Whitworth soccer alum and former assistant coach for both the men and women's teams on four separate occasions, was promoted from interim to head coach at Whitworth.
https://whitworthpirates.com/news/2023/12/7/mens-soccer-moon-elevated-to-full-time-head-coach.aspx
His team went 12-4-4 and finished second in the Northwest conference.
Here's a link (https://www.instagram.com/p/C3s2ngpPdWp/?img_index=1)to some photos of spring practices
Cole Friesen had a breakout sophomore season last year under Moon, scoring 24 goals and 5 assists.
Quote from: Kuiper on February 21, 2024, 01:03:46 PMBob Quillman, host of a D# hoops podcast, is reporting that the remaining members of the American Southwest Conference are discussing moving to the Coast-to-Coast Conference for all sports except football: Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, LeTourneau, and East Texas Baptist (it was already announced that UTD is going DII, and Concordia, McMurry, and Ozarks are going to the SCAC).
QuoteHearing talks are heating up re: UMHB, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, ETBU, and LeTourneau joining the Coast-to-Coast conference. This would be for all sports except football. Football would be played via local scheduling alliances.
Coast-to-Coast conference will be like a set of pods during the regular season, with a pod in the Mid-Atlantic playing each other (e.g., Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury), one in Wisconsin (Platteville and Whitewater) one in Texas, and then UC Santa Cruz all by its lonesome effectively playing as an affiliate of the SCIAC. The conference tournament could be pretty competitive. The Texas teams will pick up some serious strength-of-schedule playing teams from the SCAC, teams from the SAA (where Trinity and Southwestern are going), and then the teams from all over the country in the C2C tournament. That's a heck of a lot of cross-pollination.
The demise of the ASC would also presumably mean one less automatic bid and one more Pool C bid available. That would also have implications for Region X's typical pod in the tournament. If only the three conference champions qualified, one team from another region would have to play in Region X's pod, which could be a pretty significant disadvantage depending upon where the pod is held and the length of travel. On the other hand, it might put the thumb on the scale for a Region X Pool C bid to complete the pod and avoid the significant travel burden.
The WIAC has a few schools (Stevens Point, River Falls, Stout) adding men's soccer starting in Fall 2024 so the WI schools in C2C will be re-joining the WIAC. Not sure what is going to happen with C2C, but the Wisconsin schools are out.
Quote from: mngopher on March 13, 2024, 11:51:09 PMQuote from: Kuiper on February 21, 2024, 01:03:46 PMBob Quillman, host of a D# hoops podcast, is reporting that the remaining members of the American Southwest Conference are discussing moving to the Coast-to-Coast Conference for all sports except football: Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, LeTourneau, and East Texas Baptist (it was already announced that UTD is going DII, and Concordia, McMurry, and Ozarks are going to the SCAC).
QuoteHearing talks are heating up re: UMHB, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, ETBU, and LeTourneau joining the Coast-to-Coast conference. This would be for all sports except football. Football would be played via local scheduling alliances.
Coast-to-Coast conference will be like a set of pods during the regular season, with a pod in the Mid-Atlantic playing each other (e.g., Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury), one in Wisconsin (Platteville and Whitewater) one in Texas, and then UC Santa Cruz all by its lonesome effectively playing as an affiliate of the SCIAC. The conference tournament could be pretty competitive. The Texas teams will pick up some serious strength-of-schedule playing teams from the SCAC, teams from the SAA (where Trinity and Southwestern are going), and then the teams from all over the country in the C2C tournament. That's a heck of a lot of cross-pollination.
The demise of the ASC would also presumably mean one less automatic bid and one more Pool C bid available. That would also have implications for Region X's typical pod in the tournament. If only the three conference champions qualified, one team from another region would have to play in Region X's pod, which could be a pretty significant disadvantage depending upon where the pod is held and the length of travel. On the other hand, it might put the thumb on the scale for a Region X Pool C bid to complete the pod and avoid the significant travel burden.
The WIAC has a few schools (Stevens Point, River Falls, Stout) adding men's soccer starting in Fall 2024 so the WI schools in C2C will be re-joining the WIAC. Not sure what is going to happen with C2C, but the Wisconsin schools are out.
Thanks! I knew Stout was starting up, but I didn't know about the others or that the Wisconsin schools were leaving as of Fall 2024. That's great for Wisconsin, although not so great for the new teams trying to compete with Platteville,, Whitewater, and Eau Claire.
As a practical matter, the Texas guys haven't heard anything more than this report about the ASC schools going to the C2C, so it's not clear it will still happen.
Neither the Texas guys (of which I am one) or the media that cover Texas D3 sports (primarily American football and basketball) have gotten a whiff of this C2C possibility, and C2C also doesn't solve for the elephant in the room which is football. It's hard to imagine Mary Hardin-Baylor or Hardin-Simmons taking any option that doesn't give their football program a home - and having to schedule basically a full season of games (the C2C doesn't play in-conference much, if at all, during the regular season) would be a huge logistical and financial challenge.
A bizarre thing is there are now (supposedly) at least two of the four ASC schools that have resorted to putting a very decidedly non-D3 opponent on their football schedule next season; both ETBU (announced (https://x.com/etbu_football/status/1768079305265836379?s=61)) and UMHB (rumor on this site (https://www.d3boards.com/index.php?msg=2104407), but others have heard something similar) will play an online-only, non-accredited "Westgate Christian" of Houston. Scuttlebutt says the ASC tried (is trying?) to get them to go D3 and join the conference, which would truly be a sign of desperation if true given the hurdles the school faces to get a D3 exploratory invite from the NCAA.
With regular decision acceptances posting in many places, Fall 2024 recruit announcements are starting to trickle in on social media and the recruits themselves have been posting it for awhile. I figured I would start a Region X commitment list that I/we can keep adding to over the spring.
Here's what I have thus far (I know more about SCIAC commitments, so I will lead with them):
SCIAC
Cal Tech:
Dean Yao (M) FC Delco MLS Next
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps:
Heiko Schultz (M/F) LA Surf MLS Next
La Verne:
Jeffrey Grijalva (RB) San Rafael HS (Richmond, CA)
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Pomona-Pitzer:
Charlie Leonard (D) Chicago Fire Youth SC/Latin HS
Josh Goldhaber (GK) FC United (E64)/Latin HS
Gavin Honey (GK) Eastside FC (WA)/Liberty HS
Sammy Faham (M/F) De Anza Force MLS Next/Burlingame HS
Nolan Todd (D/M) Seattle United ECNL/Lincoln
Gabe Anca (D) Palo Alto SC (NPL)/Nueva School
Redlands:
Ronaldo Fernandez (F) City SC MLS Next/Murrieta Valley HS
Ryan Hubbard (D) Laguna United FC (EA)/Aliso Niguel HS
Jared Keyvan (M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Mater Dei
Whittier:
Anthony Dolce (D/DM) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
SCAC
Texas Lutheran:
Romario Salazar (Wingback/winger) FC Westlake Elite (previously San Antonio FC DA/MLS Next)/Jefferson HS
Schreiner:
Mason Szymanski (GK) Sting SC ECRL/Panther Creek (TX)
Trinity:
Jason Sukow (MF) Transfer from D1 Loyola Chicago
Joey Perryman (F) Transfer from D1 Central Connecticut State University
Cade Dougan (D/M) Transfer from D1 UNC Wilmington
ASC
Mary Hardin-Baylor:
Evan Ruiz MF Solar SC/Allen
Northwest Conference
Pacific Lutheran:
Ian Reckling (GK) Pacific NW/Sumner (WA)
If anyone is up and interested in watching some D3 soccer players, Redlands FC, (USL2 (tier 4), is playing LA Force (NISA (tier 3) right now:
https://www.ussoccer.com/us-open-cup/watch?matchId=f4c39116-fb07-4d8e-acb1-ae1e9bcb3f61
Because Redlands FC is coached by University of Redlands assistant coach Cody Carlson, and most of the players they will be playing during the season are D1 and D2 players who aren't out yet, Carlson has brought in several players from Carlson's Redlands college team who have finished their eligibility, including Jarette Barajas, Skyler Darwen, and Gabriel Martinez, as well as Ethan Kovach, who played 4 years at Redlands and played his Covid season last fall at D1 Utah Valley
UPDATE: Former 2d team All West region and 1st team all SCIAC player Kovach scores a great goal right before halftime to equalize 1-1
FINAL: LA Force 2 - Redlands FC 1. Great effort by the D3 alums, but they come up short.
Willamette hired Matt Corti-Young as its new head soccer coach
https://www.wubearcats.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/releases/202403192ikdl0
This is a big time get for Willamette. Corti-Young was an assistant coach at DI UC San Diego for the last few years, but before that he was head coach at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, where he was West Region coach of the year in 2019 when he led CMS to the NCAA tournament. He also did a great job as head coach at Knox College before that, taking a team that was 1-16 the year before he was hired and improving them to 15-4 within two years, winning their first conference title in 26 years and being named conference coach of the year. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Amherst in the NESCAC, so he really has National DIII experience.
In another bit of Willamette news, Jake Oetinger, a sophomore defender is transferring to D1 Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo. Oetinger was a locked in starter as a freshman, named Honorable Mention All-NWC, and starting 19 out of 20 games, but I think he was injured or otherwise unavailable after the first 8 games in 2023 (all of which he started) because he didn't play at all the rest of the season. Oetinger is from Gilroy, CA, which is a couple of hours north of San Luis Obisbo, so this is much closer to home for him.
Quote from: Kuiper on March 21, 2024, 04:04:41 PMWillamette hired Matt Corti-Young as its new head soccer coach
https://www.wubearcats.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/releases/202403192ikdl0
This is a big time get for Willamette. Corti-Young was an assistant coach at DI UC San Diego for the last few years, but before that he was head coach at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, where he was West Region coach of the year in 2019 when he led CMS to the NCAA tournament. He also did a great job as head coach at Knox College before that, taking a team that was 1-16 the year before he was hired and improving them to 15-4 within two years, winning their first conference title in 26 years and being named conference coach of the year. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Amherst in the NESCAC, so he really has National DIII experience.
In another bit of Willamette news, Jake Oetinger, a sophomore defender is transferring to D1 Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo. Oetinger was a locked in starter as a freshman, named Honorable Mention All-NWC, and starting 19 out of 20 games, but I think he was injured or otherwise unavailable after the first 8 games in 2023 (all of which he started) because he didn't play at all the rest of the season. Oetinger is from Gilroy, CA, which is a couple of hours north of San Luis Obisbo, so this is much closer to home for him.
Great to see NWC making some solid HC hires.
Cross-posting this from the 2024 schedules thread because it may be of interest to NWC/SCIAC fans eager for hints about their schedules:
UC Santa Cruz (https://goslugs.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)
Always interesting because they have no conference games and are 6+ hours away from the nearest D3 schools. The positive to offset that is that they have the advantage of being on the quarter system, which means classes don't even start until 9/21. So, they are bringing Pacific Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer to Santa Cruz the Friday and Saturday of the first weekend of the season (which likely means Pacific Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer are playing each other on Sunday in Santa Cruz) and then they travel to LA to play Occidental the next weekend, travel to Oregon to play weekday (W/F) games against Pacific and Willamette, and then back to LA to play weekday (W/F) games against La Verne and Redlands, all before their classes begin. After that, they play home or nearby games against DII or NAIA opponents, except for three more weekend trips to LA to play Chapman, Cal Lutheran, and CMS. The only SCIAC teams they don't play this year are Whittier and Cal Tech.
Quote from: Kuiper on March 18, 2024, 06:07:18 PMWith regular decision acceptances posting in many places, Fall 2024 recruit announcements are starting to trickle in on social media and the recruits themselves have been posting it for awhile. I figured I would start a Region X commitment list that I/we can keep adding to over the spring.
Here's what I have thus far (I know more about SCIAC commitments, so I will lead with them):
SCIAC
Cal Tech:
Dean Yao (M) FC Delco MLS Next
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps:
Heiko Schultz (M/F) LA Surf MLS Next
La Verne:
Jeffrey Grijalva (RB) San Rafael HS (Richmond, CA)
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Pomona-Pitzer:
Charlie Leonard (D) Chicago Fire Youth SC/Latin HS
Josh Goldhaber (GK) FC United (E64)/Latin HS
Gavin Honey (GK) Eastside FC (WA)/Liberty HS
Sammy Faham (M/F) De Anza Force MLS Next/Burlingame HS
Nolan Todd (D/M) Seattle United ECNL/Lincoln
Gabe Anca (D) Palo Alto SC (NPL)/Nueva School
Redlands:
Ronaldo Fernandez (F) City SC MLS Next/Murrieta Valley HS
Ryan Hubbard (D) Laguna United FC (EA)/Aliso Niguel HS
Jared Keyvan (M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Mater Dei
Whittier:
Anthony Dolce (D/DM) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
SCAC
Texas Lutheran:
Romario Salazar (Wingback/winger) FC Westlake Elite (previously San Antonio FC DA/MLS Next)/Jefferson HS
Schreiner:
Mason Szymanski (GK) Sting SC ECRL/Panther Creek (TX)
Trinity:
Jason Sukow (MF) Transfer from D1 Loyola Chicago
Joey Perryman (F) Transfer from D1 Central Connecticut State University
Cade Dougan (D/M) Transfer from D1 UNC Wilmington
ASC
Mary Hardin-Baylor:
Evan Ruiz MF Solar SC/Allen
Northwest Conference
Pacific Lutheran:
Ian Reckling (GK) Pacific NW/Sumner (WA)
Nice to see the additions to Trinity. Some local boys coming home to Texas!
A couple of updates in recruiting for a few schools (new listings in red):
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Aryan Amin (D) Baltimore Armour MLS Next
Devin Benning (F/M) LA Surf MLS Next
Willamette
Evan Bierman (GK) Colorado Edge ECRL/Ralston Valley
Quote from: Kuiper on February 21, 2024, 01:03:46 PMBob Quillman, host of a D# hoops podcast, is reporting that the remaining members of the American Southwest Conference are discussing moving to the Coast-to-Coast Conference for all sports except football: Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, LeTourneau, and East Texas Baptist (it was already announced that UTD is going DII, and Concordia, McMurry, and Ozarks are going to the SCAC).
QuoteHearing talks are heating up re: UMHB, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, ETBU, and LeTourneau joining the Coast-to-Coast conference. This would be for all sports except football. Football would be played via local scheduling alliances.
Coast-to-Coast conference will be like a set of pods during the regular season, with a pod in the Mid-Atlantic playing each other (e.g., Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury), one in Wisconsin (Platteville and Whitewater) one in Texas, and then UC Santa Cruz all by its lonesome effectively playing as an affiliate of the SCIAC. The conference tournament could be pretty competitive. The Texas teams will pick up some serious strength-of-schedule playing teams from the SCAC, teams from the SAA (where Trinity and Southwestern are going), and then the teams from all over the country in the C2C tournament. That's a heck of a lot of cross-pollination.
The demise of the ASC would also presumably mean one less automatic bid and one more Pool C bid available. That would also have implications for Region X's typical pod in the tournament. If only the three conference champions qualified, one team from another region would have to play in Region X's pod, which could be a pretty significant disadvantage depending upon where the pod is held and the length of travel. On the other hand, it might put the thumb on the scale for a Region X Pool C bid to complete the pod and avoid the significant travel burden.
Bob Quillman is now reporting that the ASC "merger" with the Coast-to-Coast conference is now a done deal for all sports EXCEPT football
https://x.com/iwuhoopscom/status/1772820626576650552?s=46&t=uXiupHZfR0TxrRyWF9BmRg
I'll wait for an official announcement, but it makes sense for soccer at least given the lack of other options and the departure of the Wisconsin schools from the C2C
Bob has great contacts, but none of the people I rely on for ASC insights have yet backed this up and he's been talking about it for some time. I can't imagine what the ASC teams will do scheduling-wise during the regular season given that the C2C doesn't play a regular season and there simply aren't a lot of teams in Texas with that many open spots on their non-conference schedules.
Maybe the C2C will do some restructuring, but as it stands I can't see this being a long-term arrangement, and especially given how important football is to those schools.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on March 27, 2024, 07:41:30 AMBob has great contacts, but none of the people I rely on for ASC insights have yet backed this up and he's been talking about it for some time. I can't imagine what the ASC teams will do scheduling-wise during the regular season given that the C2C doesn't play a regular season and there simply aren't a lot of teams in Texas with that many open spots on their non-conference schedules.
Maybe the C2C will do some restructuring, but as it stands I can't see this being a long-term arrangement, and especially given how important football is to those schools.
I agree it's not likely a preferable long-term solution, especially without football, but I don't think it will be difficult to construct a schedule in soccer. They already play a lot of SCAC teams in non-conference games and they can probably expand that number by adding the former ASC/new SCAC teams to the mix and grabbing some of the non-conference games that SCAC teams used to play against UT Dallas. Then they can play home and away games against each other for six "conference" games. Add in a couple of NAIA or DII teams (including perhaps) former ASC member UT Dallas and/or schedule one out of state trip to play two games and they have a schedule.
In further thinking about it, I think they will actually be in decent shape. There were only 8 conference games in the ASC last year because Sul Ross was reclassifying. So, if they play home and away against each other, they have replaced 6 of the 8 conference games. In effect, the teams really only need to replace two additional non-conference games. Given that the SAA teams will be down a conference game because of Birmingham Southern, a former ASC school now in the C2C could play a weekend at Hendrix in Arkansas and play two SAA teams (which MHB did last year with Hendrix and Rhodes and Hardin-Simmons did the same in 2019) or go to Jackson and play Belhaven and Huntingdon College (which likely has to replace Birmingham Southern, because they are typically on its non-conference schedule).
It's not uncommon for a SCIAC and/or NWC team to travel to Texas each year, but it's usually organized by Trinity because the travel is easier to San Antonio and involves Trinity/St. Thomas/Southwestern. Sometimes, Hardin-Simmons is invited down to give a traveling team a third game that way. Whitman and Pomona-Pitzer both played in Texas last year and one of Whitman's games was against Hardin-Simmons. One year, Hardin-Simmons played in the Trinity round robin directly with Christopher Newport, so it's possible they could get invited again.
In any event, I think the four teams will actually have a lot of non-conference options, mostly because I think the former ASC and SCAC schools still need them as well to construct a feasible non-conference schedule. Since there are only four of them in the C2C who will qualify for non-conference play and there will be 12 in the SCAC for 2024 (before Trinity and Southwestern leave), they will be in demand even if conference play takes up more slots for those SCAC schools.
Good points. The problem won't be as pronounced in soccer, with its limited number of games, than it will be in other sports where conferences routinely play a double round-robin schedule.
Hearing more confirmations that the ASC and C2C are going to link up. There was a story in the local newspaper for UMHB (https://kdhnews.com/sports/college/umhb/umhb-busy-with-spring-drills-harmon-talks-about-transfers-odd-schedule-staff-changes/article_218963be-3517-5a24-a39e-a1fb0f7f3d3a.html) saying that something "good" was going to be announced soon, and another person with excellent contacts in the conference has confirmed it's with the C2C.
Another pass at the Region X recruiting list (updates from the original list in red):
SCIAC
Cal Tech:
Dean Yao (M) FC Delco MLS Next
Matthew Luk (F) Pipeline Soccer Club ECNL/C. Milton Wright
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps:
Heiko Schultz (M/F) LA Surf MLS Next
Bo Gardner (OB/OM) Boulder County United
Dane Knudsen (MF) Marin FC
Lucius Ng (GK) Charterhouse (London, Eng)
Paul Melendres (M) Rio Rapids ECNL/El Dorado HS (New Mexico)
Zeno Bang (D) World Class FC/Don Bosco Prep
Roby Hooper (M) Washington Premier/Puyallup Union
Kevin Xia (M) Napa United MLS Next
Collin Ross (M/F) Davis Legacy ECNL/Christian Brothers
Ian Rodriguez (D) Beach FC ECNL/Mira Costa
Trusten Lehmann-Karp (M) IMG Academy MLS Next
La Verne:
Jeffrey Grijalva (RB) San Rafael HS (Richmond, CA)
Sebastian Gonzalez (M) Sporting California ECNL/Eleanor Roosevelt HS
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Aryan Amin (D) Baltimore Armour MLS Next
Devin Benning (F/M) LA Surf MLS Next
Matt Shea (M) Worcester Academy
Edward Siladie (D) Ballistic United SC MLS Next
Pomona-Pitzer:
Charlie Leonard (D) Chicago Fire Youth SC/Latin HS
Josh Goldhaber (GK) FC United (E64)/Latin HS
Gavin Honey (GK) Eastside FC (WA)/Liberty HS
Sammy Faham (M/F) De Anza Force MLS Next/Burlingame HS
Nolan Todd (D/M) Seattle United ECNL/Lincoln
Gabe Anca (D) Palo Alto SC (NPL)/Nueva School
Oak Jarvis (M) Santa Monica Surf EA/Crossroads
Jack Yang (M) De Anza Force ECNL/Harker
Redlands:
Ronaldo Fernandez (F) City SC MLS Next/Murrieta Valley HS
Ryan Hubbard (D) Laguna United FC (EA)/Aliso Niguel HS
Jared Keyvan (M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Mater Dei
Jacob White (D) Sporting California ECRL/Etiwanda
Whittier:
Anthony Dolce (D/DM) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Allessandro Seccia (M) Laguna United FC UPSL/Saddleback College
Shae Kolmer (M) Seattle United/Shorecrest HS (WA)
Raif Sablan (F/M) Players SC Las Vegas/Shadow Ridge
Cobey Penner (D/M) Wasatch SC (EA)/Davis
SCAC
Austin College
Kaleb Arredondo (D) BVB Int'l Academy/Arlington
Colorado College
Teddy Opler (F) Jackson Hole (WY)
Texas Lutheran:
Romario Salazar (Wingback/winger) FC Westlake Elite (previously San Antonio FC DA/MLS Next)/Jefferson HS
Andy Garcia (GK) Cypress Lakes HS
Raymond Palmer (F) San Antonio City ECRL/Clark
Nicholas Dunn (M/D) Capital City SC/Wemberly
Allan Solis (CB/CDM) IDEA Toros Futbol Academy McAllen
Nico Gonzalez (OB/OM) Rise SC/Cypress Park
Ben Gutierrez (M/F) Sam Houston
Jonathan Rodriguez (DM) Rise SC/Houston Academy for Int'l Studies
Schreiner:
Mason Szymanski (GK) Sting SC ECRL/Panther Creek (TX)
Benni Ponce (F) Georgetown HS
Trinity:
Jason Sukow (MF) Transfer from D1 Loyola Chicago
Joey Perryman (F) Transfer from D1 Central Connecticut State University
Cade Dougan (D/M) Transfer from D1 UNC Wilmington
ASC
Mary Hardin-Baylor:
Evan Ruiz (M) Solar SC/Allen
Sebastian Martinez (M) Transfer from DIII LeTourneau
Dylan Vadnais (D) Transfer from UT-Tyler (DII)
Zachary Paclibar (D) Transfer from Dallas Baptist (DII)
Northwest Conference
Pacific Lutheran:
Ian Reckling (GK) Pacific NW/Sumner (WA)
Puget Sound
Jackson Smith (M/F) Shorewood
Whitworth
Dawson Heuett (M) transfer from Eastern Oregon (NAIA)
Willamette
Evan Bierman (GK) Colorado Edge ECRL/Ralston Valley
Whittier is playing its spring game tonight (Friday, April 12th) at home at 6 pm against Pasadena City College
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5q0oyHxP2z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Whittier had a young team last year that struggled, but the upside of having zero seniors is that they all should be back, including forward Lawrence Dydell, who led the team with 12 goals and 3 assists.
Cross-posting this from the 2024 schedules thread since it concerns a Region X team
Chapman (https://athletics.chapman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)
Chapman has some interesting non-conference games on the schedule early in the season. On the second weekend, they travel to Montclair, New Jersey to take on Stevens and Montclair State. The following weekend, they host Wheaton (IL) and Whitman. Immediately thereafter, they open the SCIAC schedule at Redlands and at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. I suspect we'll know a lot about whether Chapman is a pretender or contender after that string of games.
Also, Chapman has a somewhat easier SCIAC schedule. It does play Oxy twice, which will be tough, but its other "double" games are Cal Lutheran, Whittier, and La Verne. On the other hand, its one game each against Redlands and CMS are away, so that's bad luck.
According to this story in a Texas Football page, LeTourneau is expected to announce soon that it has an accepted an offer to join the SCAC and will be leaving the ASC after this season.
https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2024/04/16/sources-letourneau-expected-to-depart-the-asc-for-the-scac?ref=article_preview_title
It would be a move for all sports, leaving the ASC with 4 members (although the ASC schools were already reportedly moving to the Coast-to-Coast conference for all sports except football)
As I hear it, the sticking point in making the move is that the ASC wants to merge with the C2C but have the combined conference called the ASC, which would make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on April 16, 2024, 09:59:04 PMAs I hear it, the sticking point in making the move is that the ASC wants to merge with the C2C but have the combined conference called the ASC, which would make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
That makes no sense as a sticking point. If the C2C is just a temporary solution to the Texas schools' problem, what does it matter what it's called? If the ASC think this is a permanent solution and the other schools will just let them takeover and always have to travel to them for the conference tournament, I could see that being a problem.
I totally agree that it makes no sense. But we're talking about the ASC who have let themselves go down this path for years without doing a darned thing to stop the bleeding (Mixed Metaphors for $400, Alex!). And if the ASC is going to tie up with the C2C, what's stopping them from announcing it? Bob Quillman and others have been talking about it for months and it generally doesn't take that long for conference moves to go from the "smoke" to the "fire" phase.
Since this is may be of interest to people who follow the NWC, I'm posting it here rather than the schedules thread.
Warner Pacific (https://wpuknights.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024), an NAIA school, posted its 2024 schedule.
They played Linfield and Lewis & Clark last year, but this year they are playing three NWC teams: George Fox, Linfield, and Pacific Lutheran.
The latter is a little surprising to me given that they are usually pretty ambitious with their non-conference scheduling. PLU did play Warner Pacific in 2021, but scheduling during that period was a little uncertain because of the pandemic and they may have decided to schedule more close-by games just as a hedge against travel issues. It may be totally unrelated, but this podcast (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jim-abbott/episodes/Small-College-Conversations-with-Mike-Snyder-e2ihkta) with PLU athletic director Mike Snyder, where he discusses the world of budget cutbacks in athletics, makes me wonder if either they are pulling back a little this year on the travel costs or they weren't able to get as many others to travel to them this year and they needed to fill in with a local NAIA team.
Quote from: Kuiper on April 16, 2024, 09:50:28 PMAccording to this story in a Texas Football page, LeTourneau is expected to announce soon that it has an accepted an offer to join the SCAC and will be leaving the ASC after this season.
https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2024/04/16/sources-letourneau-expected-to-depart-the-asc-for-the-scac?ref=article_preview_title
It would be a move for all sports, leaving the ASC with 4 members (although the ASC schools were already reportedly moving to the Coast-to-Coast conference for all sports except football)
It is now official. LeTourneau is moving (https://letuathletics.com/news/2024/4/25/letourneau-accepts-invitation-to-join-scac-in-2025-26.aspx)to the SCAC starting in 2025.
QuoteLeTourneau University has accepted an invitation to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.
"I am thrilled to announce LeTourneau University's transition to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference -- for our student-athletes and coaches especially, but also for our entire campus and the greater Longview community. The SCAC is an ideal fit for LETU as one of the premier NCAA Division III conferences in the country. It has built a long tradition of athletic success across a range of sports, and its member schools embrace an academic profile that supports our culture and the holistic experience we provide our student-athletes. We're glad to be joining a conference that's growing from strength to strength, and we look forward to partnering with our fellow members in the SCAC and to making our own mark in the conference," said LeTourneau University president Dr. Steven Mason.
The move to the SCAC will become official on July 1, 2025.
LeTourneau will remain in the American Southwest Conference through the 2024-25 academic year and be eligible for conference championships during that time.
"This is a significant moment in the history of our institution as it aligns our athletic department perfectly with other like-minded institutions that are committed to providing a phenomenal student-athlete experience while pursuing excellence," said LeTourneau University vice president for athletics Dr. Tim Sceggel. "It is a joy and privilege to be counted among these elite academic institutions."
"Adding LeTourneau University makes a ton of sense for us." said SCAC commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "From both a geographical and a sports sponsorship basis, they will fit seamlessly into our current structure. I'm excited that LeTourneau viewed our league as a preferred destination for their student-athletes. We look forward to the opportunity of growing our relationship with the institution beyond the fields and courts."
This isn't about a DIII program, but it is DIII adjacent. University of St. Katherine, a small NAIA school in San Diego, just suddenly announced that it is closing at the end of this academic year and filing for bankruptcy
https://thecoastnews.com/students-staff-devastated-by-university-of-saint-katherines-sudden-closure/
The reason it is DIII adjacent is that USK is one of the NAIA schools that show up on the non-conference schedule of one or more SCIAC teams ever year it seems. In recent years, it has played Cal Tech, Occidental, La Verne, and Chapman and Chapman just released it's schedule for 2024 and it was supposed to host USK in its opening regular season game on Saturday, August 31st.
https://athletics.chapman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule
Maybe Chapman convince one of its exhibition opponents to switch to that date, but my guess is that Chapman will go without and start the season on its road trip to NJ to play Stevens and Montclair State.
Incidentally, this is just one example of how difficult it is for these isolated conferences in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. The only non-conference games available to them without extensive and costly travel are these small, often financially precarious, DII or NAIA schools. Another school in this situation that has sometimes played SCIAC schools -- the University of Antelope Valley -- also announced it was closing recently.
Quote from: Kuiper on April 27, 2024, 05:07:14 PMThis isn't about a DIII program, but it is DIII adjacent. University of St. Katherine, a small NAIA school in San Diego, just suddenly announced that it is closing at the end of this academic year and filing for bankruptcy
https://thecoastnews.com/students-staff-devastated-by-university-of-saint-katherines-sudden-closure/
The reason it is DIII adjacent is that USK is one of the NAIA schools that show up on the non-conference schedule of one or more SCIAC teams ever year it seems. In recent years, it has played Cal Tech, Occidental, La Verne, and Chapman and Chapman just released it's schedule for 2024 and it was supposed to host USK in its opening regular season game on Saturday, August 31st.
https://athletics.chapman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule
Maybe Chapman convince one of its exhibition opponents to switch to that date, but my guess is that Chapman will go without and start the season on its road trip to NJ to play Stevens and Montclair State.
Incidentally, this is just one example of how difficult it is for these isolated conferences in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. The only non-conference games available to them without extensive and costly travel are these small, often financially precarious, DII or NAIA schools. Another school in this situation that has sometimes played SCIAC schools -- the University of Antelope Valley -- also announced it was closing recently.
I just posted an article from the Washington Post on the Future of D3 Board. Colleges are closing at one per week.
A third pass at the Region X recruiting list (updates in red):
SCIAC
Cal Tech:
Dean Yao (M) FC Delco MLS Next
Matthew Luk (F) Pipeline Soccer Club ECNL/C. Milton Wright
Quinn Hartman (D) CDA Slammers ECNL & California Rush UPSL/Marina (also committing to Cal Tech baseball)
Mitchell Agris (M) Great Neck SC/Queens HS for the Sciences
Arjun Chatha (M) DMCV Sharks ECNL/Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego)
Andrew Qin (M) De Anza Force/Cupertino
Brendan Lee (M) Liverpool SoCal Academy (EA)/Troy
Piotr Zawislan (M/F) Chicago Inter (NPL)/Amos Alonzo Stagg
Henry Gaston (D) Pittsburgh Riverhounds ECNL/Bethel Park
Chapman:
Brian McKinley (F/M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Beckman (Irvine)
Tyler Yzuel (D/M) Placer United ECNL/Granite Bay
Evan Crownfield (M) Laguna United FC EA2/Edison
Carter Kappes (D/F) Real Salt Lake AZ MLS Next/Brophy Prep
Diego Perez (M) Jesuit (Sacramento)
Ethan Roberts (F/M) Lincoln (Seattle)
Cole Poling (F/M) Pateadores Irvine/Esperanza
Dylan Chung (D) Eastside FC ECNL/Bellvue HS (WA)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps:
Heiko Schultz (M/F) LA Surf MLS Next
Bo Gardner (OB/OM) Boulder County United
Dane Knudsen (MF) Marin FC
Lucius Ng (GK) Charterhouse (London, Eng)
Paul Melendres (M) Rio Rapids ECNL/El Dorado HS (New Mexico)
Zeno Bang (D) World Class FC/Don Bosco Prep
Roby Hooper (M) Washington Premier/Puyallup Union
Kevin Xia (M) Napa United MLS Next
Collin Ross (M/F) Davis Legacy ECNL/Christian Brothers
Ian Rodriguez (D) Beach FC ECNL/Mira Costa
Trusten Lehmann-Karp (M) IMG Academy MLS Next
La Verne:
Jeffrey Grijalva (RB) San Rafael HS (Richmond, CA)
Sebastian Gonzalez (M) Sporting California ECNL/Eleanor Roosevelt HS
Marcus Lewinsohn (GK) VDA Boys ECNL/Highland
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Aryan Amin (D) Baltimore Armour MLS Next
Devin Benning (F/M) LA Surf MLS Next
Matt Shea (M) Worcester Academy
Edward Siladie (D) Ballistic United SC MLS Next
Pomona-Pitzer:
Charlie Leonard (D) Chicago Fire Youth SC/Latin HS
Josh Goldhaber (GK) FC United (E64)/Latin HS
Gavin Honey (GK) Eastside FC (WA)/Liberty HS
Sammy Faham (M/F) De Anza Force MLS Next/Burlingame HS
Nolan Todd (D/M) Seattle United ECNL/Lincoln
Gabe Anca (D) Palo Alto SC (NPL)/Nueva School
Oak Jarvis (M) Santa Monica Surf EA/Crossroads
Jack Yang (M) De Anza Force ECNL/Harker
Redlands:
Ronaldo Fernandez (F) City SC MLS Next/Murrieta Valley HS
Ryan Hubbard (D) Laguna United FC (EA)/Aliso Niguel HS
Jared Keyvan (M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Mater Dei
Jacob White (D) Sporting California ECRL/Etiwanda
Mateo Ambriz (D) Legends ECNL/Orange Lutheran
Whittier:
Anthony Dolce (D/DM) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Allessandro Seccia (M) Laguna United FC UPSL/Saddleback College
Shae Kolmer (M) Seattle United/Shorecrest HS (WA)
Raif Sablan (F/M) Players SC Las Vegas/Shadow Ridge
Cobey Penner (D/M) Wasatch SC (EA)/Davis
Ben Harrison (D) Impact United SC/Olympus HS (UT)
Teodor Hamilton (F) Transfer from D2 Fort Hays State (Stockholm, Sweden)
Rowan Toomey (D) FC Portland/Forest Grove
Patrick Nolan (M/F) San Francisco Elite Academy ECNL/Sacred heart Cathedral
Osvaldo Avalos (M) Transfer from Hartnell College(?)
Joel Montalvo (D/M) Davis Legacy ECNL/River City (Sacramento)
Owen Nance (M) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City)
Milton Oliviera (F) LA Breakers ECNL/Torrance North/Transfer from Santa Monica College
Bobo Andersson (F) Sweden
Jack Hindmarsh (M) Nosaby IF (Sweden)
Mikael Naesheim Hinna Fotball (Norway)
Elver Dorado (D) Anaheim FC/Western HS
Bryan Lopez (M) Western HS (Anaheim)
Adrian Iggstedt (D) Lycka FF (Sweden)
Matias Delso (D) Nomads MLS Next/San Diego HS
Chris Flores (D) Transfer from Mission College (JC)
C2C
UC Santa Cruz
Kotestu Horike (M) Pateadores ECNL/South
Alessandro Castro (M/F) Palo Alto SC/Wilcox
Sigi Valencia (F) Transfer from De Anza College
Toby Jacobson-Bell (GK) Spurs FC/Berkeley
Oliver Gill (M/F) 1974 Newark FC ECNL/Berkeley
Gavin Lane (D) Murrieta Soccer Academy/Murrieta Mesa
Marcus Hevesy-Rodriguez (D/M) Transfer from Santa Monica College (previously LA Breakers ECNL/Palisades)
SCAC
Austin College
Kaleb Arredondo (D) BVB Int'l Academy/Arlington
Jonah Ferrente (M/D) Lonestar ECNL/Cedar Park
Ethan Hamby (D) FC Brownsville Cosmos/Harlingen
Claudio Rodriguez (M) Dallas Texas ECRL/Burleson
Oscar Moreno (D) Transfer from Texas A&M Texarkana (NAIA)
Kaleb Arredondo (D) BVB ECNL/Arlington
Chandler Southerland (M) HTX Woodlands/Lake Creek
Colorado College
Teddy Opler (F) Jackson Hole (WY)
Texas Lutheran:
Romario Salazar (Wingback/winger) FC Westlake Elite (previously San Antonio FC DA/MLS Next)/Jefferson HS
Andy Garcia (GK) Cypress Lakes HS
Raymond Palmer (F) San Antonio City ECRL/Clark
Nicholas Dunn (M/D) Capital City SC/Wemberly
Allan Solis (CB/CDM) IDEA Toros Futbol Academy McAllen
Nico Gonzalez (OB/OM) Rise SC/Cypress Park
Ben Gutierrez (M/F) Sam Houston
Jonathan Rodriguez (D/M) Rise SC/Houston Academy for Int'l Studies
Luis Lopez (D) HTX ECNL/Humble
Emilio Longoria (D/M) RGV Toros/Veteran's Memorial (Brownsville)
Schreiner:
Mason Szymanski (GK) Sting SC ECRL/Panther Creek (TX)
Benni Ponce (F) Georgetown HS
Trinity:
Jason Sukow (MF) Transfer from D1 Loyola Chicago
Joey Perryman (F) Transfer from D1 Central Connecticut State University
Cade Dougan (D/M) Transfer from D1 UNC Wilmington
Alex Ramirez (M) Transfer from D3 Kenyon College
Julian Lopez (M) Austin, Texas
Sam Theiss (F) Transfer from D1 University of San Diego
Hagan Ward (D/M) San Diego Surf/Cathedral Catholic (played with gap year program Eture in Spain in 23-24)
Kent Knight (D) Capital City SC MLS Next/Pflugerville
Daniel Urquidi (D) Capital City SC/Round Rock
Alexandre Baltov (M/F) Lousiana TDP MLS Next/Caddo Magnet
Owen Hoy (D) Transfer from D1 Clemson
St. Thomas:
Fernando Lazo (D) Albion Hurricanes ECNL/Seven Lakes
Leonardo Herrera (D/F) Atascosita HS (formerly Houston Dynamo Academy)
Aldo Hernandez (F/M) Crush FC ECRL (formerly Houston Dynamo MLS Academy 3 years)/MacArthur
Aaron Rodriguez (M) Humble HS
Juan Pablo Rodriguez (M/F) Dobie HS
Jorge Lucas (M) Houston Rangers MLS Next/Harmony School of Ingenuity
Hani Ahmadie (F/M) LA Surf EA/Glendale
Brandon Gasca (D) Transfer from Blinn College (JC)
Arlen Garcia (M) Transfer from Concordia (TX) (DIII)
Ozarks
Seth Phillips (GK) HTX Soccer/Montgomery
McMurry
Gavin Sotelo (M/D) HTX ECRL/Deer Park
ASC (C2C?)
Mary Hardin-Baylor:
Evan Ruiz (M) Solar SC/Allen
Sebastian Martinez (M) Transfer from DIII LeTourneau
Dylan Vadnais (D) Transfer from UT-Tyler (DII)
Zachary Paclibar (D) Transfer from Dallas Baptist (DII)
Howard Payne
Kolby Lara (F) HTX Humble/Cleveland
LeTourneau
Joshua Van Wagener (GK) HTX ECRL/Clear Creek
Jonas Coyle (M) SSA/Glynn Academy
Joaquin Sanchez (GK) Legends FC/Pieper HS
Carson Gamble (GK) San Francisco Elite Academy ECNL/Los Altos
Zachary Parris (M) Christian Brothers Academy (Memphis)
Brennan West (F) Gulf South Texans/Live Oak
Patrick Bauer (M) South Carolina United ECRL/Wando HS
Octavio Jacquez (GK) Transfer from Angelina College/Mary Hardin-Baylor
Northwest Conference
Lewis & Clark
Sam Gunderson (D) Eagles ECRL/Agoura Hills
Trevor Koo (F) Marin FC/Tamalpais
Brandon Paynter (M) Eagle River (Alaska)
Aleister Alfstad (D) West Seattle
Talen Haywood (D) Seattle Celtic/Nathan Hale
Kaden Nakamura (M) Leahi Na Koa SC/Mid-Pacific Institute
Sam London (M) Seattle United/Lincoln
Alexander Woods (F) Billings (MT)
Emmet McDonough (M) PacNW/Stadium HS (Tacoma)
Pacific
Carter Zeiset (F) IMG Academy
Gregory Wheeler (F) Crossfire Premier/O'Dea
Jared Sakai (F) Leahi SC/University Lab School (Honolulu)
Arya Alijani (D) Washington Premier SC/Lake Tapps
Justin Tilton (D) Hawaii Rush/Mililani
Hawkin Sweeney (F) Transfer from Casper College
Giovanny Adaya-Ortiz (M) Santos FC/Forest Grove (OR)
Elliott Morgan (M) Pelada Football Academy/Sheldon (OR)
Garrett Heuett (D) Transfer from Eastern Oregon
Pacific Lutheran:
Ian Reckling (GK) Pacific NW/Sumner (WA)
Puget Sound
Jackson Smith (M/F) Shorewood
Whitworth
Dawson Heuett (M) transfer from Eastern Oregon (NAIA)
Evan Garcia (F/M) Albion SC MLS Next (San Diego)
Dax Flanders (GK) Hawaii Rush/Mililani
Liam McAdams (D) Montana Surf/Capital
Liam Bia (M) Rehoboth Christian (New Mexico/Navajo Nation)
Greyson Wheeler (D/M) Rush WA/Lake Stevens
Jack Eschliman (D) Rangers/Bellingham
Whitman
Spencer Lovell (D) Oregon Premier/Lakeridge
Ellet Clum-Stockton (M) Baton Rouge SC/Willow
Kevin Serrano Maldonado (M) Academia de Futebol/La Salle Catholic
Alex Evans (M) Arlington SC/Quince Orchard
Tait Whittemore (GK) Rebels IE/Redlands East Valley
Niclas Isensee (GK) Transfer from Chapman (rising Junior)
Willamette
Evan Bierman (GK) Colorado Edge ECRL/Ralston Valley
Vaibhav Thikkavarapu (D) FC Westlake/McNeil (Austin)
Javi Sandoval Gongora (M) Portland City United/Marist
Calvin's 2024 schedule (https://calvinknights.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)was posted on the Schedules thread.
They are traveling to Salem the third weekend of the season and playing Pacific Lutheran on Fri. Sept 13 and Willamette on Sat. Sept 14th.
That will be a strong early test for both NWC schools
Great news: Sam Theiss coming back to San Antonio from San Diego. Scored 51 goals his senior year as the Boerne Greyhounds repeated as 4A Texas state champions. Was third in his class academically. Great fit at Trinity.
Quote from: D3Navy on May 02, 2024, 06:44:59 PMGreat news: Sam Theiss coming back to San Antonio from San Diego. Scored 51 goals his senior year as the Boerne Greyhounds repeated as 4A Texas state champions. Was third in his class academically. Great fit at Trinity.
Definitely nice to see a kid come home. I put that on the Go West thread earlier today in the commitments post (which I update in red, even though I don't re-post every time I update it so it drops down the list a bit).
Unfortunately, Theiss didn't play a minute in two years with the USD program. I don't know the circumstances, but I know other kids where that has happened in that program in particular. They had a really bad couple of years and switched to a more aggressive recruiting approach, which has paid off, but left kids stranded. This may or not be relevant to the playing time issue, but USD listed him as a midfielder, while Trinity is listing him as a forward.
Quote from: Kuiper on May 02, 2024, 08:56:45 PMQuote from: D3Navy on May 02, 2024, 06:44:59 PMGreat news: Sam Theiss coming back to San Antonio from San Diego. Scored 51 goals his senior year as the Boerne Greyhounds repeated as 4A Texas state champions. Was third in his class academically. Great fit at Trinity.
Definitely nice to see a kid come home. I put that on the Go West thread earlier today in the commitments post (which I update in red, even though I don't re-post every time I update it so it drops down the list a bit).
Unfortunately, Theiss didn't play a minute in two years with the USD program. I don't know the circumstances, but I know other kids where that has happened in that program in particular. They had a really bad couple of years and switched to a more aggressive recruiting approach, which has paid off, but left kids stranded. This may or not be relevant to the playing time issue, but USD listed him as a midfielder, while Trinity is listing him as a forward.
I noticed that as well and he may not get a whole lot more time at Trinity (they seem to have a huge roster). But I like the fact that there is a local option available that will result in more support for him and for the team in general. And hopefully he'll get the chance to show why he was such an integral part of two Texas state champion teams!
Most of the D1>Trinity transfers Kuiper listed also saw little to no PT at their previous institutions, are Texas kids, and probably are hoping for at least some chance to get on the field. The substitution rules going into effect for D1 next season (https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/4/18/media-center-substitution-rules-changes-approved-for-di-mens-soccer.aspx) may complicate that should they ever be applied to D3, but for now they're not a concern.
Cross-posting from the 2024 Schedules Thread some schedules of Region X schools or involving Region X schools
Whitworth (https://whitworthpirates.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)
Whitworth is traveling to Texas the second week of the season to play Trinity at Trinity and Southwestern in Georgetown, TX. Those could be good games. Whitworth started slowly last year as Kevin Moon was named interim head coach after school ended and therefore didn't have a spring season to get to know his players, but the team only lost two games in conference (both to Pacific Lutheran) and finished 12-4-4. This year, Moon was named permanent head coach and Cole Friesen, who only played 1 game as a freshman, but blossomed under Moon as a sophomore, scoring 24 goals and getting 5 assists, returns as a junior and should continue to be dangerous.
Whitman (https://athletics.whitman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule)
After traveling to Texas last season, Whitman travels to Southern California the third weekend of the upcoming season to play at La Verne, Redlands, and Chapman.
Messiah (https://gomessiah.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)
Of particular interest to those in the West is that Cal Lutheran is making the big cross-country trip this year to play at perennial power Messiah. I don't think Cal Lu has a single player on its roster from the east coast (and only one from east of Arizona I think), so this is mostly an experience, a strength-of-schedule boost, and an opportunity to spread their name a little on the east coast after the women's soccer team won a national championship last year, rather than an opportunity to reward some seniors by giving them an opportunity to play close to home.
Mary Washington (https://umweagles.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/schedule)
Of note here is that Colorado College is traveling to Virginia to play Mary Washington at Newport News on 9/21. Presumably, they will also play Christopher Newport, likely on that Thursday or Friday. This is made possible, in part, because of CC's block scheduling system. Block 1 ends Wed. Sept 18th and Block 2 doesn't start until Mon 9/23, so they can schedule this trip without players missing any classes.
Methodist (https://mumonarchs.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)
Methodist opens the season by traveling to San Antonio to play Trinity and Southwestern. So, we now know that Trinity and Southwestern are each playing Whitworth and Methodist.
Pomona-Pitzer just posted its schedule (https://www.instagram.com/p/C6wXCkgJGpN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)on its instagram page, although it's not up on its web page yet
They play UC Santa Cruz and Pacific Lutheran on opening weekend at Santa Cruz as part of a round robin and then hosts PLU's fellow NWC member Puget Sound the following weekend. They have an interesting SCIAC draw this year (since they have gone away from the double round robin format, schools play some teams once and others twice). They play Oxy, Redlands, Cal Lu, La Verne and Whittier twice, but CMS, Chapman, and Cal tech only once. On the one hand, this is a pretty tough draw since Oxy and Redlands were the class of the conference last season. Plus, they only play CMS once and P-P gets up for that game no matter what the records (they beat them in the last game of the season in 2023). On the other hand, having the 6th Street Rivalry game at CMS means it will be under the lights on a Saturday night and that should make for a pretty big combined crowd from the two schools that are on the same campus. Also, if Cal Tech keeps trending up, it might not be a bad thing to only play them once.
Colorado College hasn't posted its full schedule yet, but it did post (https://www.instagram.com/p/C69XtrWvW3r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)on Instagram the identity of its opening weekend foes at Stewart Field. They are hosting Fontbonne and Concordia MN on Friday Aug 30 and Saturday Aug 31. The second weekend, Colorado College posted (https://www.instagram.com/p/C7ACRs2PSrd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)that it is traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to play Nebraska Wesleyan and Simpson. On the third weekend, they will host (https://www.instagram.com/p/C7FMVqOP5dV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)Ohio Northern and Emory. The following weekend, they travel (https://www.instagram.com/p/C7HsEHEvC7-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)to Newport News to play Mary Washington and Christopher Newport as part of their break between first and second block.
They certainly have arranged for a schedule that ramps up pretty steadily in quality and degree of difficulty!
I don't normally post much news about the NORTH part of this thread (Region X is big enough for me), but I saw this and thought it was worth highlighting.
As some might know, Northland College, a tiny school in Ashland, Wisconsin, announced in mid-March that they were on the verge of foreclosure unless they received $12 million in donations in a couple of weeks. They fell (far) short, but received enough in combination with a plan to cut courses and departments that they decided on May 1 that they were going to stay open
https://www.northland.edu/fund-a-new-northland-appeal/northland-college-to-remain-open-under-refocused-model/
Between the uncertainty this late in the Spring and the cuts that may have eliminated a major a student was pursuing, I expected some students would transfer. I just learned where some are going.
University of Wisconsin River Falls is announcing its commits on Instagram. So far, they have SEVEN transfers from Northland College
Jeffrey Olsen (rising Jr) (D) (played 18 games last year, starting 1)
Kellen Richardson (rising Sr) (M) (played 7 games last year, starting 2)
Sorel Richardson (rising Soph) (M) (played 17 games and started 14 last year - led the team in assists)
Garrett Sutton (rising Sr) (M) (played 17 games, starting 7 last year)
TJ Whisenhut (rising Jr) (GK) (played 6 games, starting 4 last year)
Victor Vancauteren (rising Soph) (F) (played 21 games, starting 13 last year and was third in goals with 4 and Honorable Mention all conference)
Logan Meyer (rising Sr) (D) (played 18 games last year, starting 6 games)
I couldn't find roster announcements for the other two brand new Wisconsin programs (Stout and Stevens Point), but I wouldn't be surprised to see some Northland transfers there too. Northland wasn't a world beater last year (about .500), but they may be hurting just to field a viable team the whole season this year, especially if they lost most of their freshman recruits too
Cal Tech held its Spring Game today against LA Mission College, tying 4-4 against a pretty strong community college side. They posted some highlights on their Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7S2dZGsq__/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
Here is their recap from the Instagram post:
QuoteGreat to have that game day feeling again! Here are your highlights from our Spring game against LA Mission College, ending in a 4-4 draw. The first goal came from some good possession by Tech moving the ball out to the right, then back to the left where Andy Dimnaku found Jack Myles at the top of the box who fired into the bottom corner. Dimnaku grabbed his second assist later after another switch to Alejandro Ortega Grisso. He played Dimnaku, who found Etienne Casanova at the top of the box this time, with his shot flying into the upper 90. Later Ishaan Mantripragada's corner found its way to Riley Coover at the back post, who took a touch and fired home from a tight angle. For the fourth, Ethan Feng was able to beat a couple defenders down the left and cut the ball back into the box, where Casanova was in the right place to grab his second of the game. Ethan Hamel, Alex Crowley, and Sam Mathews split time in goal for Tech, each with a couple saves. Well done boys!
For those curious about how Cal Tech held its Spring game so late in the year, Cal Tech is on the quarter system, so last day of classes for the Spring Quarter are on May 31. Fall Quarter classes didn't start until Sept 26 this past fall season, so they get a decent part of their schedule done before classes even start (although many of them are still working in labs for their summer jobs/internships)
In the spirit of Simple Coach's excellent post (https://d3soccer.fans/2024/05/28/how-soon-can-we-kick-off-the-2024-division-iii-soccer-season/)about interesting storylines for the 2024 season, here are my West region-themed additions to this list:
1. How do things shakeout in Texas this year and next?
After the dust settles on a bunch of conference affiliation changes taking effect this year and next, the American Southwest Conference will only have four teams (Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, East Texas Baptist, and Howard Payne). Concordia (TX), McMurry, and Ozarks are joining the SCAC this fall, Sul Ross State is gone to DII, with UT Dallas joining them next season, and LeTourneau has accepted a spot in the SCAC for Fall 2025. The rumor was that the remaining ASC four would affiliate with the Coast-to-Coast conference for all sports except football, but that seems to have stalled. It doesn't look like there's a pathway to join the SCAC, which now is filled with schools that left the ASC seemingly to get away from some or all of those schools. In part because of the lack of a football option for the so-called "Baptist Four," there is a real chance all of them leave DIII for DII or NAIA. That would be a big loss of DIII schools in Texas in just a couple year period.
In the meantime, will we be watching the final year of the ASC this season, with only 6 teams remaining (including LeTourneau and UT Dallas)
2. What will the effect of the House antitrust lawsuit settlement be on DIII and Region X?
This isn't a this season issue, but at some point the NCAA subsidy for DIII championships could dry up and that may have a significant effect on fees/travel/structure of the tournament. That could disproportionately hurt Region X teams, who count on the subsidy to enable them to travel to even the first round NCAA tournament sites, which are a flight away for at least two of the teams almost by definition. It's something to keep an eye on going forward.
3. Can Matt Corti-Young get things back on track at Willamette?
The school had a losing season for the first time since 2015 last year and they now have a new coach in Matt Corti-Young. He joins from DI UCSD, but had a strong 5-year run as head coach of DIII Claremont-Mudd-Scripps before that, winning DIII West Region Coach of the Year in 2019 when he led the team to a 16-4-2 record and a loss in the third round of the NCAA tournament to Centre College. He comes in too late to influence recruiting for this year, so we'll see if he can make a difference with the players that he has inherited.
4. Can Ernesto Ramirez restore order at St. Thomas?
St. Thomas has always been a supremely talented and undisciplined squad of players and it finally blew up in their face last year in a major brawl against Texas Lutheran that ended with the coach being fired and many players suspended. They hired Coach Ramirez, an assistant at Occidental, to replace him. We'll see if he can get the players to cut down on cards, fighting, and general behavioral issues. If he can harness the competitive culture in a positive way, they have a ton of talent.
I don't believe UT-Dallas will be eligible for ASC or Division III championships. Their 2024-25 season will be similar to Sul Ross (D2 approval granted last summer) in the season just ended, where they will play in the ASC but results by or against them won't count. That assumes their D2 application is approved in July - but it's hard to imagine anything but approval, given UT-D's size, financial strength, and academics.
Next year in Richardson will be kind of the "Who's Line is it Anyway" situation where everything is made up and the points (scores) don't matter.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on May 29, 2024, 06:54:02 PMI don't believe UT-Dallas will be eligible for ASC or Division III championships. Their 2024-25 season will be similar to Sul Ross (D2 approval granted last summer) in the season just ended, where they will play in the ASC but results by or against them won't count. That assumes their D2 application is approved in July - but it's hard to imagine anything but approval, given UT-D's size, financial strength, and academics.
Next year in Richardson will be kind of the "Who's Line is it Anyway" situation where everything is made up and the points (scores) don't matter.
Yes. 6 teams in the ASC, but not 6 for AQ purposes. I think they could get immediate AQ status if the schools joined the C2C for next year, but that seems to be less likely at this point
NCAA Bylaw 31.3.3.1.3 states (https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/bylawView?id=8163) any conference in the ASC's position - fewer than six participants in a sport, but retaining at least four core members - has two years to regain enough teams to qualify, during which they retain AQ status - so the ASC will have Pool A's until 2026-27 even if they continue on the current glide path (does a paper airplane carrying a brick have a glide path?). That in itself may be enough reason not to do anything drastic for two years, then everyone goes their own way.
If they dip below four core members during the grace period, all bets (AQs) are off. If they don't regain six members before the end of the grace period, a two year waiting period would be imposed (assuming there is still a conference).
Quote from: Ron Boerger on May 29, 2024, 07:37:34 PMNCAA Bylaw 31.3.3.1.3 states (https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/bylawView?id=8163) any conference in the ASC's position - fewer than six participants in a sport, but retaining at least four core members - has two years to regain enough teams to qualify, during which they retain AQ status - so the ASC will have Pool A's until 2026-27 even if they continue on the current glide path (does a paper airplane carrying a brick have a glide path?). That in itself may be enough reason not to do anything drastic for two years, then everyone goes their own way.
If they dip below four core members during the grace period, all bets (AQs) are off. If they don't regain six members before the end of the grace period, a two year waiting period would be imposed (assuming there is still a conference).
I guess that gives the four core members an incentive to hang on, even though some have speculated that Howard Payne or East Texas Baptist might be differently situated than UMHB or H-S in terms of being able to find a home.
Quote from: Kuiper on May 29, 2024, 08:17:43 PMQuote from: Ron Boerger on May 29, 2024, 07:37:34 PMNCAA Bylaw 31.3.3.1.3 states (https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/bylawView?id=8163) any conference in the ASC's position - fewer than six participants in a sport, but retaining at least four core members - has two years to regain enough teams to qualify, during which they retain AQ status - so the ASC will have Pool A's until 2026-27 even if they continue on the current glide path (does a paper airplane carrying a brick have a glide path?). That in itself may be enough reason not to do anything drastic for two years, then everyone goes their own way.
If they dip below four core members during the grace period, all bets (AQs) are off. If they don't regain six members before the end of the grace period, a two year waiting period would be imposed (assuming there is still a conference).
I guess that gives the four core members an incentive to hang on, even though some have speculated that Howard Payne or East Texas Baptist might be differently situated than UMHB or H-S in terms of being able to find a home.
Could this be a selling point to recruits? A 1/4 chance of making the playoffs for the next two years while we build a program able to compete in {new conference/DII/somewhere}?
The continued AQs, in and of itself, explains why the ASC and the four schools have remained publicly silent on all this.
Cross-posting from the 2024 Schedules thread since it involves a Region X team
Willamette (https://www.wubearcats.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/schedule)
New head coach Matt Corti-Young is definitely not trying to pad his record to start the season. They open with a trip to So Cal to play at Cal Lutheran and at Occidental, then they host UC Santa Cruz and Calvin before starting NWC play.
I'm sad to report that the SCIAC has announced (https://thesciac.org/news/2024/6/4/general-sciac-taps-flosports-as-exclusive-media-partner-through-multi-year-rights-agreement.aspx)it has signed an agreement to broadcast all games on Flo Sports. They did negotiate to give free access after three days on the school's individual platforms (which may mean it depends upon the individual school as to whether it is provided).
QuoteLAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - June 5, 2024 - The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a multi-year media rights agreement with FloSports, a global sports media company, making it the exclusive digital platform for the SCIACtv Network beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
"The SCIAC and its nine member institutions are thrilled to begin a partnership with FloSports," SCIAC Commissioner Jenn Dubow said. "This agreement provides opportunities to enhance our conference and institutional efforts to provide a quality streaming experience for our student-athletes, alumni, family and fans. FloSports has demonstrated a significant and sincere commitment to providing funding and exposure for small-school college sports in a collaborative way that can help each of our institutions' unique approach and goals to streaming and athletics communications. This is a direction DIII is headed as a whole and the SCIAC will continue to position itself as a leading conference while ensuring we maintain a primary focus on our student-athlete experience in all endeavors."
The SCIAC becomes the third Division III conference partnering with FloSports after the Landmark Conference announced an agreement in July 2023. It is home to three national championships in the 2023-2024 season, including two from California Lutheran for Women's Soccer and Men's Volleyball along with Pomona Pitzer for Men's Cross Country.
Over the length of the five-year partnership FloSports will stream all live and on-demand SCIAC events, including the conference's 21 championships. The SCIAC and FloSports have developed a shared vision for enhancing broadcast production standards and athletics communication efforts across all nine member institutions, with FloSports providing annual investment in the conference and each member.
On-demand access will last for a period of 72 hours following each contest, after which video will be archived on the SCIACtv Network and member institutions will be able to provide access free-of-charge through their institutional platforms. FloSports will also leverage the local, national and international brands of SCIAC member institutions by producing original content and social media programming.
On the one hand, it's better for the platform if more conference join it, since it improves the value proposition by offering more content. Plus, it likely helps some of the schools with the costs. That probably matters for a few of the SCIAC schools, but definitely not all of them. Pomona and Claremont, for example, have large endowments and a national student body and recruiting base. This won't help them and could hurt recruiting on the margins. Occidental is another school that recruits very well from the east coast (especially Baltimore/Mid-Atlantic) and this isn't ideal although presumably all three schools' recruits are from well-enough off families that they will fork over the money. On the other hand, Whittier, La Verne and Cal Lutheran are pretty local and have had financial difficulties, so every little bit of cost they can defray may be meaningful.
The bigger issues is that the SCIAC has enough problems attracting attention to their sports from the midwest and east coast centers of D3 power and this could only make it worse. I doubt a lot of people will dial in three days later, although that helps a little. If enough conferences join FloSports, though, then it might actually increase attention to the SCIAC since you could have a person who subscribes for the Landmark or NEWMAC and will be more likely to watch a SCIAC game because it happens to be advertised on the station and because the game times likely never conflict with your favorite team's games and work well if you're a night owl.
More direct impact for this thread is that unless I can convince my better half to sign up for yet another streaming option, I may not be able to provide as many eyewitness reports for games involving SCIAC teams. Maybe I will do more reports on NWC or SCAC games or just pick a conference like the Centennial that I have some interest in and do their games. Either way, I'll still try to post scores and some analysis of the stats for the SCIAC (in addition to going in person when possible).
The reality is that I don't have any particular allegiance to any of the schools other than being from here and being a booster of DIII soccer in the West (I do know some of the coaches and players though from their youth and HS soccer days), so I'm the odd person for whom the marginal cost could tip me away from watching altogether. Most people are parents or alums and have a more inelastic demand.
SCAC has at least had discussions with FloSports as well, I would be surprised if they aren't signed up eventually. The monetary figures are so small (original article about Landmark conference had it at <30k per school annually) that it really is a shame to reduce eyes on these games...
I've been giving to my favorite team already. I may have to just pay to see the games but not also contribute.
Quote from: Gray Fox on June 05, 2024, 04:25:06 PMI've been giving to my favorite team already. I may have to just pay to see the games but not also contribute.
I think those of us in this position should tell the schools exactly that.
This FloSports thing is a huge bummer, especially with the SCIAC. Like to throw on SCIAC soccer games late at night here on the east coast when they're playing at 7PM PT. My "white noise" so to speak, but I often find myself paying close attention. So much for that.
This is what I just got from Oxy Women's Basketball
Hi , if you are referring to watching our games online
Occidental Women's Basketball
they will no longer be free, no
You'd have to subscribe to FloSports. You can get a monthly or annual subscription. The subscription will give you access to everything on FloSports, not just SCIAC competition
Congrats to Trinity defender Cameron Smith, a rising sophomore, who was selected to represent the Cayman Islands in their World Cup Qualifier against Antigua this Saturday 6/8!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C75HZzquoVL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Quote from: stlawus on June 05, 2024, 09:32:57 PMThis FloSports thing is a huge bummer, especially with the SCIAC. Like to throw on SCIAC soccer games late at night here on the east coast when they're playing at 7PM PT. My "white noise" so to speak, but I often find myself paying close attention. So much for that.
I did find myself watching more than a few of the non-Amherst NCAA games on a free stream last year and quite enjoyed it. The cost shouldn't be a deterrent but I am pretty sure if it was PPV I would have passed. Given that the typical D3 education isn't cheap, to be asked to pay extra to watch your child play in a sport that more often than not, won't charge admission or benefit from advertising, feels pretty cheeky to me.
Cross-posting from the 2024 Schedules thread:
Some SCAC schedules are starting to trickle out, which should be of interest to Texas DIII observers because of the expanded SCAC this year and the question of where the remaining ASC teams are getting games
Texas Lutheran (https://tlubulldogs.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/schedule)
Traveling to the Buckeye State the second weekend of the season to play Capital and Otterbein. Otherwise, the non-conference schedule consists of UT Dallas, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Hardin-Simmons, all from the ASC, which suggests there is no particular resistance of SCAC teams to schedule the ASC teams even though there's less room in the schedule with the SCAC expansion this year. They get St. Thomas, Concordia TX and Colorado College at home in conference play this year, which is a bit of an advantage, although they do play Southwestern and Trinity away.
McMurry (https://mcmurrysports.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024-25)
Other than Lyon (SLIAC), all of their five non-conference games are away against their old conference foes from the ASC
I've been updating this regularly, but it's been about 6 weeks since I reposted it, so here it goes.
A fourth pass at the Region X recruiting list (I will update in red anything that wasn't on the third pass before I reposted it). This isn't the comprehensive list since there are a lot of schools that don't announce commits and where I don't have separate sources of information. I also add some information about position, club/hs team when I can find it, but some kids don't have much of a social media presence or their name is too common for me to be sure I have the right one. The list also may be overinclusive since kids change their minds as they get off waitlists etc. Nevertheless, it gives you an idea.
(By the way - Whittier is either under orders to massively expand its roster to help meet enrollment targets or they cut almost the entire team after last season)
SCIAC
Cal Tech:
Dean Yao (M) FC Delco MLS Next
Matthew Luk (F) Pipeline Soccer Club ECNL/C. Milton Wright
Quinn Hartman (D) CDA Slammers ECNL & California Rush UPSL/Marina (also committing to Cal Tech baseball)
Mitchell Agris (M) Great Neck SC/Queens HS for the Sciences
Arjun Chatha (M) DMCV Sharks ECNL/Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego)
Andrew Qin (M) De Anza Force/Cupertino
Brendan Lee (M) Liverpool SoCal Academy (EA)/Troy
Piotr Zawislan (M/F) Chicago Inter (NPL)/Amos Alonzo Stagg
Henry Gaston (D) Pittsburgh Riverhounds ECNL/Bethel Park
Chapman:
Brian McKinley (F/M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Beckman (Irvine)
Tyler Yzuel (D/M) Placer United ECNL/Granite Bay
Evan Crownfield (M) Laguna United FC EA2/Edison
Carter Kappes (D/F) Real Salt Lake AZ MLS Next/Brophy Prep
Diego Perez (M) Union Sacramento EA/Jesuit (Sacramento)
Ethan Roberts (F/M) Seattle United ECRL/Lincoln (Seattle)
Cole Poling (F/M) Pateadores Irvine NPL/Esperanza
Dylan Chung (D) Eastside FC ECNL/Bellvue HS (WA)
Isaac Storms (M) Transfer from Puget Sound
Evan White (M) Marin FC ECNL/Redwood
Cooper Haley (D) Seattle United ECNL/Garfield
Alex Jung (M) Transfer from Cal State San Marcos
Ben LeClair (D) Santa Clara Sporting ECNL/Oak Ridge
Reed Leidlein (D) Marin FC ECNL/Marin Academy
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps:
Heiko Schultz (M/F) LA Surf MLS Next
Bo Gardner (OB/OM) Boulder County United
Dane Knudsen (MF) Marin FC
Lucius Ng (GK) Charterhouse (London, Eng)
Paul Melendres (M) Rio Rapids ECNL/El Dorado HS (New Mexico)
Zeno Bang (D) World Class FC/Don Bosco Prep
Roby Hooper (M) Washington Premier/Puyallup Union
Kevin Xia (M) Napa United MLS Next
Collin Ross (M/F) Davis Legacy ECNL/Christian Brothers
Ian Rodriguez (D) Beach FC ECNL/Mira Costa
Trusten Lehmann-Karp (M) IMG Academy MLS Next
La Verne:
Jeffrey Grijalva (RB) San Rafael HS (Richmond, CA)
Sebastian Gonzalez (M) Sporting California ECNL/Eleanor Roosevelt HS
Marcus Lewinsohn (GK) VDA Boys ECNL/Highland
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Aryan Amin (D) Baltimore Armour MLS Next
Devin Benning (F/M) LA Surf MLS Next
Matt Shea (M/D) Boston Bolts MLS Next/Worcester Academy
Edward Siladie (D) Ballistic United SC MLS Next
Cooper Gersch (D) Transfer from Whitman (DIII)
Aleksander Bosanac (M) Ventura County Fusion MLS Next
Ayden Rieke-Wey (D) Seattle United ECNL/Roosevelt
Carlos Abram (GK) Seattle United ECNL-RL/Bush
Pomona-Pitzer:
Charlie Leonard (D) Chicago Fire Youth SC/Latin HS
Josh Goldhaber (GK) FC United (E64)/Latin HS
Gavin Honey (GK) Eastside FC (WA)/Liberty HS
Sammy Faham (M/F) De Anza Force MLS Next/Burlingame HS
Nolan Todd (D/M) Seattle United ECNL/Lincoln
Gabe Anca (D) Palo Alto SC (NPL)/Nueva School
Oak Jarvis (M) Santa Monica Surf EA/Crossroads
Jack Yang (M) De Anza Force ECNL/Harker
Redlands:
Ronaldo Fernandez (F) City SC MLS Next/Murrieta Valley HS
Ryan Hubbard (D) Laguna United FC (EA)/Aliso Niguel HS
Jared Keyvan (M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Mater Dei
Jacob White (D) Sporting California ECRL/Etiwanda
Mateo Ambriz (D) Legends ECNL/Orange Lutheran
Whittier:
Anthony Dolce (D/DM) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Allessandro Seccia (M) Laguna United FC UPSL/Saddleback College
Shae Kolmer (M) Seattle United/Shorecrest HS (WA)
Raif Sablan (F/M) Players SC Las Vegas/Shadow Ridge
Cobey Penner (D/M) Wasatch SC (EA)/Davis
Ben Harrison (D) Impact United SC/Olympus HS (UT)
Teodor Hamilton (F) Transfer from D2 Fort Hays State (Stockholm, Sweden)
Rowan Toomey (D) FC Portland/Forest Grove
Patrick Nolan (M/F) San Francisco Elite Academy ECNL/Sacred heart Cathedral
Osvaldo Avalos (M) Transfer from Hartnell College(?)
Joel Montalvo (D/M) Davis Legacy ECNL/River City (Sacramento)
Owen Nance (M) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City)
Milton Oliviera (F) LA Breakers ECNL/Torrance North/Transfer from Santa Monica College
Bobo Andersson (F) Sweden
Jack Hindmarsh (M) Nosaby IF (Sweden)
Mikael Naesheim Hinna Fotball (Norway)
Elver Dorado (D) Anaheim FC/Western HS
Bryan Lopez (M) Western HS (Anaheim)
Adrian Iggstedt (D) Lycka FF (Sweden)
Matias Delso (D) Nomads MLS Next/San Diego HS
Chris Flores (D) Transfer from Mission College (JC)
Gustav Lind (D) Taby FK U19/Stockholm, Sweden
C2C
UC Santa Cruz
Kotestu Horike (M) Pateadores ECNL/South
Alessandro Castro (M/F) Palo Alto SC/Wilcox
Sigi Valencia (F) Transfer from De Anza College
Toby Jacobson-Bell (GK) Spurs FC/Berkeley
Oliver Gill (M/F) 1974 Newark FC ECNL/Berkeley
Gavin Lane (D) Murrieta Soccer Academy/Murrieta Mesa
Marcus Hevesy-Rodriguez (D/M) Transfer from Santa Monica College (previously LA Breakers ECNL/Palisades)
Lawyer Mamaril (M) Transfer from DII Cal State East Bay
Nico Herrera Land (F) Transfer from Humboldt State (DII)
SCAC
Austin College
Kaleb Arredondo (D) BVB Int'l Academy ECNL/Arlington
Jonah Ferrente (M/D) Lonestar ECNL/Cedar Park
Ethan Hamby (D) FC Brownsville Cosmos/Harlingen
Claudio Rodriguez (M) Dallas Texas ECRL/Burleson
Oscar Moreno (D) Transfer from Texas A&M Texarkana (NAIA)
Chandler Southerland (M) HTX Woodlands/Lake Creek
Colorado College
Teddy Opler (F) Jackson Hole (WY)
Texas Lutheran
Romario Salazar (Wingback/winger) FC Westlake Elite (previously San Antonio FC DA/MLS Next)/Jefferson HS
Andy Garcia (GK) Cypress Lakes HS
Raymond Palmer (F) San Antonio City ECRL/Clark
Nicholas Dunn (M/D) Capital City SC/Wemberly
Allan Solis (CB/CDM) IDEA Toros Futbol Academy McAllen
Nico Gonzalez (OB/OM) Rise SC/Cypress Park
Ben Gutierrez (M/F) Sam Houston
Jonathan Rodriguez (D/M) Rise SC/Houston Academy for Int'l Studies
Luis Lopez (D) HTX ECNL/Humble
Emilio Longoria (D/M) RGV Toros/Veteran's Memorial (Brownsville)
Schreiner
Mason Szymanski (GK) Sting SC ECRL/Panther Creek (TX)
Benni Ponce (F) Georgetown HS
Trinity
Jason Sukow (MF) Transfer from D1 Loyola Chicago
Joey Perryman (F) Transfer from D1 Central Connecticut State University
Cade Dougan (D/M) Transfer from D1 UNC Wilmington
Alex Ramirez (M) Transfer from D3 Kenyon College
Julian Lopez (M) Austin, Texas
Sam Theiss (F) Transfer from D1 University of San Diego
Hagan Ward (D/M) San Diego Surf/Cathedral Catholic (played with gap year program Eture in Spain in 23-24)
Kent Knight (D) Capital City SC MLS Next/Pflugerville
Daniel Urquidi (D) Capital City SC/Round Rock
Alexandre Baltov (M/F) Lousiana TDP MLS Next/Caddo Magnet
Owen Hoy (D) Transfer from D1 Clemson (Spring 2024 roster only)
St. Thomas
Fernando Lazo (D) Albion Hurricanes ECNL/Seven Lakes
Leonardo Herrera (D/F) Atascosita HS (formerly Houston Dynamo Academy)
Aldo Hernandez (F/M) Crush FC ECRL (formerly Houston Dynamo MLS Academy 3 years)/MacArthur
Aaron Rodriguez (M) Humble HS
Juan Pablo Rodriguez (M/F) Dobie HS
Jorge Lucas (M) Houston Rangers MLS Next/Harmony School of Ingenuity
Hani Ahmadie (F/M) LA Surf EA/Glendale
Brandon Gasca (D) Transfer from Blinn College (JC)
Arlen Garcia (M) Transfer from Concordia (TX) (DIII)
Lucas Eleftherion (M) Challenge United SC/College Park
Jacob Reyes (D) Rise SC MLS Next/MacArthur HS
Carlos Ayala (D) Transfer from National Park College (NJCAA)
Hamilton Estrada (D) Transfer/Re-enrollment (USC 2022 first team All Region X player)
Ozarks
Seth Phillips (GK) HTX Soccer/Montgomery
McMurry
Gavin Sotelo (M/D) HTX ECRL/Deer Park
D'Mari Washington (D/F) HTX ECRL/Thomas Randle
Randy Bonilla (D/M) Lamar Soccer Club/Travis
Landyn Snider (M) FC Dallas NPL/Memorial (Frisco)
Carter Thao (M) Westside Alliance ECRL/Bixby
Carson Burkhalter (GK) Albion Hurricanes/Thomas Randle
D'Mari Washington (D) HTX/Randle
Killian Murphy (D) Lonestar/Glenn
Julian Trevino (D) BVB Int'l Academy/Town View Magnet
Noah Banda (D/M) North Texas Celtic/Burleson
Rocco Guevara (D) Victory/Oakridge
Stellios Poulos (F) Solar ECRL/Oakridge
Jovani Burnett (M) BVB Int'l/Sunset
ASC (C2C?)
Mary Hardin-Baylor
Evan Ruiz (M) Solar SC/Allen
Sebastian Martinez (M) Transfer from DIII LeTourneau
Dylan Vadnais (D) Transfer from UT-Tyler (DII)
Zachary Paclibar (D) Transfer from Dallas Baptist (DII)
Howard Payne
Kolby Lara (F) HTX Humble/Cleveland
LeTourneau
Joshua Van Wagener (GK) HTX ECRL/Clear Creek
Jonas Coyle (M) SSA/Glynn Academy
Joaquin Sanchez (GK) Legends FC/Pieper HS
Carson Gamble (GK) San Francisco Elite Academy ECNL/Los Altos
Zachary Parris (M) Christian Brothers Academy (Memphis)
Brennan West (F) Gulf South Texans/Live Oak
Patrick Bauer (M) South Carolina United ECRL/Wando HS
Octavio Jacquez (GK) Transfer from Angelina College/Mary Hardin-Baylor
NWC
Lewis & Clark
Sam Gunderson (D) Eagles ECRL/Agoura Hills
Trevor Koo (F) Marin FC/Tamalpais
Brandon Paynter (M) Eagle River (Alaska)
Aleister Alfstad (D) West Seattle
Talen Haywood (D) Seattle Celtic/Nathan Hale
Kaden Nakamura (M) Leahi Na Koa SC/Mid-Pacific Institute
Sam London (M) Seattle United/Lincoln
Alexander Woods (F) Billings (MT)
Emmet McDonough (M) PacNW/Stadium HS (Tacoma)
Pacific
Carter Zeiset (F) IMG Academy
Gregory Wheeler (F) Crossfire Premier/O'Dea
Jared Sakai (F) Leahi SC/University Lab School (Honolulu)
Arya Alijani (D) Washington Premier SC/Lake Tapps
Justin Tilton (D) Hawaii Rush/Mililani
Hawkin Sweeney (F) Transfer from Casper College
Giovanny Adaya-Ortiz (M) Santos FC/Forest Grove (OR)
Elliott Morgan (M) Pelada Football Academy/Sheldon (OR)
Garrett Heuett (D) Transfer from Eastern Oregon
Pacific Lutheran
Ian Reckling (GK) Pacific NW/Sumner (WA)
Daniele Meloni (F) Transfer from Augustana
Quinn Bieber (M) Transfer from Northland College
Gio Aguilar-Gutierrez (GK) Spanaway Lake
Landon Gordon (GK) Washington Premier/Timberline
Preston Soeum (D) Washington Premier ECRL/Franklin Pierce
Marvin Soeum (F) Washington Premier ECRL/Franklin Pierce
Mike Sinclair (F) Brooke House College (England)
Aziah Donaghy (M) Kings Christian College (Australia)
Liam Stoner (F) Washington Premier/Puyallup
Addison Doyle-Newe (F/M) Issaquah
Seamus Miller (F) Transfer from Linfield
Caden Davis (M) Eastside Timbers/PDX FC (USL 2)/Franklin
Fisher Stilwell (D) Eastside FC ECRL/Eastlake
Puget Sound
Jackson Smith (M/F) Shorewood
Whitworth
Dawson Heuett (M) transfer from Eastern Oregon (NAIA)
Evan Garcia (F/M) Albion SC MLS Next (San Diego)
Dax Flanders (GK) Hawaii Rush/Mililani
Liam McAdams (D) Montana Surf/Capital
Liam Bia (M) Rehoboth Christian (New Mexico/Navajo Nation)
Greyson Wheeler (D/M) Rush WA/Lake Stevens
Jack Eschliman (D) Rangers/Bellingham
RC Wells (D) Washington East Surf EA/Mead
Hunter Lisowski (F) Montana ODP/Glacier HS
Whitman
Spencer Lovell (D) Oregon Premier/Lakeridge
Ellet Clum-Stockton (M) Baton Rouge SC/Willow
Kevin Serrano Maldonado (M) Academia de Futebol/La Salle Catholic
Alex Evans (M) Arlington SC/Quince Orchard
Tait Whittemore (GK) Rebels IE/Redlands East Valley
Niclas Isensee (GK) Transfer from Chapman (rising Junior)
Cristian Herrera (D) Kennedy Catholic
Adrian Valencia (D) Transfer from Evergreen Valley College (CCCAA)
Willamette
Evan Bierman (GK) Colorado Edge ECRL/Ralston Valley
Vaibhav Thikkavarapu (D) FC Westlake/McNeil (Austin)
Javi Sandoval Gongora (M) Portland City United/Marist
Owen Albrecht (M) Seattle United/Lincoln
Diedrik Boberg (F) FC Maur Zurich, Switzerland
Jack Chase (F) Boise Timber Thorns/Mountain View
Nicholas White (GK) Westside Metros
Hendrix is moving from the SAA to the SCAC starting in Fall 2025. Hendrix effectively switches spots with Trinity and Southwestern and get a travel partner in University of Ozarks. It also means that the SAA stays an 8 team league with the departures of Hendrix and Birmingham Southern and the SCAC goes to a 12 team league, which certainly reduces the number of non-conference games they need to schedule.
https://www.hendrix.edu/warriors-return-to-SCAC-2025/
QuoteHendrix College has announced that it will return to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) beginning in fall 2025. Hendrix was previously an SCAC member from 1992 to 2012.
The SCAC strategically aligns with the geographic region of Hendrix College's student enrollment, student-athlete recruitment, and alumni base. Most of the other SCAC member schools are also in close proximity to Hendrix.
"With 92 percent of our student body originating from the geographic region represented by the SCAC, it made strategic sense to align Hendrix with another highly competitive conference from a student enrollment and student-athlete recruiting perspective," said Hendrix College President Karen Petersen, Ph.D.
Not ideal for this SCIAC member school
La Verne president steps down after only 10 months on the job (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-11/university-of-la-verne-president-steps-down-after-10-months).
QuoteUniversity of La Verne President Pardis Mahdavi, the second woman in history to hold the school's top job, stepped down this month after less than a year at the private college.
In an email to the campus on Friday, Mahdavi cited "personal reasons" for her sudden departure. Mahdavi was selected as president after a months-long national search that began in late 2022 to replace Devorah Lieberman, a prolific fundraiser, who led the university for more than a decade before announcing her retirement.
QuoteMahdavi's resignation came as a surprise to many faculty members who had high hopes for her leadership. The university, which serves roughly 6,000 students, has faced a series of challenges in recent years, including enrollment declines following the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty turnover and a series of leadership changes that have been detailed in reports from the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges, an accrediting organization.
QuotePaul Alvarez, a kinesiology professor and the faculty senate president, said Mahdavi's resignation "sent a very clear message that we have some issues we need to deal with." Alvarez said Lieberman, the former president, was given a one-year contract to advise Mahdavi, which made some faculty feel like Mahdavi wasn't being "given the rein to do what she needed."
There have been several "announce today, gone tomorrow" departures by small college presidents this year. As you say, far from ideal and shows issues either by the college, the president, or both.
Given all the questions about the future of the ASC and what school might be willing to consider either moving to NAIA/DII or what school might be willing to move to DIII to help re-build the ASC's numbers, I thought it was interesting that Wayland Baptist's schedule (https://wbuathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule/2024)this year includes both McMurry and Howard Payne. They've played Howard Payne before, but it's been several years, and I don't know when they last played McMurry. Plus, WBU advanced pretty far in the NCCAA last year, losing to a strong Westmont team, so scheduling two D3 teams that aren't particularly strong isn't about beefing up the W-L record because a coach is in trouble.
Northwest Conference names Shana Levine new Commissioner (https://nwcsports.com/news/2024/6/17/general-northwest-conference-announces-shana-levine-as-commissioner.aspx)
Levine was a member of the Women's soccer team at Washington & Lee and was the former Assoc. AD at W&L and AD at Lewis & Clark, before becoming a consultant at 3 Fold Group Consulting.
QuoteLevine's professional journey includes her role as Partner of 3 Fold Group Consulting, where she collaborated extensively with NCAA institutions and conferences, particularly within Division III, on strategic planning and gender equity initiatives. Prior to this, she served as the Director of Athletics & Physical Education at Lewis & Clark College, offering invaluable insights into the dynamics of the Northwest Conference. Levine has contributed at the national level through service on various NCAA committees and associations, such as NADIIIAA and Women Leaders.
A distinguished academic background complements Levine's professional achievements. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Washington and Lee University, where she was a student-athlete, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Cross-Posting this from the Simple Coach Thread
Following up on Simple Coach's great interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCI2bpTmcIQ) a week ago with Cal Tech HC Duncan Gillis, I thought I would post this year-end review (https://gocaltech.com/news/2024/6/3/mens-soccer-season-in-review-mens-soccer-posted-strongest-season-in-half-century.aspx)of Cal Tech's season that was posted earlier this month. To give an idea WHY Simple Coach said he would have named Gillis coach of the year last year, consider several facts, some of which are from the year-end review:
1. Gillis led Cal Tech to its highest win total in 53 years
Quote2023 proved to be a historic year for the Caltech men's soccer team, who recorded the program's highest win total in 53 years.
The group picked up six strong wins as part of a 6-6-4 record, with three of those wins coming over SCIAC opponents. The Beavers finished the year tied for the fourth-most wins in the conference.
The review doesn't actually state the win total from 53 years ago or who they played, but 1970 is the year that Ralph Graham scored 12 goals for Cal Tech, which is the most goals from an individual player in a single season in program history. In 2023, Ishaan Mantripragada and Etienne Casanova each scored 11 goals.
2. From 2012 to Coach Gillis' arrival in 2021, Cal Tech won a combined 7 games. In 2023, they won 6 games
QuoteIt is an impressive feat for third-year head coach Duncan Gillis and the program, who have now won 10 total games across the past three seasons. The program won just seven games from 2012 to Gillis' arrival in 2021.
3. In 2023, Cal Tech scored 32 goals, in 2022, they scored 17 goals, in 2021 (Coach Duncan's first year on the job), they scored 7 goals. From 2006 until 2021, they had only had a double digit number of goals total, as a team, four times.
4. In Gillis' three years at Cal Tech, they have never conceded more than 40 goals in a season. From 2006 until Gillis arrived in 2021, they had never conceded fewer than 44 and in all but two years they conceded between 60 and 90 goals.
The NCAA DIII Championships Committee granted the American Southwest Conference's request to have UT Dallas classified as a DIII opponent for 2024-2025 even if the school is accepted into the DII provisional process, subject to restriction regarding deviating from the DIII financial aid limitations
https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d3/champs/Jun2024D3CC_Report.pdf
Quote7. Academic and membership affairs.
a. America Southwest Conference – reclassifying member. The committee conditionally
approved the ASC's request for the University of Texas at Dallas to continue to be counted
as a Division III opponent for the 2024-25 academic year even if they are accepted into the
Division II provisional process. The committee noted that Texas-Dallas has applied to start
the Division II reclassification process and has also applied to be a part of Division II's new
expedited membership process. If accepted into the expedited process, it would not be
possible for Texas-Dallas to maintain the Division III financial aid model that does not
permit athletics financial aid to be awarded. The committee agreed that Texas-Dallas would
be considered a Division III opponent for in-region requirements. The committee further
agreed that Texas-Dallas would be considered a Division III opponent for championship
selection criteria only if they followed Division III regulations, including financial aid
requirements.
Another Region X conference, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, joins (https://www.scacsports.com/news/2024-2025/scac_flosports)the FloSports bandwagon, although this one is messy.
QuoteThe Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) announced today it has entered into a multi-year, seven-figure media rights agreement with FloSports, a global sports media company, making it the fourth Division III conference to be featured on the upcoming FloCollege platform. The agreement will also fuel productions for the soon to be created SCACtv Network beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.
The messy part is that not all the conference schools are participating
QuoteOver the length of the five-year partnership, FloSports will stream all live and on-demand SCAC events from participating members Centenary College, Colorado College, Concordia University (Texas), University of Dallas, McMurry University, University of the Ozarks, Schreiner University and University of St. Thomas, including the conference's 18 championships on FloCollege. On-demand access will last for a period of 72 hours following each contest, after which video will be archived on the SCACtv Network and member institutions will be able to provide access free-of-charge through their institutional platforms. FloSports will also leverage the local, national and international brands of SCAC member institutions by producing original content and social media programming.
Only 8 schools are listed, when the conference currently has 12 members. The fact that Trinity and Southwestern aren't listed makes sense because they are moving to the SAA next year, but that still leaves 2 other schools opting out - Texas Lutheran and Austin College. Either those two schools are planning a move as well and haven't announced it yet or FloSports is willing to accept a partial conference deal, which is pretty odd. It means that buying FloSports won't get SCAC fans access to all games and fans of schools opting out won't have access to the conference championships without subscribing.
On the Flo Sports deal, this is unfortunate, but it starts to make the deal a better value proposition for fans of Region X schools that want to keep tabs on games in other conferences in Region X. That's because the SCIAC already announced last month it was moving to FloSports. So, signing up for the service now at least gets you more games that might interest you.
On the schools not signing this deal, it raises real questions about Austin College and Texas Lutheran. Three possible explanations:
1. Austin and TLU held out on principle to the idea of selling their games and were willing to forgo the revenue (even from the championship games) to do so. Seems unlikely Flo Sports would go along with that.
2. Austin and TLU are going to the SAA. The SAA has 10 members with Southwestern and Trinity and without Birmingham Southern and this would give them 12. If you were going to identify teams that might make sense for the SAA, from both an academic and geographical perspective, it might be those two. You could start thinking about a western and eastern division of the SAA, with maybe Hendrix and Millsaps moving to the West, which alleviates some of the travel burden for most schools (Hendrix and Millsaps would have a bit longer trips, but would avoid Centre I guess).
3. Austin and TLU are going to the ASC. Seems unlikely, but the ASC could have lured them away in a last ditch effort to stay alive. They would both bring football teams, which is the biggest issue for the ASC, and maybe they have agreed to cover enough expenses to make it worth their while.
I think the SAA explanation seems most likely, but that's just a guess.
There's a fourth explanation, or a variant of the previous ones I mentioned upthread, as to why Austin and TLU didn't sign on to the SCAC's FloSports deal.
It may be that they are not confident that the SCAC without Trinity and Southwestern will be to their liking and they want to remain flexible for a possible future move (whether or not they have had any discussions with the SAA and the ASC already about the possibility of a move). If these FloSports deals are being structured as grant-in-rights deals by the schools, then schools should take a close look at the litigation involving the ACC and Clemson/Florida State. In a world in which conference membership is constantly changing because of schools closing or cutting certain sports, the last thing a school wants is to limit its ability to be nimble and adjust to changing circumstances by moving elsewhere.
For a SCAC school, this seems particularly relevant because there are potentially three conferences that have overlapping geographical coverage now and membership has shifted back and forth repeatedly over the years. For a SCIAC school, that may have been less of an issue because there are no other DIII schools or conferences nearby and it would take a massive shift of a bunch of NAIA or DII schools to DIII for a new conference to develop. Indeed, in the SCIAC, some of the wealthier schools may have signed on because they needed to help the poorer schools create more revenue flows to make sure they stick around and keep the conference viable.
FLO is the worst! Take it from someone who had to subscribe for years to see their children's events! Our best hope is the platform doesn't fail and the schools keep the quality they had prior to the agreement.
Quote from: SKUD on July 12, 2024, 07:17:55 AMFLO is the worst! Take it from someone who had to subscribe for years to see their children's events! Our best hope is the platform doesn't fail and the schools keep the quality they had prior to the agreement.
My school's soccer is OK but other sports are very lacking. I'm still waiting to find out my cost.
Good news for fans of grass fields and Trinity University (TX)'s McGinlay Field. The renovations are nearing completion and the grass looks gorgeous for mid-summer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9lIQkZPJjr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I think I'm reaching the end of updating this list of newcomers at Region X schools
This isn't the comprehensive list since there are a lot of schools that don't announce commits and where I don't have separate sources of information. I also add some information about position, club/hs team when I can find it, but some kids don't have much of a social media presence or their name is too common for me to be sure I have the right one. The list also may be overinclusive since kids change their minds as they get off waitlists etc. Nevertheless, it gives you an idea.
SCIAC
Cal Tech:
Dean Yao (M) FC Delco MLS Next
Matthew Luk (F) Pipeline Soccer Club ECNL/C. Milton Wright
Quinn Hartman (D) CDA Slammers ECNL & California Rush UPSL/Marina (also committing to Cal Tech baseball)
Mitchell Agris (M) Great Neck SC/Queens HS for the Sciences
Arjun Chatha (M) DMCV Sharks ECNL/Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego)
Andrew Qin (M) De Anza Force/Cupertino
Brendan Lee (M) Liverpool SoCal Academy (EA)/Troy
Piotr Zawislan (M/F) Chicago Inter (NPL)/Amos Alonzo Stagg
Henry Gaston (D) Pittsburgh Riverhounds ECNL/Bethel Park
Chapman:
Brian McKinley (F/M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Beckman (Irvine)
Tyler Yzuel (D/M) Placer United ECNL/Granite Bay
Evan Crownfield (M) Laguna United FC EA2/Edison
Carter Kappes (D/F) Real Salt Lake AZ MLS Next/Brophy Prep
Diego Perez (M) Union Sacramento EA/Jesuit (Sacramento)
Ethan Roberts (F/M) Seattle United ECRL/Lincoln (Seattle)
Cole Poling (F/M) Pateadores Irvine NPL/Esperanza
Dylan Chung (D) Eastside FC ECNL/Bellvue HS (WA)
Isaac Storms (M) Transfer from Puget Sound
Evan White (M) Marin FC ECNL/Redwood
Cooper Haley (D) Seattle United ECNL/Garfield
Alex Jung (M) Transfer from Cal State San Marcos
Ben LeClair (D) Santa Clara Sporting ECNL/Oak Ridge
Reed Leidlein (D) Marin FC ECNL/Marin Academy
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps:
Heiko Schultz (M/F) LA Surf MLS Next
Bo Gardner (OB/OM) Boulder County United
Dane Knudsen (MF) Marin FC
Lucius Ng (GK) Charterhouse (London, Eng)
Paul Melendres (M) Rio Rapids ECNL/El Dorado HS (New Mexico)
Zeno Bang (D) World Class FC/Don Bosco Prep
Roby Hooper (M) Washington Premier/Puyallup Union
Kevin Xia (M) Napa United MLS Next
Collin Ross (M/F) Davis Legacy ECNL/Christian Brothers
Ian Rodriguez (D) Beach FC ECNL/Mira Costa
Trusten Lehmann-Karp (M) IMG Academy MLS Next
La Verne:
Jeffrey Grijalva (RB) San Rafael HS (Richmond, CA)
Sebastian Gonzalez (M) Sporting California ECNL/Eleanor Roosevelt HS
Marcus Lewinsohn (GK) VDA Boys ECNL/Highland
Occidental:
Andrew Lee (D) LA Surf MLS Next
Aryan Amin (D) Baltimore Armour MLS Next
Devin Benning (F/M) LA Surf MLS Next
Matt Shea (M/D) Boston Bolts MLS Next/Worcester Academy
Edward Siladie (D) Ballistic United SC MLS Next
Cooper Gersch (D) Transfer from Whitman (DIII)
Aleksander Bosanac (M) Ventura County Fusion MLS Next
Ayden Rieke-Wey (D) Seattle United ECNL/Roosevelt
Carlos Abram (GK) Seattle United ECNL-RL/Bush
Pomona-Pitzer:
Charlie Leonard (D) Chicago Fire Youth SC/Latin HS
Josh Goldhaber (GK) FC United (E64)/Latin HS
Gavin Honey (GK) Eastside FC (WA)/Liberty HS
Sammy Faham (M/F) De Anza Force MLS Next/Burlingame HS
Nolan Todd (D/M) Seattle United ECNL/Lincoln
Gabe Anca (D) Palo Alto SC (NPL)/Nueva School
Oak Jarvis (M) Santa Monica Surf EA/Crossroads
Jack Yang (M) De Anza Force ECNL/Harker
Redlands:
Ronaldo Fernandez (F) City SC MLS Next/Murrieta Valley HS
Ryan Hubbard (D) Laguna United FC (EA)/Aliso Niguel HS
Jared Keyvan (M) Laguna United FC (EA)/Mater Dei
Jacob White (D) Sporting California ECRL/Etiwanda
Mateo Ambriz (D) Legends ECNL/Orange Lutheran
Whittier:
Anthony Dolce (D/DM) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Allessandro Seccia (M) Laguna United FC UPSL/Saddleback College
Shae Kolmer (M) Seattle United/Shorecrest HS (WA)
Raif Sablan (F/M) Players SC Las Vegas/Shadow Ridge
Cobey Penner (D/M) Wasatch SC (EA)/Davis
Ben Harrison (D) Impact United SC/Olympus HS (UT)
Teodor Hamilton (F) Transfer from D2 Fort Hays State (Stockholm, Sweden)
Rowan Toomey (D) FC Portland/Forest Grove
Patrick Nolan (M/F) San Francisco Elite Academy ECNL/Sacred heart Cathedral
Osvaldo Avalos (M) Transfer from Hartnell College(?)
Joel Montalvo (D/M) Davis Legacy ECNL/River City (Sacramento)
Owen Nance (M) Impact United/East HS (Salt Lake City)
Milton Oliviera (F) LA Breakers ECNL/Torrance North/Transfer from Santa Monica College
Bobo Andersson (F) Sweden
Jack Hindmarsh (M) Nosaby IF (Sweden)
Mikael Naesheim Hinna Fotball (Norway)
Elver Dorado (D) Anaheim FC/Western HS
Bryan Lopez (M) Western HS (Anaheim)
Adrian Iggstedt (D) Lycka FF (Sweden)
Matias Delso (D) Nomads MLS Next/San Diego HS
Chris Flores (D) Transfer from Mission College (JC)
Gustav Lind (D) Taby FK U19/Stockholm, Sweden
Waldemar Finsnes Oslo, Norway
Arvid Ogren Sweden
Brian Aragon (M) Transfer from Fullerton College
Benji Banks (F) Transfer from Montana State University Billings (DII)
C2C
UC Santa Cruz
Kotestu Horike (M) Pateadores ECNL/South
Alessandro Castro (M/F) Palo Alto SC/Wilcox
Sigi Valencia (F) Transfer from De Anza College
Toby Jacobson-Bell (GK) Spurs FC/Berkeley
Oliver Gill (M/F) 1974 Newark FC ECNL/Berkeley
Gavin Lane (D) Murrieta Soccer Academy/Murrieta Mesa
Marcus Hevesy-Rodriguez (D/M) Transfer from Santa Monica College (previously LA Breakers ECNL/Palisades)
Lawyer Mamaril (M) Transfer from DII Cal State East Bay
Nico Herrera Land (F) Transfer from Humboldt State (DII)
SCAC
Austin College
Kaleb Arredondo (D) BVB Int'l Academy ECNL/Arlington
Jonah Ferrente (M/D) Lonestar ECNL/Cedar Park
Ethan Hamby (D) FC Brownsville Cosmos/Harlingen
Claudio Rodriguez (M) Dallas Texas ECRL/Burleson
Oscar Moreno (D) Transfer from Texas A&M Texarkana (NAIA)
Chandler Southerland (M) HTX Woodlands/Lake Creek
Colorado College
Teddy Opler (F) Jackson Hole (WY)
Will Jones (D) Pikes Peak Rush/Cheyenne Mountain
Jamie McFarland (M/D) Florida Premier ECNL/Tampa Prep
Texas Lutheran
Romario Salazar (Wingback/winger) FC Westlake Elite (previously San Antonio FC DA/MLS Next)/Jefferson HS
Andy Garcia (GK) Cypress Lakes HS
Raymond Palmer (F) San Antonio City ECRL/Clark
Nicholas Dunn (M/D) Capital City SC/Wemberly
Allan Solis (CB/CDM) IDEA Toros Futbol Academy McAllen
Nico Gonzalez (OB/OM) Rise SC/Cypress Park
Ben Gutierrez (M/F) Sam Houston
Jonathan Rodriguez (D/M) Rise SC/Houston Academy for Int'l Studies
Luis Lopez (D) HTX ECNL/Humble
Emilio Longoria (D/M) RGV Toros/Veteran's Memorial (Brownsville)
Schreiner
Mason Szymanski (GK) Sting SC ECRL/Panther Creek (TX)
Benni Ponce (F) Georgetown HS
Trinity
Jason Sukow (MF) Transfer from D1 Loyola Chicago
Joey Perryman (F) Transfer from D1 Central Connecticut State University
Cade Dougan (D/M) Transfer from D1 UNC Wilmington
Alex Ramirez (M) Transfer from D3 Kenyon College
Julian Lopez (M) Austin, Texas
Sam Theiss (F) Transfer from D1 University of San Diego
Hagan Ward (D/M) San Diego Surf/Cathedral Catholic (played with gap year program Eture in Spain in 23-24)
Kent Knight (D) Capital City SC MLS Next/Pflugerville
Daniel Urquidi (D) Capital City SC/Round Rock
Alexandre Baltov (M/F) Lousiana TDP MLS Next/Caddo Magnet
Owen Hoy (D) Transfer from D1 Clemson (Spring 2024 roster only)
St. Thomas
Fernando Lazo (D) Albion Hurricanes ECNL/Seven Lakes
Leonardo Herrera (D/F) Atascosita HS (formerly Houston Dynamo Academy)
Aldo Hernandez (F/M) Crush FC ECRL (formerly Houston Dynamo MLS Academy 3 years)/MacArthur
Aaron Rodriguez (M) Humble HS
Juan Pablo Rodriguez (M/F) Dobie HS
Jorge Lucas (M) Houston Rangers MLS Next/Harmony School of Ingenuity
Hani Ahmadie (F/M) LA Surf EA/Glendale
Brandon Gasca (D) Transfer from Blinn College (JC)
Arlen Garcia (M) Transfer from Concordia (TX) (DIII)
Lucas Eleftherion (M) Challenge United SC/College Park
Jacob Reyes (D) Rise SC MLS Next/MacArthur HS
Carlos Ayala (D) Transfer from National Park College (NJCAA)
Hamilton Estrada (D) Transfer/Re-enrollment (USC 2022 first team All Region X player)
Ozarks
Seth Phillips (GK) HTX Soccer/Montgomery
McMurry
Gavin Sotelo (M/D) HTX ECRL/Deer Park
D'Mari Washington (D/F) HTX ECRL/Thomas Randle
Randy Bonilla (D/M) Lamar Soccer Club/Travis
Landyn Snider (M) FC Dallas NPL/Memorial (Frisco)
Carter Thao (M) Westside Alliance ECRL/Bixby
Carson Burkhalter (GK) Albion Hurricanes/Thomas Randle
D'Mari Washington (D) HTX/Randle
Killian Murphy (D) Lonestar/Glenn
Julian Trevino (D) BVB Int'l Academy/Town View Magnet
Noah Banda (D/M) North Texas Celtic/Burleson
Rocco Guevara (D) Victory/Oakridge
Stellios Poulos (F) Solar ECRL/Oakridge
Jovani Burnett (M) BVB Int'l/Sunset
Pedro Yanez (F) Lobos FC/Valley View
ASC
East Texas Baptist
Joshua Daley (F) Allen
Ryder Thornton (GK) Allen
Junior Lopez (F) Lufkin
Isaac Concha (D) Mansfield
Quinlan Lindley (D) Mansfield
Matthew Aguilar (M) Wylie
Ryan Lord (GK) DKSC/Rockwall
Regan Trojacek (F/M) Dallas Surf/Ennis
Kyu Peterson (D) Allen
Mary Hardin-Baylor
Evan Ruiz (M) Solar SC/Allen
Sebastian Martinez (M) Transfer from DIII LeTourneau
Dylan Vadnais (D) Transfer from UT-Tyler (DII)
Zachary Paclibar (D) Transfer from Dallas Baptist (DII)
Hardin-Simmons
Caden Vault (D) Dallas Surf/North Forney
Dylan Caudle (D) Transfer from McMurry
Daniel Canales (F) Macarthur
Chaden Hammonds (F) Solar ECRL/Mansfield
Daniel Villagomez (M) Dallas Texans ECRL/University
Korbin Raef (M) Texas Spures/Amarillo
Isaiah Guerra (D) Avanti SC/Duncanville
Jordan Garcia (F/M) FC Dallas/Midland
Colin Elliot (D) Transfer from Gordon College
Celani Nkomo (F/M) Solar ECRL/Mansfield Lake Ridge
Jacob Castro (M) FC Dallas/San Angelo Central
Caden Tully (GK) FC Dallas/Midland
James Webb (F) Lonestar ECRL/Lorena
Godfrey Vela III (M) Express SC/Flour Bluff
Trace Binyon (D) Solar ECRL/Frisco Reedy
Howard Payne
Kolby Lara (F) HTX Humble/Cleveland
LeTourneau
Joshua Van Wagener (GK) HTX ECRL/Clear Creek
Jonas Coyle (M) SSA/Glynn Academy
Joaquin Sanchez (GK) Legends FC/Pieper HS
Carson Gamble (GK) San Francisco Elite Academy ECNL/Los Altos
Zachary Parris (M) Christian Brothers Academy (Memphis)
Brennan West (F) Gulf South Texans/Live Oak
Patrick Bauer (M) South Carolina United ECRL/Wando HS
Octavio Jacquez (GK) Transfer from Angelina College/Mary Hardin-Baylor
NWC
Lewis & Clark
Sam Gunderson (D) Eagles ECRL/Agoura Hills
Trevor Koo (F) Marin FC/Tamalpais
Brandon Paynter (M) Eagle River (Alaska)
Aleister Alfstad (D) West Seattle
Talen Haywood (D) Seattle Celtic/Nathan Hale
Kaden Nakamura (M) Leahi Na Koa SC/Mid-Pacific Institute
Sam London (M) Seattle United/Lincoln
Alexander Woods (F) Billings (MT)
Emmet McDonough (M) PacNW/Stadium HS (Tacoma)
Linfield
Jaren Nishikawa (D) Beach FC ECNL/Palos Verdes Peninsula
Pacific
Carter Zeiset (F) IMG Academy
Gregory Wheeler (F) Crossfire Premier/O'Dea
Jared Sakai (F) Leahi SC/University Lab School (Honolulu)
Arya Alijani (D) Washington Premier SC/Lake Tapps
Justin Tilton (D) Hawaii Rush/Mililani
Hawkin Sweeney (F) Transfer from Casper College
Giovanny Adaya-Ortiz (M) Santos FC/Forest Grove (OR)
Elliott Morgan (M) Pelada Football Academy/Sheldon (OR)
Garrett Heuett (D) Transfer from Eastern Oregon
Pacific Lutheran
Ian Reckling (GK) Pacific NW/Sumner (WA)
Daniele Meloni (F) Transfer from Augustana
Quinn Bieber (M) Transfer from Northland College
Gio Aguilar-Gutierrez (GK) Spanaway Lake
Landon Gordon (GK) Washington Premier/Timberline
Preston Soeum (D) Washington Premier ECRL/Franklin Pierce
Marvin Soeum (F) Washington Premier ECRL/Franklin Pierce
Mike Sinclair (F) Brooke House College (England)
Aziah Donaghy (M) Kings Christian College (Australia)
Liam Stoner (F) Washington Premier/Puyallup
Addison Doyle-Newe (F/M) Issaquah
Seamus Miller (F) Transfer from Linfield
Caden Davis (M) Eastside Timbers/PDX FC (USL 2)/Franklin
Fisher Stilwell (D) Eastside FC ECRL/Eastlake
Puget Sound
Jackson Smith (M/F) Shorewood
Whitworth
Dawson Heuett (M) transfer from Eastern Oregon (NAIA)
Evan Garcia (F/M) Albion SC MLS Next (San Diego)
Dax Flanders (GK) Hawaii Rush/Mililani
Liam McAdams (D) Montana Surf/Capital
Liam Bia (M) Rehoboth Christian (New Mexico/Navajo Nation)
Greyson Wheeler (D/M) Rush WA/Lake Stevens
Jack Eschliman (D) Rangers/Bellingham
RC Wells (D) Washington East Surf EA/Mead
Hunter Lisowski (F) Montana ODP/Glacier HS
Whitman
Spencer Lovell (D) Oregon Premier/Lakeridge
Ellet Clum-Stockton (M) Baton Rouge SC/Willow
Kevin Serrano Maldonado (M) Academia de Futebol/La Salle Catholic
Alex Evans (M) Arlington SC/Quince Orchard
Tait Whittemore (GK) Rebels IE/Redlands East Valley
Niclas Isensee (GK) Transfer from Chapman (rising Junior)
Cristian Herrera (D) Kennedy Catholic
Adrian Valencia (D) Transfer from Evergreen Valley College (CCCAA)
Willamette
Evan Bierman (GK) Colorado Edge ECRL/Ralston Valley
Vaibhav Thikkavarapu (D) FC Westlake/McNeil (Austin)
Javi Sandoval Gongora (M) Portland City United/Marist
Owen Albrecht (M) Seattle United/Lincoln
Diedrik Boberg (F) FC Maur Zurich, Switzerland
Jack Chase (F) Boise Timber Thorns/Mountain View
Nicholas White (GK) Westside Metros
Rory McKee (D/M) Transfer from Southern Oregon University (NAIA)
Quote from: Kuiper on July 18, 2024, 06:33:33 PMGood news for fans of grass fields and Trinity University (TX)'s McGinlay Field. The renovations are nearing completion and the grass looks gorgeous for mid-summer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9lIQkZPJjr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Another new field shot from the NORTH part of this thread. Calvin's new field/stadium looks pretty impressive
https://twitter.com/CalvinWSoccer/status/1814632872109646208/photo/1
Schreiner has posted its 2024 roster (https://schreinermountaineers.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/roster)
I won't do this for every team most likely, but I took a closer look just because it's early. A few observations:
- Holy cow that's a big roster. 52 names listed! Last year they had 48, though, so this isn't a new development.
- What is perhaps even more interesting is that only 26 had jersey numbers last season and only 17 have jersey numbers in the current roster.
- They do have a legitimate reserve team schedule (https://schreinermountaineers.com/sports/msoc/reserve_team)(6 games last year), so perhaps the players without numbers are on the reserve team and they had 22 on the reserve team last year. If so, then about 35 guys are currently fighting for first team spots (although the 26 with roster numbers last year might have been by the end of the season because of performance or to replace guys with injuries).
- The players with jersey numbers include 4 keepers, which means that there are only 13 field players on the roster with jersey numbers now.
- I thought maybe jersey numbers just reflected returners to the team, but two of the freshman keepers have jersey numbers, but no other freshman do right now. Talk about pressure to come and impress in a short amount of time to earn a number!
University of Wisconsin-Stout posted its 2024 roster (https://stoutbluedevils.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- As a team in its first year, all players are obviously new
- Roster size is 32, which is pretty reasonable in terms of aggregate numbers, but you almost never would bring in 32 new recruits to a team. Credit to the coach for even finding 32 players to join the team in a single year
- Every single player is listed as a freshman. I thought for sure they would try to bring in a few transfers just to provide some leadership and experience, whether from Northland when it looked like that school was going under, or from another area private school considering that Stout could offer lower in-state tuition. Nope. 32 freshman are going to take on Platteville and Eau Claire and Whitewater, among other schools. Those boys will have to grow up fast and the coach literally has days to figure out what he's got and which players are ready to play from Day 1.
- I was surprised to see that over a third of the players (12/32) are from out of state, including not only bordering states such as Minnesota and Illinois, but also a player from Georgia and Mexico City. Considering one of the attractions was in-state tuition, it shows the powerful draw of a recruiting pitch that all starting spots are up for grabs.
Quote from: Kuiper on July 26, 2024, 12:44:35 PMSchreiner has posted its 2024 roster (https://schreinermountaineers.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/roster)
I won't do this for every team most likely, but I took a closer look just because it's early. A few observations:
- Holy cow that's a big roster. 52 names listed! Last year they had 48, though, so this isn't a new development.
Schreiner's undergraduate enrollment last year was 1062, so nearly 5% of their students play men's soccer. Crazy.
University of Wisconsin River Falls has posted its 2024 Roster (https://uwrfsports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A couple of observations:
- Unlike Stout, River Falls recruited some transfers. It has a grad student GK from Lakeland who has played in 47 games, starting 15, in his career and 6 transfers from Northland College.
- It also has a bunch of upperclassmen who are not listed as transfers. They may be players who moved over from the club team. That doesn't mean much in terms of their experience in the college game (it didn't help Lewis & Clark, for instance), but even if their age and body development doesn't help them, at least the coach isn't boxed in to recruit massively this year or four years from now when this class graduates (like Stout).
- It has 27 on the roster, which is 5 less than River Falls, but is a pretty reasonable number for a college team.
- River Falls went the int'l route far more than Stout. They have two freshman from Spain, four from England, one from Iceland, and one from Belgium. Stout had one from Mexico City and that was it.
- Only 7 of the players are from Wisconsin. There are the same number from Minnesota. There are three from California and one from Texas, although they are all Northland transfers.
It will be interesting to see how River Falls and Stout do against each other and relative to each other given there very different tactics for roster construction.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 26, 2024, 01:33:41 PMQuote from: Kuiper on July 26, 2024, 12:44:35 PMSchreiner has posted its 2024 roster (https://schreinermountaineers.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/roster)
I won't do this for every team most likely, but I took a closer look just because it's early. A few observations:
- Holy cow that's a big roster. 52 names listed! Last year they had 48, though, so this isn't a new development.
Schreiner's undergraduate enrollment last year was 1062, so nearly 5% of their students play men's soccer. Crazy.
Hendrix, which will be joining the SCAC next year, isn't much better. Here is its 2024 roster (https://hendrixwarriors.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster). A few observations:
- It has 48 players on its roster, including 22 newcomers (20 freshman and 2 transfers). According to one source (https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/oct/02/enrollment-rises-falls-at-private-universities/), it had an enrollment of 1,107 in Fall 2023, its men's soccer team constitutes 4.33% of its total enrollment assuming its 2024 enrollment didn't dip at all.
- Last year, they only had 32 on the roster and only 5 were listed as seniors. So, unless they were really bad at projecting yield on their offers to recruits, this is an intentional massive increase in the size of the team. That always worries me because it suggests that the school has put pressure on the athletic teams to increase enrollment, which could mean they are under financial pressure as an institution.
- Unlike Schreiner, I don't see any evidence that they have a reserve team, but I'm guessing they will be creating one now. Hard to imagine having 48 on the roster and not having some way to get half the team playing opportunities. If they are, however, it doesn't look like they have increased the coaching staff to accommodate the extra work. They seem to be asking the coaches to just do more.
- one of its transfers is a GK who was on the roster as a freshman last year at Birmingham Southern (but did not see action). Nice to see that at least one of their players found his way to another team.
Their last 990 (for the year ending May 2023) was remarkably positive, showing a gain of $13.2M after expenditures of $84.2M. The previous year showed a profit of $10.8M on expenses of $87.6M. The gain in 2022 was largely due to $27.2M in contributions; that in 2023, to $30.7M in investment income. They have a about a 3:1 asset:liability ratio with $100.2M in liabilities offsetting 300.2M in total assets. The only blotch on the 990 are $25.3M in unrealized investment losses. They reported an endowment of $163M and appear to have the liquid assets to back up the majority of it.
Basically, they seem to be in decent financial shape for school of this size but it would not be surprising if the athletic program is beating the bushes in all sports to keep enrollment up. The 2023 freshman class was quite a bit smaller than 2022's (278 to 375).
Puget Sound has posted its 2024 Roster (https://loggerathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/2024)
A few observations:
- 30 on the roster, which is exactly the same as last year
- 10 seniors last year, but only 7 newcomers this year. The difference is that they have several seniors from last year returning as super seniors or grad students: Ian Cameron (D), Jesus Gutierrez (M), and Liam Elliot (D and 2nd team all NWC). Unfortunately, that does not include their top scorer and assist man from last year
- Since Steve Mohn was announced as coach in March, he likely did not have much, if any, impact on this recruiting class. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if he got a transfer or two in the future from Highline College, a community college where he coached for a decade before moving to Puget Sound.
On a side note Puget Sound freshman goalie Alex Rhodes who also runs track (the 400) won the d3 silver medal in nationals and took 3rd in u20 world championships. And apparently was the only male athlete competing at the USATF U20s from a D3 college or university. Pretty amazing after taking up track late in high school. It's unclear what this portends for his future as a backup goalie on the soccer team though ;-)
https://loggerathletics.com/news/2024/6/14/track-and-field-freshman-alex-rhodes-stuns-at-the-usatf-u20-championships.aspx
Quote from: westroadsf on August 05, 2024, 04:13:52 PMOn a side note Puget Sound freshman goalie Alex Rhodes who also runs track (the 400) won the d3 silver medal in nationals and took 3rd in u20 world championships. And apparently was the only male athlete competing at the USATF U20s from a D3 college or university. Pretty amazing after taking up track late in high school. It's unclear what this portends for his future as a backup goalie on the soccer team though ;-)
https://loggerathletics.com/news/2024/6/14/track-and-field-freshman-alex-rhodes-stuns-at-the-usatf-u20-championships.aspx
Wow! According to this story (https://www.si.com/high-school/oregon/2023/06/01/lincoln-goalkeeper-alexander-rhodes-turns-out-for-track-on-a-whim-becomes-400-meters-6a-state-champion), Rhodes went out for track "on a whim" in the spring of his senior year -- after playing GK his entire HS career and signing with Puget Sound in the fall of his senior year -- because he wanted to do some cardio to pass the beep test and found it out he was actually pretty good at it. he also was named a DIII All American his freshman season.
QuoteRhodes hadn't previously run track because he plays goalkeeper for the Cardinals soccer team — he has signed to play for Puget Sound next fall, and he turned out this spring only because he wanted to get in some cardio work before heading to college.
And now, he's heard, "I think they're going to take me for track, too."
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there aren't a lot of goalkeepers who are likely to attract the track and field coaches' attention at the fitness testing on the first day of practice in a couple of weeks. And if there are, it would be more likely for a field event like high jump, long jump, or maybe shot put, discuss, or javelin than it would be for the 400m.
Whitman posted its 2024 Roster (https://athletics.whitman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 25 on the roster, compared with 28 last year
- 6 first year players on the squad
- Starting GK Bernie Jones graduated, leaving only one GK on the roster (Lucas Haigh) who has played before and he had only 4 games and 2 starts last year. They did recruit GK Tait Whittmore away from his hometown of Redlands, CA. I wonder if they'll give him some playing time when Whitman travels to Southern California to play University of Redlands on 9/12. Might be the only time his friends and family get to see him play in-person in his home town.
- Whitman's two leading goal scorers from last year have graduated, but the leading point getter, Lucas McAllister, returns, as does the leading assist man, Sawyer Valero.
Quote from: Kuiper on August 05, 2024, 06:38:56 PMI'm going to go out on a limb and say that there aren't a lot of goalkeepers who are likely to attract the track and field coaches' attention at the fitness testing on the first day of practice in a couple of weeks. And if there are, it would be more likely for a field event like high jump, long jump, or maybe shot put, discuss, or javelin than it would be for the 400m.
I entirely agree--and the part about field events is also spot on.
The AA GK on Messiah's first nattie (2000), Chris Boyles (https://gomessiah.com/honors/messiah-university-athletics-hall-of-honor/chris-boyles/26), was the D3 Decathlon champion and (for a few years) the all-time record holder in that event. His best event was the high jump. He went on to compete internationally and qualified for the Olympic trials in 2004 and 2008. On that basis, as I've said before, he is probably the greatest all-around athlete among D3 soccer players, not just GKers.
To the best of my knowledge, his best time in the 400 was about 5 seconds slower than Rhodes--who has serious speed.
Whitworth posted its 2024 roster (https://whitworthpirates.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
Here are a few observations:
- There are 33 players on this season's roster, compared with 28 last season
- They have 4 players returning for a COVID year as grad students, although only F Dominic Gusman was a regular starter
- They have 9 freshman in coach Kevin Moon's first recruiting class, including one player, Evan Garcia, who comes from the same town - Chula Vista, CA - and same club - Albion SC San Diego - as Whitworth returning star forward Cole Friesen.
- In addition to Friesen - who had 24 goals and 5 assists last year - important returning players include Arthur Beckett (as an aside, he went to Hellgate HS in Montana, which I gather got its name from a local canyon called Hellgate because it looked like the gates of hell after an ambush involving warring tribes, but might also reflect the view of the HS by many seniors after graduating!) and Clayton Crockett, who led the team in assists last year with 8 after transferring from DII Cal State Stanislaus.
Concordia (TX) posted its 2024 Roster (https://athletics.concordia.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
Here are a few observations:
- 30 players on the roster, compared with 36 last season
- Forward Theo Givens and midfielders Marco Casulli and Gerardo Guevara return as grad students
- Defenders Devin Hammel and Santiago Martinez transferred in from UT Dallas and Illinois College, respectively, and midfielder Bryan Rios transferred from McMurry where he played 15 games and had 5 assists.
- only 5 freshman joined the roster, which is perhaps a consequence of the coaching change/uncertainty
UC Santa Cruz has posted its 2024 Roster (https://goslugs.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- I doubt this is the complete roster. There are only 19 players listed. Last season, they had 28 on the roster. On the other hand, this isn't a returning player-only roster since there are freshman listed. Not sure what is going on. Maybe it has something to do with the quarter not starting until Sept. 21 and they are adding to this list as students register.
- Right now, only 3 freshman are listed
- Some of the regular starters/contributors, such as captain and D Max Beldner, M Jackson Chandler, D Michael Braun, and M Derek Uemura are listed, but others are not on the roster, including leading scorer Adrian Jacobs and leading assist man Tyler Allred, who were both sophomores last season.
- I'm going to refrain from saying more until I see a more complete roster. With a school the size of UC Santa Cruz (19,173 in '23-'24), there's no way they would play the season with 19 on the roster. They could announce open tryouts and find 10 more players who were star club/HS players.
Quote from: Kuiper on August 12, 2024, 01:26:58 PM- Some of the regular starters/contributors, such as captain and D Max Beldner, M Jackson Chandler, D Michael Braun, and M Derek Uemura are listed, but others are not on the roster
I believe Owen Deming (midfielder/sophomore last season) transferred to Washington University in St. Louis. [just part of the puzzle...]
Pacific University (not to be confused with DI University of the Pacific) has posted its 2024 Roster (https://goboxers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
Here are a few observations:
- 34 on the roster, which is the same as last season
- 11 freshman
- One transfer - Hawkin Sweeney, who played with DII Western Oregon in 2022
- Only lose three players from last year to graduation and virtually all of their top offensive players return
Cal Tech has posted its 2024 Roster (https://gocaltech.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
Here are a few observations:
- 30 players on the roster, compared with 27 players last season
- 10 Freshman on the roster. As they said in the writeup (https://gocaltech.com/news/2024/7/3/caltech-mens-soccer-welcomes-class-of-2028.aspx) on the incoming class:
QuoteOne year after earning the program's highest win total in 53 years, the Caltech men's soccer team will bring in ten talented rookies as they take on 2024.
This is the first year in the history of the program that they are not coming off of a losing season (they went 6-6-4) and they do have some promising freshman coming in, including M Dean Yao from FC Delco MLS Next in PA and Quinn Hartman, a 6'3" defender from Slammers ECNL in SoCal who I expect will get some immediate playing time given what they have lost on the defensive side (plus, he provides an arial threat that might get them some goals on set plays).
- Speaking of what they have lost, the biggest losses are at GK and Striker. Their two senior GKs graduated, including their main starter for the last three years, Derek Ing. Ethan Hamel is the only returner with more than 1 game under his belt and he had a 5.43 GAA, which inflated by playing the entire game in Cal Tech's 8-0 loss to Occidental and a half each in their games against CMS and Redlands (although Ing held both of those teams scoreless in his half). At striker, Rohan Iyer's departure leaves a gap. He wasn't a prolific scorer, but he was decent at hold-up play and occupying defenders so that Etienne Casanova and Ishaan Mantripragada could do their thing (they scored 11 goals each).
St. Scholastica has posted its 2024 Roster (https://csssaints.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 25 players, compared with 21 last season
- only 1 freshman listed (1 other is identified as a freshman, but played last year)
- 1 GK transfer from Northland College
- leading scorer and All-MIAC midfielder Keegan Chastey returns for his Covid super senior year
Thank you for introducing me to a school I had never heard of before.
Colorado College has posted its 2024 Roster (https://cctigers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/2024)
A few observations:
- 27 on the roster, compared with 29 last season
- 4 freshman
- One very glaring absence from the 2024 roster is All-SCAC first team GK Jasper Broad, who started all but one game for the Tigers last year. He was only a sophomore, but he had started 37 games for the team his first two seasons of college. It looks like he has transferred to Pomona-Pitzer based on this "back-door" page on the P-P site (https://sagehens.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/jasper-broad/9188) and his LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasper-broad-2b7074274), but they haven't officially posted their 2024 roster yet. He's listed as a freshman, when that can't be right, but he's identified as a GK and the jersey number of #35 is the same as he wore at Colorado College. Very interesting move. Pitzer is a good school and it looks like he is doing the double major in Public Policy with Claremont-McKenna, plus he wouldn't have the travel burden at Pomona-Pitzer he would at Colorado College. Still, as a soccer move it's got to be considered a downgrade. It also creates an interesting situation for Pomona-Pitzer, which now has 6 GKs on a not very big roster, but I'll save that for a discussion of their team.
- Broad's transfer leaves Colorado College very thin and inexperienced at GK. They will have only two sophomore GKs, one of whom played 19 minutes last season and the other did not play at all. Broad saved the defense quite a bit with acrobatic stops, especially against top opposition in the NCAA tournament
- Other than losing Broad, Colorado College is really stacked with returners. They have a strong defense returning, with All Region IX first team defender Curtis Hale and honorable mention All-SCAC defender Rex Karjian both back. On offense, All-SCAC 2nd team midfielder Alexander Ward is a super senior, and Region X 2nd team midfielder Will Bavier and Region X 3rd team forward, and leading scorer, Oscar Ramirez reurn.
-
Southwestern has posted its 2024 Roster (https://southwesternpirates.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 30 on the roster, compared with 29 last season
- 12 freshman
- With All-SCAC honorable mention GK Brendan Prather graduated, Southwestern returns three very inexperienced GKs. Junior Scott Johnson has played 21 minutes in his first two seasons and Sophomore Jackson Tucker has played 15 minutes. Sophomore Fernando Olivero didn't play last year. They also have a freshman GK from San Diego coming in. So, a position of strength becomes a question mark for the Pirates.
- They lose second team All-SCAC defender Reagan Fortner and honorable mention all conference offensive players Mofe Ariyo, Nathanial Blake, and Ashton Bynum, but they do get 2nd team All SCAC defender Raghav Sharma back, who actually led the team in both goals and shots, likely from coming up on set piece plays. They also return leading playmaker Michael Grimm, who was third team all Region X last season.
Willamette has posted its 2024 Roster (https://www.wubearcats.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/roster)
A few observations:
- 27 on the roster, compared with 31 last season
- 7 freshman
- F Sean Kim who was 2nd team all Region X in 2022, but only played 4 games last season, returns as a grad student for a Covid Year
- They lose offensive star Jett Starr (although he returns as a coach), but forward Lucas Carballo, who was second team all NWC in his freshman season, returns.
- Other notable departures include GK Pierluca Carnovale and F/M Fernando Bitelli.
And looks like after moving to the east coast former Willamette HC Sam Adelman has landed at Brandeis as an assistant.
Trinity (TX) frustratingly still hasn't posted their roster, but from an IG story of their media day (https://www.instagram.com/stories/trinitymenssoccer/3436812038150491866/) it appears that Aidan Roy, who made a very brief appearance in one game last season is back at keeper this season. There is a second keeper shown (https://www.instagram.com/stories/trinitymenssoccer/3436802107137440199/) but no details were provided.
Joshua Lynch (who would be a senior) is the only possible returnee in goal and was featured a few months ago in a "studying abroad" reel (https://www.instagram.com/trinitymenssoccer/reel/C6O3s2uCpdC/) (in Rome). He saw limited action last season, culminating with being forced into action in the team's second round playoff game against Occidental, a 1-4 loss after starting keeper Willman was sent off after a red card in the 16th minute.
Texas Lutheran has posted its 2024 Roster (https://tlubulldogs.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/roster)
A few observations:
- 55 on the roster, compared with 51 last season
- 15 freshman
- Tons of players are back for a super senior season, including some of its best players: 2nd team All-SCAC GK Noel Pena, USC 1st team All-American midfielder Jack Manke, and other contributors D Nathan Roy, MF Jorge Ugaz, D Kaden Adam, D Isaac Salazar Vargas, and M Cal McCausland.
- Other important returning players include Cole Sixkiller, a player who pops up in a variety of positions, co-leading scorer Preston Huff, M Erick Lopez, and defenders Diego Roman, Louis Hart, and Noah Harris. In fact, I think that virtually the entire starting lineup returns. The only contributor of any sort that departs is F Santiago Quinonez, who played 17 games, starting 6, and had 2 assists, 15 shots, and 4 shots on goal.
Josh Lynch expected to be the starter at GK
Also lost Jack Eubank, starting LB/LCB, who didn't take 5th year. He led the team the past 4 years in minutes played and second in assists.
Possibly another big roster move TBD
Quote from: jaysoccer on August 19, 2024, 08:30:42 AMJosh Lynch expected to be the starter at GK
Also lost Jack Eubank, starting LB/LCB, who didn't take 5th year. He led the team the past 4 years in minutes played and second in assists.
Possibly another big roster move TBD
Intriguing...
Quote from: mngopher on March 13, 2024, 11:51:09 PMThe WIAC has a few schools (Stevens Point, River Falls, Stout) adding men's soccer starting in Fall 2024 so the WI schools in C2C will be re-joining the WIAC. Not sure what is going to happen with C2C, but the Wisconsin schools are out.
The irony is that the revived six-team WIAC men's soccer circuit will not include the largest of the WIAC schools, UW-Oshkosh, which also happens to be the WIAC school with by far the most storied soccer tradition. The Titans made the D3 tourney 14 times under head coaches Toby Bares and Wytse Molenaar, including three Final Four appearances -- but UWO deep-sixed its men's soccer program after the 2015-16 school year, and I haven't heard anything about it coming back.
American Rivers Conference has released its 2024 preseason coaches poll (https://go-knights.net/news/2024/8/20/untitled-story.aspx)
Apparently, the coaches think its a battle between Loras and Wartburg
Complete Poll:
2024 American Rivers Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank School (1st place votes) Points
1. Loras College (6) 62
2. Wartburg College (3) 58
3. Luther College 48
4. University of Dubuque 43
T-5. Nebraska Wesleyan University 33
T-5. Simpson College 33
7. Central College 24
8. Coe College 15
9. Buena Vista University 8
SCIAC coaches preseason poll (https://thesciac.org/news/2024/8/20/reigning-champion-occidental-picked-to-repeat-in-mens-soccer-preseason-poll.aspx) is up
No surprise that Oxy is predicted to win again. Whittier is a real wildcard in my opinion. They have something like 26 new players, many of whom are international
2024 SCIAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Occidental, 77 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 68 pts (2)
3. Redlands, 64 pts
4. California Lutheran, 53 pts
5. Chapman, 49 pts (1)
6. Pomona-Pitzer, 30 pts
7. Caltech, 26 pts
8. La Verne, 24 pts
9. Whittier, 14 pts
I guess the coaches don't see what you see
Quote from: SKUD on August 20, 2024, 05:43:39 PMI guess the coaches don't see what you see
They will, soon.
Quote from: SKUD on August 20, 2024, 05:43:39 PMI guess the coaches don't see what you see
By wildcard, I don't mean I think they will be good. More like I have no idea how they are going to be. They literally brought in an entirely new team's worth of players.
Just to clarify on the Whittier remarks, they had 22 on the roster last season, none of whom were listed as seniors (although on Instagram they congratulated 3 for graduating). Since the end of the season, they have announced 26 new players, between freshman and transfers. They haven't posted a roster yet, so it's also possible some of those announced players didn't show up or a bunch of last year's roster left.
The most likely explanation is that they are starting a reserve team. There are no reserve DIII teams in the SCIAC, but they could probably create a schedule playing against weaker NAIA teams or junior colleges, or unofficial reserve teams of SCIAC schools with bigger rosters. With a new president at Whittier, I suspect the coaches were under a mandate to increase the team's roster to help bolster the school financially and they took as many players as they could get.
With 26 new players, including 5 transfers from DII and junior college schools, plus 8 internationals including 6 from Sweden and 2 from Norway, it's hard to know what kind of team Whittier is going to field next season. If this was a roster quota financial decision, they may have taken whoever they could get without worrying too greatly about quality.
They also may have unearthed or stumbled into a bunch of quality players who were overlooked. They have been announcing new players all the way into August, so they may have grabbed some casualties of the FAFSA delay or they may have picked up players from the remains of the transfer portal or internationals who weren't using the traditional services or didn't have the coaching connections places like North Park use to vouch for their Swedish or Norwegian recruits. I'm not sure we'll know much until they start the season, but it will be interesting to watch.
Quote from: Kuiper on August 21, 2024, 11:05:29 AMWith a new president at Whittier, I suspect the coaches were under a mandate to increase the team's roster to help bolster the school financially and they took as many players as they could get.
With 26 new players, including 5 transfers from DII and junior college schools, plus 8 internationals including 6 from Sweden and 2 from Norway, it's hard to know what kind of team Whittier is going to field next season. If this was a roster quota financial decision, they may have taken whoever they could get without worrying too greatly about quality.
I'm not sure this applies here, but I know when schools get students from China, they pay sticker price tuition.
[I could start or revive a South Atlantic Region thread, but with Hendrix moving to the SCAC next year and Trinity and Southwestern moving to the SAA, I'm going to just assume that something about the SAA can be in the GO WEST thread and place this here]
The SAA has released its 2024 coaches preseason poll (https://saa-sports.com/sports/msoc)
Interesting that they see Berry and Sewanee jumping ahead of Centre, which finished 3rd in the conference last season
1. Oglethorpe - 36 (6)
2. Rhodes - 30 (1)
3. Sewanee - 24
4. Berry - 22
5. Centre - 18
6. Hendrix - 11
7. Milllsaps - 6
Quote from: Kuiper on August 21, 2024, 11:05:29 AMWith 26 new players, including 5 transfers from DII and junior college schools, plus 8 internationals including 6 from Sweden and 2 from Norway, it's hard to know what kind of team Whittier is going to field next season. If this was a roster quota financial decision, they may have taken whoever they could get without worrying too greatly about quality.
They also may have unearthed or stumbled into a bunch of quality players who were overlooked. They have been announcing new players all the way into August, so they may have grabbed some casualties of the FAFSA delay or they may have picked up players from the remains of the transfer portal or internationals who weren't using the traditional services or didn't have the coaching connections places like North Park use to vouch for their Swedish or Norwegian recruits. I'm not sure we'll know much until they start the season, but it will be interesting to watch.
The days of using in-country alumni or friendly insiders to get an exclusive crack at landing Swedes and Norwegians are gone. Scandinavia, just like the rest of Europe, is now laden with showcases and recruiting services, and D3 coaches are flying across the pond to scout them out in person, just like their coaching counterparts in D1, D2, and NAIA. The only real differences between a school like Whittier that's just now jumping into the Scandinavian segment of international recruiting and North Park are anecdotal (two generations' worth of former Vikings who returned home to Norway and Sweden are there to vouch for NPU to any prospects they encounter), institutional (unlike other D3 schools, NPU has a permanent campus subculture of Swedes and Norwegians to ease the culture shock and homesickness of new Nordic recruits), and personal (NPU's head coach, Kris Grahn, is himself a Swede who came to Chicago to play for North Park and ended up staying after graduation).
Whether that can balance out what Whittier has to offer (southern California is a dream destination for many young Scandinavians, and the school has a good academic reputation) is another matter. But the bottom line is that
access, if not success, has evened out in terms of Scandinavian recruiting.
Pacific Lutheran has posted its 2024 Roster (https://golutes.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 39 on the roster, compared with 42 last season
- 11 Freshman
- Some really important super seniors return for a Covid season, including first team All-NWC GK Nicholas Gaston, first team All-NWC and first team All-Region X midfielder Craig Johnson, who was one of the highest point scorers in the country, leading the team with 19 goals and 11 assists, and NWC Defensive Player of the Year Cole Dobson
- Biggest departures are 1st team All-NWC F Robbie Guyer, who led the team in assists, 1st team All-NWC M Sammy Tafolla, 1st team All-NWC D Alex white, and honorable mention All-NWC Dane Helle
The SCAC has posted its preseason coaches poll (https://scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/preseason_poll)
This one is probably closer than the numbers indicate. I could see any of the top 4 teams getting hot and taking the league and all of them will feast on teams at the bottom of the conference.
2024 SCAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
1. Colorado College (6) 134
2. Trinity University (2) 130
3. University of St. Thomas (3) 118
4. Texas Lutheran University 106
5. Southwestern University 103
6. Concordia University (Texas) 85
7. Austin College 65
8. University of the Ozarks (1) 61
T9. Centenary College 38
T9. Schreiner University 38
11. McMurry University 33
12. University of Dallas 25
Quote from: Kuiper on August 22, 2024, 04:17:57 PMThe SCAC has posted its preseason coaches poll (https://scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/preseason_poll)
This one is probably closer than the numbers indicate. I could see any of the top 4 teams getting hot and taking the league and all of them will feast on teams at the bottom of the conference.
2024 SCAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
1. Colorado College (6) 134
2. Trinity University (2) 130
3. University of St. Thomas (3) 118
4. Texas Lutheran University 106
5. Southwestern University 103
6. Concordia University (Texas) 85
7. Austin College 65
8. University of the Ozarks (1) 61
T9. Centenary College 38
T9. Schreiner University 38
11. McMurry University 33
12. University of Dallas 25
Not that any will compete for the top, but really curious to see how all of the former ASC teams fare with a full schedule of SCAC opponents. Historically SCAC vs. ASC matchups are swayed heavily towards the SCAC(I think). However, Ozarks will likely be an unfamiliar opponent to most and have an odd home advantage with long travel to Clarksville and it's always a mid-day game in heat and humidity. Concordia is another that could fare decently well. Exciting times for sure...
Quote from: BTXCru18 on August 22, 2024, 06:07:25 PMQuote from: Kuiper on August 22, 2024, 04:17:57 PMThe SCAC has posted its preseason coaches poll (https://scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/preseason_poll)
This one is probably closer than the numbers indicate. I could see any of the top 4 teams getting hot and taking the league and all of them will feast on teams at the bottom of the conference.
2024 SCAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
1. Colorado College (6) 134
2. Trinity University (2) 130
3. University of St. Thomas (3) 118
4. Texas Lutheran University 106
5. Southwestern University 103
6. Concordia University (Texas) 85
7. Austin College 65
8. University of the Ozarks (1) 61
T9. Centenary College 38
T9. Schreiner University 38
11. McMurry University 33
12. University of Dallas 25
Not that any will compete for the top, but really curious to see how all of the former ASC teams fare with a full schedule of SCAC opponents. Historically SCAC vs. ASC matchups are swayed heavily towards the SCAC(I think). However, Ozarks will likely be an unfamiliar opponent to most and have an odd home advantage with long travel to Clarksville and it's always a mid-day game in heat and humidity. Concordia is another that could fare decently well. Exciting times for sure...
I agree Concordia could present a challenge, although they did not last season. Ozarks will also be different. The SCAC is used to long trips (including by air to Colorado Springs), but this will be a new direction.
Ozarks, McM, CTX will also have the joy of travel and adjusting to altitude in Colorado Springs - if not this year, then next.
Next year, when Hendrix joins the SCAC from the SAA, they will be paired as travel partners with Ozarks which should make things a bit easier. This year it looks like they are paired with Centenary (LA) which is a 4.5-5 hour drive. HX and Ozarks are only separated by an hour which means you can fly in and out of Little Rock (airport is ~45 minutes from HX, twice that to Ozarks) rather than have an open jaw with Little Rock and Shreveport. Some schools (like Austin, Dallas, maybe Centenary) can bus it but for everyone else you're looking at 8-10 hours each way to get to the Arkansas school(s).
One thing's for sure - the addition of the former ASC / SAA schools to the SCAC is not making travel any easier for the core SCAC members.
Chapman has posted its 2024 Roster (https://athletics.chapman.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 32 on the roster, compared with 29 last season
- 13 freshman. I noticed a lot of melt from last year's freshman class (4 out of 9 from 2023 are not on the 2024 roster, plus one of the sophomore GKs), which may explain the larger freshman class.
- F Garrett Lindfelt returns. Not sure why he wasn't on the roster in 2023, but he scored 4 goals and 6 assists in 2022, which are numbers that would have made him the leading point scorer on the squad in 2023
- Notable departures include regular starter and leading scorer defender Jake Williams and All-SCIAC midfielder Ryan Bridge
One scrimmage of note to report from yesterday:
Oxy beat Biola (DII) 1-0 - Kai Fiedelholtz with the goal for Oxy
Defending National Champion St. Olaf has posted its 2024 Roster (https://athletics.stolaf.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 29 on the roster, compared with 31 last season
- 11 Freshman
- One transfer, forward Aaron Rutherford, who played 28 games in two seasons for Elmhurst
- Clemente Arcuch Puig, a regular starter at midfield/forward who was fifth in goals for the team last season, returns for a fifth Covid year.
- Tons of notable departures, including Victor Gaulmin (to DI Akron), Hakeem Edwards (to DI LMU, where he started and played 68 minutes against UCLA last night), Casey McCloskey (to DI Charlotte), and Jordan Oberholtzer. They do get back 2nd team All-American Shea Bechtel, who had 9 goals and 13 assists last season, and NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Defensive Player GK Peter Forseth.
Linfield College posted its 2024 Roster (https://golinfieldwildcats.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 40 on the roster, which is the same as last year. Linfield has a pretty robust reserve team, with a 10 game schedule (https://golinfieldwildcats.com/sports/2024/7/31/2024-jv-mens-soccer-schedule.aspx) against the two other NWC schools that have reserve teams - Pacific Lutheran and Pacific - as well as several other community college and NAIA teams. A 40 man roster is actually pretty reasonable with that kind of reserve game schedule.
- 11 Freshman
- They have one juco transfer, Noah Stanley, a defender who played 27 games over two years at Feather River College, scoring two goals last season
- 2nd team All-NWC and Team MVP, defender Angel Hernandez, returns for his Covid year
- Notable departures include leading scorer and 2nd team All-NWC midfielder Sid Kosaris and 2nd team All-NWC midfielder Seamus Miller who has transferred to Pacific Lutheran for his Covid year
Lewis & Clark has posted its 2024 Roster (https://lcpioneers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 29 on the roster, compared with 30 last season
- 9 freshman.
- They didn't have a single senior on the roster last season and only a couple of juniors, so the only way they dropped numbers overall after recruiting 9 freshman is through roster melt. Unfortunately, their melt came in part from losing some of their best players. Forward Nadav Dicovski, their leading scorer last season as a first year, doesn't appear on the roster. He also competed in Track & Field for L&C last season and may have decided to focus on that sport. Midfielder Nathaniel Pi-Sunyer, their second leading scorer, also isn't on the 2024 roster. It looks like he transferred to De Anza College, a community college in CA, and is playing for them in 2024. Defender/midfielder Beno Boda, their leading assist man, also isn't on the 2024 roster. He came to Lewis & Clark as a kicker for the football team and played club soccer before a varsity team was created. He kicked off in five games last season for the football team and it looks like he is focusing on football this season, perhaps because he has been elevated to regular kicker as a senior. Another regular starter as a junior, Wesley Esparza Salazar, is no longer on the roster.
Unless some of their freshman are very strong and ready to contribute immediately, it looks like this year could be more of the same. At least they open with a trip to play two teams in Hawaii, which should be fun.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has posted its 2024 Roster (https://cmsathletics.org/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 33 on the roster, compared with 32 last season
- 11 freshman
- All of the CMS award winners from last year, including first team All-SCIAC outside back Shaan Malik and midfielder and leading scorer Rafael Otero and 2nd team All-SCIAC and 2nd leading scorer forward James Gomez, return.
- Notable departures include regular starters GK Kevin Box, F Jake Allmon, D Chase Keir, and M Liam O'Reilly and regular contributor D Andrew McSlarrow
Redlands has posted its 2024 Roster (https://goredlands.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 31 on the roster, compared with 29 last season
- 7 freshman
- A couple players return for a grad or Covid year: 1st team All Region X GK Seth Lawrence and regular contributor D Erik Davies.
- One transfer - Tristan Loggia from LaVerne, a defender who played 13 games and started 7 as a freshman
- Most notable departures include 1st team All Region defender Skyler Darwen, 1st team All Region and SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year midfielder Jarrette Barajas, 3rd team All Region midfielder Spencer Palmer, and 2nd team All SCIAC defender Jacob Sattler, as well as regular starting midfielder Gabriel Martinez
Whittier posted its 2024 Roster (https://wcpoets.com/sports/msoc/roster)
I have been waiting for this one. For anyone that followed my post on Region X recruits, you'll know that Whittier's list of recruits was insanely large. As in larger than their 2023 roster large. So, I wondered if this would be (1) a completely new roster, (2) a much bigger roster, or (3) a tryout roster where a lot of the "recruits" might not show up on the roster. It appears to be a combination of 1 and 2.
- 39 on the roster, compared with 22 on last season's roster. So, they announced 26 new players on their instagram, but have only increased the roster size by 17.
- In 2023, there were zero seniors listed on the roster, but they identified three graduating seniors in an Instagram post - Daniel Ramirez, Saar Swanson, and 1st team All-SCIAC forward and leading scorer Lawrence Dydell, who appears to have moved on to grad work at USC's School of Accounting. All three were contributors, but Swanson and Dydell started every game last season and Dydell was the team's leading scorer, with almost half of all of the team's goals (12 out of 25). He will be the biggest departure.
- 21 new freshman listed
- Five transfers, including F Teodor Hamilton from DII Fort Hays State (who is listed as a freshman because he redshirted last season), F Benjamin Banks from DII Montana State University Billings, who played 11 games with one start and one goal after transferring from NAIA Northwest University where he played 12 games and started 2, D Chris Flores from LA Mission College (Juco), M Osvaldo Avalos from Monterrey Peninsula College (Juco) where he started 33 games over two years and scored 4 goals and had 2 assists, and F Milton Olivera from Santa Monica College (Juco), who played in 17 games last season and scored 2 goals and had 5 assists.
- What are they going to do with all of these extra players? Best I can tell, they have not lined up any reserve team games. It would not be unheard of to have a full varsity roster of 39, so that may be what they are doing. They still have only 3 GKs, so I expect that is what they will do. It is probably a mandate from the central administration to increase roster size to add enrollment and bring in more tuition money, especially given the increase in international recruits. Having said that, the influx of players may improve the team. After all, they were 1-10-1 in conference last season, finishing last, and 3-12-1 overall, so they can't get worse and more competition in practice and depth for injuries can only help.
St. Thomas (TX) has posted its 2024 Roster (https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/roster)
A few observations:
- 38 on the roster, compared with 42 last season
- 11 Freshman
- Several transfers, including Brandon Gasca, a CB from Blinn College (juco), who started 31 of 39 games over two years and Justin Burke, a midfielder/defender from DI Northeastern who played 10 games over four seasons and is doing his Covid year at St. Thomas.
- A couple of players return after one or more years away from the team, including, most notably, Hamilton Estrada, who was 1st Team All Region X as a defender in 2022. GK Paulo Valente also returns after playing 3 games for St. Thomas in the 21-22 season.
- Regular starting LB Ian Alvarez, who had 8 assists last season, returns for a 5th Covid year and is a captain
- Most notable departures include leading scorer forward Tay Aleman, who scored 17 goals last year and was a 1st team All American in 2022, forward Dany Ramirez, who had 3 goals and 5 assists, and forward Daniel "Tutu" Hernandez, who started 13 games and played in 17. Fortunately, Daniel Castro, who had 14 goals and 6 assists, returns.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has posted its 2024 Roster (https://cruathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 45 on the roster, compared with 47 last season (they have a 6 game reserve team schedule)
- 8 freshman on the roster, which seems a little light for a 45 person roster
- A couple of transfer students, including GK Zachary Verbeck, who transferred from Marietta College, where he played 2 games as a freshman and forward Francisco Maldonado, who played 14 games, starting 9, in 2022 for UMHB, scoring 3 goals with 3 assists, and then left for Richland College (juco) last year, where he started 10 games and had 2 goals and 2 assists before returning for this season
- One Covid senior, Ethan Buchanan, who played 14 games and had 1 goal and 3 assists last season
- Very young roster and they really don't have any notable departures as far as I could tell. Amasan Agbu, a forward who played 5 games last season, is the only departure I could find of a player who played at all.
- For what it's worth in the depleted ASC, the conference gave preseason predicted honors and Chase Duhon was tabbed as preseason pick for Defensive Player of the Year, Alex Bethke was preseason pick for Offensive Player of the Year, and Sawyer Young was on the "Watch List."
Trinity(TX) has, at long last, posted its 2024 roster (https://trinitytigers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster).
- Roster is down to 28 from last season's 31.
- Two of ten seniors (M Louis Instrall and D JC Rule) return for their COVID year.
- All six juniors return; four of six sophomores and five of seven freshmen return. None of the departees saw significant time on the pitch.
- Only three freshmen join the squad.
- Omkar Satpathy, who was a GK two years ago as a freshman, returns as a junior, but this marks two years running the team did not recruit a keeper. With only two on the roster (last year's backup, Joshua Lynch, returns) injuries/suspensions to either will be a concern.
- Sr. D Tom Whitwell also returns after a year away.
Quite a few transfers:
- Jr. M Cade Dougan (UNC Wilmington - redshirt last season)
- Jr. M Alex Ramirez (Kenyon - started in 17 matches, 3 assists last season)
- Soph. F Joey Perryman (Central Connecticut - appeared in 8 games, 6 starts)
- Soph. M. Jason Sukow (Loyola Chicago - 5 appearances)
- Soph. M Samuel Thiess (UC San Diego - did not get on the pitch)
- Sr. M Mark Donnelly (West Liberty - 17 starts, 4 goals)
Cal Lutheran has posted its 2024 Roster (https://clusports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 39 on the roster, compared with 43 last season
- only 4 freshman
- One transfer - midfielder Cole Cederwall, who started 12 games as a freshman at Lakeland College in 2022
- Notable departures include 2d team All Region defender Tyler Sherard, and regular starters GK Davis Sharts, F Chris Palaez, M Kai Nemoto, and D Aidan Johnston
- This is an underwhelming roster. Not a lot of returning experience. JP Melgoza and Maxi Schelotto are going to have to carry them offensively and one of the GKs and defenders like Jack Gominiak and Preston Fleming will have to grow up quickly defensively.
Occidental has posted its 2024 Returning Player Roster (https://oxyathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster) (not sure why they still haven't posted the freshman and newcomers, but I decided there was enough to say without it and I know a few of the freshman anyway).
A few observations since the season is upon us:
- They return a ton of experienced talent offensively. Senior Andrew Notter, who was 1st team All Region X and leading scorer with 14 goals, is back, as is senior Oury Diane, who had 8 goals and 6 assists, junior Tyler Na-Nakornpanom, who had 6 goals and 2 assist, and senior Kai Fiedelholtz, who had 2 goals and 2 assist, but scored the only goal in their recent scrimmage win against D2 Biola, all return at forward (although Notter is listed at midfield). Only Marcus Chimielewski and his 5 goals and 1 assist departs from the forward group, and they have a freshman coming in, Devin Bening, who played MLS Next for Coach Lafaurie and could be a contributor off the bench. Plus, although they lose midfielder Joey Schwartz and his 10 assists, rising sophomores Ethan Carr and Charlie Miller had 5 and 3 assists, respectively, as freshman. If you deliver the ball into the box, Oxy has players who can score and they can do line changes at forward to keep them fresh. They will need to replace Schwartz's passing from the middle of the field, but rising junior Aidan Aley started 21 games in midfield last year and had 3 goals and 3 assists, so he may be able to step up and fill the gap.
- They lose a ton of talent and experience on defense. 2nd team All American Evan Karp and regular starter Sebastian Romero were very strong at center back last season and both are gone. They also lose wing/CB Lukas Howlett, who was 2nd team All-SCIAC. They still have 3rd team All Region GK Riley Nyhan and 2nd team All-SCIAC outside back Max Stanley, but Karp covered so much ground and made everyone look good on defense, that he will be tough to replace. 2nd team All-SCIAC defensive midfielder Vicente Navarro may have to cover more ground in front of the center backs to help them out, which will take away some of his distribution strength and ability to break lines.
Quote from: Kuiper on August 29, 2024, 07:39:40 PMOccidental has posted its 2024 Returning Player Roster (https://oxyathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster) (not sure why they still haven't posted the freshman and newcomers, but I decided there was enough to say without it and I know a few of the freshman anyway).
A few observations since the season is upon us:
Oxy is always slow to post players in all sports. Women's soccer has only named the newcomers and their numbers.
Not sure if Meese is playing this year at Trinity.
Generally light on starting experience -- having lost Joseph Kuri, Jesus Veloz, Jack Eubank and then Jack Downes and Pieter Blank and Austin Wilman who exhausted eligibility..
The transfers will have to play a major role IMO
Meese is on the 2024 roster with a new photograph (https://trinitytigers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/michael-meese/8683) but I agree that the larger-than-usual number of transfers will have to make significant contributions.
SCIAC preview:
Top Tier
Occidental has the strongest returning roster, especially offensively, and should win the SCIAC. Biggest question mark will be the center of its defense. Having a strong GK helps a lot, but this will be the first time Nyhan plays without Karp in front of him. I don't know if I have ever seen him really take over a game and carry a defense (as opposed to simply making a good save here or there) and I suspect Karp was doing more of the organizing of the defense than the GK, which means Nyhan will have to step up with inexperienced center backs taking over. Having Vicente Navarro at DM and Max Stanley at outside back should help though. Perhaps more importantly, I don't think any other SCIAC team's offense has the kind of returning offensive talent to pick apart Oxy's defense, or to match its offense in a shootout, if it does drop a level.
CMS has had a couple of underperforming years the last two years, but I suspect they will be back competing for the championship again. They return their top players (outside back Malik, midfielder Otero, and forward Gomez), but losing GK Kevin Box could be an issue. He has been really steady, if not spectacular, and none of the backups have much experience. This is the first year for a Cartee recruiting class and they have a few good ones I've seen play before. Watch out for freshman midfielder Heiko Schultz, who is super smooth when he's confident and I suspect he will find his way onto the field early on. Big question for me is the mentality of this team. They played well in some big games, beating Oxy 3-1 and taking Redlands to PKs in the SCIAC semifinals after tying them 1-1 in regulation, but they failed to beat Chapman (tying 0-0 and losing 0-1) and lost to Pomona-Pitzer 3-1 at home in the 6th Street Rivalry game when P-P had nothing to play for and tied Cal Tech 1-1 after beating them 4-1 earlier in the season.
Ralph Perez always makes sure Redlands is ready to play, but he'll have some work to do replacing a trio of great players in defenders Darwen and Sattler and midfielders Barajas and Palmer. He does get back GK Seth Lawrence, but like with Nyhan and Karp at Oxy, Lawrence definitely benefitted from Darwen/Sattler and he doesn't have the size Nyhan has to deal with the crosses in the box that his defenders have handled in the past. On offense, I expect senior F Phillip Kostenko (8 goals and 4 assists) and Sophomore F Anders Beckton (4 goals and 3 assists) to rival Oxy for offensive prowess if they can get a midfielder or two to step up and replace some of Barajas' ball carrying ability and late runs/long shots, and Palmer's distribution.
Middle of the pack
Cal Lutheran and Chapman tend to be competitive, but I just don't see a lot on their rosters that suggests they are breaking into the top tier this season. Between the two, Cal Lu has more promise, with Maxi Schelotto showing scoring ability as a freshman and JP Melgoza back for a 5th year. Losing GK Davis Sharts and top defender Tyler Sherard, however, suggests the defense will be a work-in-progress at best. Chapman didn't have many standout players last season and the couple they had have not returned. So, unless some of their recruits break out, I wouldn't be surprised if other schools pass them by.
Cal Tech may have the best two midfielders (or players generally) in the conference returning in Etienne Casanova and Ishaan Mantripragada, who each scored 11 goals last year despite the fact that its opponents knew they were the only real threats on the whole team and could key on them completely. The question for Cal Tech is have they brought in anyone who can help them. Dean Yao from FC Delco MLS Next looks promising as another midfielder, but they need help defensively, at goalkeeper, and with depth. Last year, they probably had 8-9 starters who were competitive and very little else. If they could get 11 competitive starters and a couple of depth pieces, they not only could pass Chapman (who they tied 2-2 and lost to 0-1 last season), but they might have a chance to sneak into the SCIAC playoffs. Right now, if one of their top players is out or not at his best, as happened later in the season, they can be bull-rushed defensively. For example, when they got in a track meet with Pomona-Pitzer in the second-to-last game of the season, which beat them 5-2 after losing 1-0 earlier in the season.
Pomona-Pitzer is a team with some skill and smarts, but some tactical naivete, inconsistent goalkeeping, and lack of athleticism and guts has held them back. They pass and play possession beautifully as a matter of principle, but they aren't quite skilled, fast, or athletic enough to avoid or make up for mistakes. They are also a little too tactically naive (or overconfident) to know when to make the killer pass and when to slow down the game and they aren't athletic enough or gritty enough to know when to foul or how to deal with physical players. As a result, they can beat teams that take them lightly, and get crushed by teams that are highly motivated. A couple of things have changed that suggest this year may be different and one thing gives me pause. The positive is they are a year older and some of the important players, like defenders junior Niclas Ulrich and senior Nicholas Mikhail, should be experienced enough and have played together long enough to hold a better defensive shape and to provide adequate cover. The big addition to the 2024 Roster (https://sagehens.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster) (which was just posted and I hadn't analyzed fully) is transfer GK Jasper Broad from Colorado College, who first team All SCAC last season. He won't have Curtis Hale in front of him at P-P, but he's aggressive and athletic and I expect he will solidify the GK position. They also have an intriguing grad transfer midfielder from Kent, England and a Nebraska NAIA school, Thomas Moulder, who was a regular starter and won some all conference awards there. That's not a typical P-P recruit. If he has the grit to play physically in the middle of the park, that might unlock some of their skilled offensive players and help the defense too. The one change to P-P that gives me pause is that Bill Schwarz is back from medical leave and interim Mike Ditta is gone. They also brought back Jen Clark, who was women's coach at CMS and Cal Tech. We'll see how that affects their play. If, and it's a big if, they can pull everything together, they have the talent to sneak into the playoffs. They also have the inconsistency to fall to the bottom tier.
Bottom tier
LaVerne and Whittier. Both schools have talent and can make things difficult for an opponent, but they haven't put it together in recent years. Whittier is a complete wild card because they fully revamped their roster and brought in a ton of new players, many of them from Sweden and Norway. Either could easily pass a school or two in the middle-of-the-pack, but it would be an upset if they got farther than that.
Meese has ankle issues he is trying to overcome. Outcome very iffy
I broke down and got the Flo Sports subscription because someone has to watch Cal Tech host NAIA side Park (AZ) at 11 am local on a Friday. Picture and sound quality are superb. You can hear every instruction from the coaches and most of the player talk on the field. Partly that's because there are almost no fans in attendance it seems (I count 12 in the stands)!
0-0 at half. Cal Tech's defense is holding up even though they are passing out of the back. GK made a 1v1 save on a breakaway.
UPDATE: Cal Tech 1 - Park 0 34 minutes to go in the 2nd half
Nice dribble out of trouble led to a long ball in the middle that Jack Myles scored on a 1 v 1 with the GK
Also, there are no LiveStats in this game for some reason and there's no commentator for Cal Tech games, but I haven't see Ishaan on the field. If so, they are doing really well without him (UPDATE2: LiveStats appeared and Ishaan only played 7 minutes. Not sure what happened)
FINAL: Cal Tech 1 - Park 0
The drive for the first winning record in school history begins!
Quote from: jaysoccer on August 30, 2024, 12:45:34 PMMeese has ankle issues he is trying to overcome. Outcome very iffy
Poor guy just can't catch a break from injuries. He's not listed on tonight's starting roster; surprisingly, Omkar Satpathy is getting his first career start in goal.
In a bit of an upset, UC Santa Cruz beats Pacific Lutheran 2-1
Redlands loses a heart breaker to DII Cal Poly Pomona. After being up 1-0 at the half, Redlands falls apart in the 85th minutes and Cal Poly Pomona scores two goals 45 seconds apart to win the game 2-1.
At Cal Lutheran, the Kingsmen found themselves down 1-0 to Willamette in the 15th minute, but came back to tie it up in the 69th on a score from 5th year senior JP Melgoza and go ahead 2-1 in the 87th minute on a goal by junior Max Scott to win the game.
Remember when I said that Whittier added so many new players that they have to be considered a wildcard until we see them in real games? They beat Albion 5-0 on two goals from freshman defender Anthony Dolce, and goals from Swedish freshman Bobo Anderson, French sophomore Nils Degardin and senior Dominic Morello. Albion may not be world beaters and with the flight and time difference, Whittier certainly had the home field advantage, but Albion was 9-7-1 last year and Whittier beat them with a score that looks like a Calvin-Albion game. It's worth watching the Poets to see if this form continues against other teams.
In CMS-Luther, the score was tied 1-1 in the 63rd minute when CMS goal scorer James Gomez was hit with a red card. CMS had to play down a man until Willamette's Luther Fernandez earned a red card in the 87th. Game ended 1-1
Oxy up 3-0 over Willamette at the half on goals by Diane, Notter, and freshman Bening in the first 16 minutes.
Based on Oxy's play in the first half and Willamette's play in the first half and against a weakened Cal Lutheran team on a Friday (where they lost 2-1 on a late goal), two things are true. Oxy is an offensive juggernaut and Matt Corti-Young has his work cut out rebuilding Willamette back to its success of a few years ago.
UPDATE: Notter scores a second and Occidental is up 4-0 in the 67th minute
FINAL: Willamette gets a consolation goal in the 82nd minute by Ryan O'Grady, but that was after almost all the regulars were long out of the game, including Oxy's starting GK. Oxy wins 4-1
Pomona-Pitzer up 1-0 on Pacific Lutheran at the half. CB Nic Ulrich scores for P-P in the 32nd minute.
The Lutes are outshooting P-P 11-5, but GK Will Brooks is holding firm with 6 saves in the first half. Interesting that Brooks starts this game after Broad gave up 2, including one somewhat suspect near post goal, in the loss to UC Santa Cruz. With 6 (yes, SIX) GKs on the roster for P-P, all but two of whom have meaningful starting experience in pressure games, it may be an open competition or rotation all season
FINAL: 3-3. Wild game. Pacific Lutheran gets the tying goal in the 87th minute as the teams combine for 5 goals in the second half. Both teams can score. Defense ... not so much.
Incidentally, UC Santa Cruz has historically had the worst stream for its games. This year, they used a drone to supplement the ground-level streaming and the picture quality was gorgeous. Check out a clip of one of Ulrich's two goals that shows off the drone footage (click through the post for the videos).
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Y_2beSw-S/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Cal Tech cruised past Albion 4-0 today. Etienne Casanova scored 2 goals and had 2 assists and Andy Dimnaku scored the other two goals. Still no Ishaan Mantripragada in the lineup. He did not start and played 7 minutes in the opener against Park. In this game, he did not play at all. Must be injured, but it's impressive that Cal Tech is still winning and scoring without him.
Cal Tech is now 2-0 and a third of the way to equaling last year's record win total.
Albion, however, is finishing a miserable road trip. It looks like Whittier's 5-0 defeat of Albion on Friday and Cal Tech's 4-0 defeat of Albion Sunday may say more about Albion than Whittier or Cal Tech.
Wild action in San Antonio in the 79th.
Methodist went up 1-0 in the 78th minute after GK Joshua Lynch received a straight red for handling the ball outside the box trying to save a 1 v. 1 opportunity and Methodist's Casey Atwell hits a great free kick up and over the wall and into the top corner to score.
Then Adam Knutsen scores the equalizer less than a minute later.
Both sides aggravated the other side with celebrations in front of each other's benches.
UPDATE: Trinity almost scores a winner a minute later but the goal was waved off for offside and Methodist almost scores on another free kick and the GK who came in for Lynch makes a great save on a header
FINAL: Game ends 1-1. Trinity not inspiring a lot of confidence starting their season with ties against Hendrix and Methodist at home, especially after Southwestern beat Methodist 2-1 and Hendrix 2-0 over this same period.
Agreed. The offense has been lacking with the exception of Knutsen (who caught Methodist still celebrating their goal to easily slot one in from around the penalty spot, off a nice pass from Will Powell who was totally unmarked deep in the attacking third). Announcers on the Hendrix game said Meese would be out at least a few weeks nursing an ankle but it's not good when you can't beat a team picked sixth out of seven in the SAA at home.
To wrap-up from this weekend, here are the results from the SCIAC games against NAIA opponents and a little bit of context to help figure out what the results mean.
CMS beat Bethesda 6-0. Bethesda was 2-11-1 last season and was 0-2 this season coming into this game. They lost 4-1 to Stanton and 4-2 to LaSierra. CMS outshot Bethesda 25-2 and had 7 corner kicks to 0 for Bethesda. Of late, Bethesda is an opponent you schedule for other than competitive reasons. For CMS, this was merely a nice chance to empty the bench and give all the CMS players who were healthy a chance to get their feet wet. CMS played 20 players, including 3 GKs. Occidental plays Bethesda Oct 12 and I'm guessing it will be designated senior night and lots of players will play and they may play rondos at some point. If not, it could get ugly.
Cal Lutheran beat Soka 2-1. Soka is not quite a punching bag like Bethesda, but it is probably an average to below average NAIA team this season. It was 9-7-1 last season, but was 1-3 coming into this game. Fun Fact: Soka has a huge endowment at ~$1.3 billion+, but it's so tiny that the endowment per student is second in the country behind Princeton at ~$3 million per student (Some of you are probably scrambling to look up the student stats at Soka and wonder why your kid didn't apply there to try to get scholarship money). They clearly don't spend that money on the men's soccer team. Cal Lu outshot Soka 25-9, but just wasn't as clinical in front of the box as CMS was against Bethesda. Incidentally, Occidental also plays Soka on Sept 14th. If I have one complaint about Oxy this year it's that unless UC Santa Cruz and Swarthmore turn out to be much stronger this season, the non-conference schedule is not very competitive and I'm not sure the conference schedule is going to do much to get them ready for the tournament, although it will test Oxy's ability to remain focused, which has been a problem in the past.
Westcliff beat LaVerne 2-1. Westcliff is a whole different level of NAIA teams than Bethesda or Soka.
Westcliff was 18-2 last season, beat UC Merced for the conference title, and lost in the NAIA championship game to Bethel (Indiana) 2-0. They beat D1 UC San Diego during the regular season 2-1 in a game that counted for both teams. Westcliff lost some players, though (that's what happens in NAIA, where stars get picked off) and was ranked #15 to start the season. They were 1-1 coming into this game, having lost to Missouri Baptist (which is 3-1) and beaten The Masters, dropping them to RV in the NAIA rankings. Still, they are a good team. So, LaVerne losing 2-1 is a respectable result. This, however, was a game where Westcliff outshot LaVerne 17-9 and LaVerne probably did well just to keep the game close.
Chapman beat Stanton 6-3. Last season, Stanton was 6-9-3. Stanton is 3-1-2 this season and beat Cal Tech 1-0 on 8/24 in a game that was a scrimmage for Cal Tech. Stanton beat Bethesda 4-1, so that give you an idea that they are definitely ahead of Bethesda, but they've never reached the heights that Westcliff has reached. They are an average to below average NAIA team in most years. So, this was a decent result for Chapman and a great game for soph F Leo Wells, who exceeded his point total from all last season with 2 goals and 1 assist. Having said that, Occidental played Stanton in preseason and Oxy beat Stanton 7-1, so I think Stanton isn't really that good this season.
LaVerne is hosting a school called Southern California Leadership University tonight. While it's not unusual for SCIAC teams to have to play some pretty anonymous schools in non-conference games if they can't travel out of state or induce someone to travel to them, Southern California Leadership University is really pushing the boundaries of being an actual school. It apparently started last year, and, not surprisingly, is not accredited (at least by normal accrediting bodies), but it's not even clear what it teaches. It is a bible college, which is fine, but I'm just not sure I understand how its "Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies Kinesiology" or "Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies Sports Management" are even legitimate bible studies courses. The only full-time faculty/staff (https://www.sclu.us/faculty-and-staff) are the athletic coaches and the president and founder of the university is also listed as the basketball coach. Feels like a version of the Westgate Christian University team that has shown up on some of the D3 football schedules in the American Southwest Conference in Texas and appears to be an athletic arm of another bible school.
In any event, LaVerne and SCLU are currently tied 0-0 at halftime.
UPDATE: LaVerne won 3-0, but it turns out they classified the game as an exhibition game, so it won't count in the standings.
The Oxy basketball women played them twice last year. It was so one sided that Oxy sat their best player out completely in the second game. I think they only had seven players.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 03, 2024, 10:49:52 PMLaVerne is hosting a school called Southern California Leadership University tonight. While it's not unusual for SCIAC teams to have to play some pretty anonymous schools in non-conference games if they can't travel out of state or induce someone to travel to them, Southern California Leadership University is really pushing the boundaries of being an actual school. It apparently started last year, and, not surprisingly, is not accredited (at least by normal accrediting bodies), but it's not even clear what it teaches. It is a bible college, which is fine, but I'm just not sure I understand how its "Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies Kinesiology" or "Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies Sports Management" are even legitimate bible studies courses. The only full-time faculty/staff (https://www.sclu.us/faculty-and-staff) are the athletic coaches and the president and founder of the university is also listed as the basketball coach. Feels like a version of the Westgate Christian University team that has shown up on some of the D3 football schedules in the American Southwest Conference in Texas and appears to be an athletic arm of another bible school.
In any event, LaVerne and SCLU are currently tied 0-0 at halftime.
Whilst not religious myself, I was brought up to believe that your deity of choice works in mysterious ways. This might just be another one.
I come here for the Cal Tech update and I get this bizarre bible school angle. Very strange.
Sounds like something out of Righteous Gemstones.
Quote from: Hopkins92 on September 04, 2024, 02:42:55 PMI come here for the Cal Tech update and I get this bizarre bible school angle. Very strange.
Sounds like something out of Righteous Gemstones.
Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers
Quote from: Hopkins92 on September 04, 2024, 02:42:55 PMI come here for the Cal Tech update and I get this bizarre bible school angle. Very strange.
Sounds like something out of Righteous Gemstones.
Caltech
Quote from: Gray Fox on September 04, 2024, 03:14:39 PMQuote from: Hopkins92 on September 04, 2024, 02:42:55 PMI come here for the Cal Tech update and I get this bizarre bible school angle. Very strange.
Sounds like something out of Righteous Gemstones.
Caltech
Kuiper spells it out like that 8 million times and you call me out?!?!
jk... thanks for the tip, did not know that...
and my apologies for the misspelling in this weeks pick'em pool as well.
Quote from: Hopkins92 on September 04, 2024, 03:26:38 PMQuote from: Gray Fox on September 04, 2024, 03:14:39 PMQuote from: Hopkins92 on September 04, 2024, 02:42:55 PMI come here for the Cal Tech update and I get this bizarre bible school angle. Very strange.
Sounds like something out of Righteous Gemstones.
Caltech
Kuiper spells it out like that 8 million times and you call me out?!?!
jk... thanks for the tip, did not know that...
My phone autocorrects 😂
FYI, they changed the Caltech - SCLU game to 9 am Friday because of the heat
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_gyJT5SOuH/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I apologize for being picky, but this was a big deal a few years back on the basketball boards.
Not picky from my perspective, I like to be accurate.
(Apropos of nothing, I do a lot of writing/editing, so I have no issue with a correction. A local HBCU is Morgan State University and someone wrote an article about them that I edited and I corrected where they abbreviated the school to MSU... The school likes the shortened version to be "Morgan." So, Morgan students, not MSU students.)
Big-ish game from a national perspective and especially for this thread... UMHB @ St. Olaf this afternoon, 4:30 kickoff.
The Cru are struggling to get rolling to start the season with an experienced group and are 0-1-1 thus far against CTX and TLU. St. Olaf come into the game 2-1 with their only loss on the road to Chicago. Anyway, excited to watch any time a Region X team is facing the defending national champion, especially my own team!
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 12:23:19 PMBig-ish game from a national perspective and especially for this thread... UMHB @ St. Olaf this afternoon, 4:30 kickoff.
The Cru are struggling to get rolling to start the season with an experienced group and are 0-1-1 thus far against CTX and TLU. St. Olaf come into the game 2-1 with their only loss on the road to Chicago. Anyway, excited to watch any time a Region X team is facing the defending national champion, especially my own team!
0-0 at half. Oles with a slight edge in shots, 5-4. 1 a piece with shots on goal. Fairly even game so far.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 06:33:40 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 12:23:19 PMBig-ish game from a national perspective and especially for this thread... UMHB @ St. Olaf this afternoon, 4:30 kickoff.
The Cru are struggling to get rolling to start the season with an experienced group and are 0-1-1 thus far against CTX and TLU. St. Olaf come into the game 2-1 with their only loss on the road to Chicago. Anyway, excited to watch any time a Region X team is facing the defending national champion, especially my own team!
0-0 at half. Oles with a slight edge in shots, 5-4. 1 a piece with shots on goal. Fairly even game so far.
UMHB takes the lead 1-0 in the 73'. Excellent counter attack and the ball finds the foot of freshman Drew Cooley for the finish.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 07:03:53 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 06:33:40 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 12:23:19 PMBig-ish game from a national perspective and especially for this thread... UMHB @ St. Olaf this afternoon, 4:30 kickoff.
The Cru are struggling to get rolling to start the season with an experienced group and are 0-1-1 thus far against CTX and TLU. St. Olaf come into the game 2-1 with their only loss on the road to Chicago. Anyway, excited to watch any time a Region X team is facing the defending national champion, especially my own team!
0-0 at half. Oles with a slight edge in shots, 5-4. 1 a piece with shots on goal. Fairly even game so far.
UMHB takes the lead 1-0 in the 73'. Excellent counter attack and the ball finds the foot of freshman Drew Cooley for the finish.
Big win for the Crusaders!
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 07:03:53 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 06:33:40 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 05, 2024, 12:23:19 PMBig-ish game from a national perspective and especially for this thread... UMHB @ St. Olaf this afternoon, 4:30 kickoff.
The Cru are struggling to get rolling to start the season with an experienced group and are 0-1-1 thus far against CTX and TLU. St. Olaf come into the game 2-1 with their only loss on the road to Chicago. Anyway, excited to watch any time a Region X team is facing the defending national champion, especially my own team!
0-0 at half. Oles with a slight edge in shots, 5-4. 1 a piece with shots on goal. Fairly even game so far.
UMHB takes the lead 1-0 in the 73'. Excellent counter attack and the ball finds the foot of freshman Drew Cooley for the finish.
UMHB concedes a PK late on and the attempt by Shea Bechtel goes over the bar. Crusaders hang on for the upset!
Huge win. Really impressive bounce-back performance for UMHB, who lost to Texas Lutheran just a few days ago. This is a dangerous team because of the depth and young talent on the roster. Excited to see them face CMS on Saturday.
https://truetothecru.com/2024/09/05/down-goes-1-umhb-mens-soccer-secures-first-win-of-2024-over-top-ranked-st-olaf/
A couple of early results out West:
Whittier 2 - UC Santa Cruz 2
Santa Cruz came into this game 2-0 after beating Pacific Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer, so this is a pretty good result for Whittier on the Banana Slugs' home field. Having said that, Whittier was up 2-0 at halftime and let UCSC back in the game with a PK in the first couple of minutes of the 2nd half and the tying goal in the 70th minute.
University of St. Thomas 1 - North American University (NAIA) 0
First game of the season for UST, which is a bit odd, but helps explain some of their rust. Tony Castro scored a great goal on a combination play with his older brother Daniel in the 6th minute, but after that UST seemed more focused on possession in the middle third of the field and had trouble putting anything together in front of their opponent's box. In perhaps a positive sign for UST under new Coach Ernesto Ramirez, they only had 1 yellow card and no red cards, which is pretty impressive for a program that earned 45 yellow cards and 7 red cards last season.
Caltech (trying to conform here!) 3 - Southern California Leadership University 1
In front of 7 hardy souls at 9 am in the heat in Pasadena, Caltech beat the mystical SCLU Rhinos and their Biblical Studies Kinesiology degree. Caltech was up 3-0 until SCLU got a consolation goal in the 88th minute, which basically matched LaVerne's recent 3-0 win over SCLU. Perhaps the best news is that Ishaan Mantripragada played 55 minutes and scored a goal, suggesting he'll be available for the Swarthmore game on Sunday morning, and they were able to heavily rotate their squad to keep everyone fresh (and upright!), with 26 players registering an appearance. Halfway to the 6 win school record from last year.
Really surprised that SCLU game wasn't denoted as an exhibition given that they lack any true accreditation.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 06, 2024, 09:28:03 PMReally surprised that SCLU game wasn't denoted as an exhibition given that they lack any true accreditation.
Agreed, but Caltech lists it as a regular game and has a 3-0 record, which has to include this game.
On the other hand, LaVerne lists it as an exhibition, but lists its record as 1-1, which has to include to SCLU game as a win, so who knows?
A couple of additional game updates involving Region X teams
At the half, Trinity leads Whitworth 1-0. Whitworth is having trouble getting untracked and has had several offside calls in the first half as it tries to break out.
Concordia (TX) tied Christopher Newport 3-3.
Very unusual to have a game end in a 3-3 tie when one team (CNU) outshot the other 23-7 and had an 11-2 advantage on corners. That usually suggests the team with fewer shots was bunkering, but in this game the two teams traded goals the entire game and Concordia was up 3-2 on a goal in the 78th minute until CNU scored the tying goal in the 82nd minute. Big result for Concordia away. It now has two ties after tying Mary Hardin-Baylor, which beat St. Olaf 1-0 in Northfield, MN on Thursday. It may be that the ASC (and recently departed ASC) teams are the class of Texas this year.
Some additional games have ended out West.
Swarthmore 3 - Occidental 1
This was a game where Oxy's defensive inexperience and lack of bite were exposed in this game. Cooper Gersh is a good center back, but the team lacked the organization that I suspect Evan Karp provided last season and I don't think Riley Nyhan (who missed entirely the corner that left the goal open for the third goal) is the kind of goalkeeper to provide that in his absence. Swarthmore also did a good job wof frustrating and slowing down with numbers Oxy's forwards and preventing counter-attacks. It didn't feel like Swarthmore's attack was necessarily dangerous in the run of the play, but the Swarthmore players were more opportunistic and clinical with their shots and Oxy wasn't as precise as they needed with their passing.
Multnomah 4 - Lewis & Clark 0
Multnomah is an NAIA team that has already lost to Pacific 2-1 where Pacific was down to 10 men after a red card in the 60th when the game was tied 1-1, but still allowed Pacific to score the winner in the 80th minute. Lewis & Clark apparently hasn't shown much progress from last year to even be at Pacific's level, although it did manage 2 corner kicks in the game and 7 shots to Multnomah's 16 and it showed a little fight with 4 yellow cards and 11 fouls.
Final game of the evening:
Redlands 2 - Puget Sound 1
This game was a lot closer than one might have expected. Redlands was up 1-0 for about 50 minutes (from the 26th minute to the 76th minute), but Puget Sound tied it up on a breakaway until Phillip Kostenko broke the tie about 5 minutes later with a PK to seal the win. Redlands dominated the stats, with a 15-7 advantage on shots and 7-2 advantage on shots on goal, but the stats were even in the second half and, if anything, Puget Sound looked more dangerous. The nail in its coffin was a meltdown by Etienne Polak, who got a first yellow in the 87th and a second yellow and ejection in the 89th, leaving them down a man for the last 1:13.
Another game where Seth Lawrence didn't play in goal for Redlands. Not sure if he is injured or what, but they substituted in Jason Salmeron for Brady Bachman in the 61st minute, so if Bachman is injured too, Redlands is down to their third keeper.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 06, 2024, 09:42:39 PMAt the half, Trinity leads Whitworth 1-0. Whitworth is having trouble getting untracked and has had several offside calls in the first half as it tries to break out.
I never got back to this one in my write-ups, but Trinity won 4-0 over Whitworth, scoring three goals in the second half to break the game open. It was complete domination for Trinity in the second half. They outshot Whitworth 22-3 overall and 16-1 in the second half and had 15 corner kicks to Whitworth's 2, with a 14-1 advantage to Trinity in the second half. Whitworth did have a player ejected on a second yellow card, but that was in the 84th minute after all 4 Trinity goals had been scored. Trinity got to empty the bench, playing 26 players (but still no Meese). Perhaps most impressive or revealing stat is that Whitworth's Cole Friesen, who scored 24 goals on 74 shots last season and has 3 goals on 8 shots in 3 games this season, didn't even record a shot in 61 minutes in this game.
That second yellow was a little cheap, but the guy went to stomp on his defender and did it right in front of the ref who had no choice but to pull the card.
Adam Knutson's goal early in the second was an absolute rocket from about 20 yards out, his second goal from distance and third in as many games this season. It was good to see other players - including two of the transfers, Mark Donnelly and Cade Dougan - get on the scoreboard as Knutson had the only goals in the first two games.
Whitworth had such difficulty maintaining possession that I have to wonder if they had travel issues getting into town. It was a nice evening for early September so the heat wasn't a factor.
Colorado College is about to kick off in its game @ Nebraska Wesleyan. One interesting note on CC's instagram story is that this is the program's first bus trip in over a decade! They literally fly to every away game. Lincoln, Nebraska is about an 8 hour drive (and about a 5,000 feet drop in elevation), but it's the closest D3 school to Colorado College.
UPDATE: CC's Teddy Opler scores a well-worked goal in the 30th minute and they lead 1-0 at halftime. I probably won't be able to watch the second half, but Colorado College settled in and were more dangerous as the half went on, but they probably were playing long ball a bit too much in the first half to attack this defense on what looks like a fast turf.
UPDATE: Colorado College wins 2-0. They brought their shooting boots today (outshooting Nebraska Wesleyan 30-3 and 9-2 on goal), but not enough precision to run up the score.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 06, 2024, 09:42:39 PMA couple of additional game updates involving Region X teams
At the half, Trinity leads Whitworth 1-0. Whitworth is having trouble getting untracked and has had several offside calls in the first half as it tries to break out.
Concordia (TX) tied Christopher Newport 3-3.
Very unusual to have a game end in a 3-3 tie when one team (CNU) outshot the other 23-7 and had an 11-2 advantage on corners. That usually suggests the team with fewer shots was bunkering, but in this game the two teams traded goals the entire game and Concordia was up 3-2 on a goal in the 78th minute until CNU scored the tying goal in the 82nd minute. Big result for Concordia away. It now has two ties after tying Mary Hardin-Baylor, which beat St. Olaf 1-0 in Northfield, MN on Thursday. It may be that the ASC (and recently departed ASC) teams are the class of Texas this year.
I'll compliment CTX and their new coach, Jordan Parron. He's kept mostly the same tactical look that Mims employed and is leaning on the experienced group he has, so he hasn't had to change much there. What has changed is their discipline. While not to the level of St. Thomas last year, the Tornadoes always seemed to be a little into the "dark arts" as I like to call it. Late challenges, off the ball nonsense, crowding the ref, etc.
In the Cru's game to start the season, Parron subbed one of his starters for arguing with the ref and very loudly made it clear he wasn't going to allow that type of behavior anymore.
UMHB with a regional matchup this time around, facing off against CMS who are 1-0-1. Kicking off here shortly in Northfield before CMS plays St. Olaf on Monday.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 04:29:28 PMUMHB with a regional matchup this time around, facing off against CMS who are 1-0-1. Kicking off here shortly in Northfield before CMS plays St. Olaf on Monday.
CMS take the lead 1-0 in the 15' from a poor clearance. Colin Ross finds the ball on the left side of the box and picks out the back post with a curling effort.
25' UPDATE: CMS take a 2-0 lead in the 25' from a direct free kick right on top of the box. Rafael Otero with the goal.
37' UPDATE: UMHB benefit from a poor clearance this time and freshman Evan Ruiz pulls a goal back. 2-1.
39' UPDATE: CMS restores their 2 goal advantage. Heiko Schultz the goal scorer.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 04:29:28 PMUMHB with a regional matchup this time around, facing off against CMS who are 1-0-1. Kicking off here shortly in Northfield before CMS plays St. Olaf on Monday.
CMS up 2-0 about halfway through the first half. They just scored a fantastic free kick after an ill-advised tackle by a UMHB defender just outside the top of the box.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 04:58:37 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 04:29:28 PMUMHB with a regional matchup this time around, facing off against CMS who are 1-0-1. Kicking off here shortly in Northfield before CMS plays St. Olaf on Monday.
CMS take the lead 1-0 in the 15' from a poor clearance. Colin Ross finds the ball on the left side of the box and picks out the back post with a curling effort.
25' UPDATE: CMS take a 2-0 lead in the 25' from a direct free kick right on top of the box. Rafael Otero with the goal.
37' UPDATE: UMHB benefit from a poor clearance this time and freshman Evan Ruiz pulls a goal back. 2-1.
39' UPDATE: CMS restores their 2 goal advantage. Heiko Schultz the goal scorer.
Halftime. 3-1 in favor of CMS who have been the better side and deservedly ahead. UMHB can't sort out their counterattacks and have been poor in defensive clearances and giving up dangerous set pieces. CMS leads 9-5 and 6-4 in shots and shots on goal, respectively.
Edward Cartee doing coaching work for CMS.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 05:36:58 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 04:58:37 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 07, 2024, 04:29:28 PMUMHB with a regional matchup this time around, facing off against CMS who are 1-0-1. Kicking off here shortly in Northfield before CMS plays St. Olaf on Monday.
CMS take the lead 1-0 in the 15' from a poor clearance. Colin Ross finds the ball on the left side of the box and picks out the back post with a curling effort.
25' UPDATE: CMS take a 2-0 lead in the 25' from a direct free kick right on top of the box. Rafael Otero with the goal.
37' UPDATE: UMHB benefit from a poor clearance this time and freshman Evan Ruiz pulls a goal back. 2-1.
39' UPDATE: CMS restores their 2 goal advantage. Heiko Schultz the goal scorer.
Halftime. 3-1 in favor of CMS who have been the better side and deservedly ahead. UMHB can't sort out their counterattacks and have been poor in defensive clearances and giving up dangerous set pieces. CMS leads 9-5 and 6-4 in shots and shots on goal, respectively.
Final 3-1. UMHB looked much less energetic today than on Thursday in the win against St. Olaf. CMS are a good side and should give the SCIAC a good test. Also, as Ron Boerger correctly pointed out, CMS are coached by former Trinity player and assistant Edward Cartee, entering his 2nd year at the helm. His familiarity with the Cru surely made it a little more comfortable today.
FINAL: Southwestern 2 - Whitworth 0
Whitworth did not have a very good trip to the Lone Star State. After losing to Trinity 4-0 on Friday, where they were outshot 22-3, they were outshot by Southwestern 24-3 on Sunday. It was only the fact that Southwestern wasn't quite as clinical as Trinity and Whitworth's keeper made 10 saves that made the score look a bit more respectable. For the second game in a row, Whitworth's Cole Friesen had no shots. Southwestern has started the season 3-0-1, with the only blemish a tie to Berry.
FINAL: Colorado College 1 - Simpson 0
Not the greatest offensive results for Colorado College considering they outshot Simpson 22-3 (only 3 of CC's shots were on target), but they get the job done in the end on a goal in the 71st minute.
FINAL: Montclair State 3 - Chapman 0
Two goals in about 4 minutes early in the 1st half really put this one to bed. Montclair State simply had too much quality for Chapman even though the other stats were largely even. I guess the one consolation is that Chapman was able to play a lot of its bench, giving 22 players minutes.
FINAL: Swarthmore 1 - Caltech 0
Swarthmore pretty much dominated, outshooting Caltech 17-2 with Caltech having zero shots on goal, but only squeaked by with a goal in the 89th minute to take home the win. The result made Caltech look better than Occidental, but that was partly a result of the time of day for the game and the tactics.
This was a really hot day with the game played at midday and the players were playing on turf, so energy was low. Coach Gillis made the decision to absorb pressure, only using 5 subs, and make Swarthmore run around. Almost worked.
FINAL: Texas Lutheran 2 - Otterbein 1
Big win for TLU and successful trip to the Buckeye State, going 2-0 against Capital and Otterbein. Very even on stats, but Otterbein's score in the 84th minute was too little, too late. TLU is now 3-0-1.
FINAL: Pomona-Pitzer 2 - Puget Sound 0
Big win for Pomona-Pitzer, both because its the first of the season after losing to UC Santa Cruz and tying Pacific Lutheran, but also because Kyle Lau scored both goals. He was a huge part of the offense as a freshman, scoring 6 goals and getting 2 assists and winning SCIAC newcomer of the year, but hasn't had a goal or assist since he was a sophomore. That's partly because he was called up to the Hong Kong National Team and missed a lot of time over the past couple of years, and possibly partly because of the absence of Coach Schwarz. If, as a senior, he can get back on track for the Sagehens, that will be a large boost to its offense. More generally, Pomona-Pitzer dominated offensively, outshooting Puget Sound 17-3 and 6-0 in shots on goal. Jasper Broad also got his first shutout for Pomona-Pitzer, after sitting out the last game. Given the difference in performance for Puget Sound between Friday against Redlands and this morning, it seems like the second game away from home and the heat of the day game really got to them.
FINAL: Trinity 6 - Berry 0
After getting to halftime 0-0, Trinity has exploded in the second half again to score 3 goals in less than 10 minutes and break open the game, adding 3 more the rest of the way. 6 goals from 6 different players. Will Powell had 3 assists. Berry didn't even have a shot on goal in this game. It did, however, have 5 yellow cards.
FINAL: St. Thomas 3 - Howard Payne 0
It took a long time for UST to break through in this game despite playing most of the game on Howard Payne's half, but they finally scored in the 69th minute and then followed up with two more to allow UST to empty the bench. UST was remarkably disciplined. They had 0 yellows and only 4 fouls compared with Howard Payne's 15 fouls, but for awhile I wondered whether the new coach's crackdown on behavior was stifling their personality and that was messing with their offensive mojo. Probably more likely that UST misses Taty Aleman.
FINAL: George Fox 2 - Emerson 1
After beating Emmanuel 5-1 on Friday, George Fox beats Emerson and comes home from a successful east coast trip. Emerson took the early lead in the 8th minute, but George Fox countered with an equalizer in the 11th minute and then secured what became the winner early in the second half. George Fox has now started the season 3-0, after starting the season 0-3 the last two seasons. In fact, I can't find a season going back to 2009 (as far back as the online records go) that they started the season 3-0.
FINAL: UT Dallas 4 Schreiner 2
UT Dallas is 2-0 heading into its trip next weekend to Colorado Springs to play Emory and Ohio Northern at the Colorado College tournament.
FINAL: McMurry 1 - University of Dallas 0
Pulls out the win with a goal in the 80th minute
UT-Dallas is on the road to D2 - they are not eligible for either ASC or NCAA D3 championships.
FINAL: Occidental 0 - UC Santa Cruz 0
Oxy really has to be disappointed with this weekend. After losing to Swarthmore 3-1, they had a golden opportunity to make amends after UC Santa Cruz went down to 10 men in the 17th minute on a double yellow. As often happens, however, the team down a man becomes tough to break down and Oxy, despite outshooting Santa Cruz 23-6 and 17-2 in the second half, couldn't find a goal. UC Santa Cruz gets the well-earned tie in the heavy hot air.
St. Olaf vs. CMS
30': 2-1 CMS with 15' left in the 1st half. Stags jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring on each side of the water break then the Oles responded with a laid off free kick that snuck under the wall to make it 2-1. CMS with a lot of the ball and more dangerous opportunities, however St. Olaf have the lead in shots 7-5. Shaping up for a good 1st half ending and for an exciting 2nd half.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 09, 2024, 05:15:05 PMSt. Olaf vs. CMS
30': 2-1 CMS with 15' left in the 1st half. Stags jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring on each side of the water break then the Oles responded with a laid off free kick that snuck under the wall to make it 2-1. CMS with a lot of the ball and more dangerous opportunities, however St. Olaf have the lead in shots 7-5. Shaping up for a good 1st half ending and for an exciting 2nd half.
HALFTIME: 2-2. Oles tie it up with 10 seconds left. Corner kick straight to the foot of Ian Holtz-Hazeltine inside the 6 for a tap-in. Scrum at the front 6 had the goalkeeper distracted and the ball went through untouched straight to the Oles defender.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 09, 2024, 05:31:06 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 09, 2024, 05:15:05 PMSt. Olaf vs. CMS
30': 2-1 CMS with 15' left in the 1st half. Stags jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring on each side of the water break then the Oles responded with a laid off free kick that snuck under the wall to make it 2-1. CMS with a lot of the ball and more dangerous opportunities, however St. Olaf have the lead in shots 7-5. Shaping up for a good 1st half ending and for an exciting 2nd half.
HALFTIME: 2-2. Oles tie it up with 10 seconds left. Corner kick straight to the foot of Ian Holtz-Hazeltine inside the 6 for a tap-in. Scrum at the front 6 had the goalkeeper distracted and the ball went through untouched straight to the Oles defender.
I don't think this was what was going on here (your "distract" description seems more accurate since no one was even touching the GK), but I think in many cases the "surround the GK" strategy on corner kicks is effectively just obstruction and would be called a foul anywhere else on the field. If the refs aren't going to call it a foul, though, I can understand why coaches use it. It's why goalkeepers have resorted to pushing one of their own players against the opposing players right as the ball is kicked to create separation.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 09, 2024, 05:31:06 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 09, 2024, 05:15:05 PMSt. Olaf vs. CMS
30': 2-1 CMS with 15' left in the 1st half. Stags jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring on each side of the water break then the Oles responded with a laid off free kick that snuck under the wall to make it 2-1. CMS with a lot of the ball and more dangerous opportunities, however St. Olaf have the lead in shots 7-5. Shaping up for a good 1st half ending and for an exciting 2nd half.
HALFTIME: 2-2. Oles tie it up with 10 seconds left. Corner kick straight to the foot of Ian Holtz-Hazeltine inside the 6 for a tap-in. Scrum at the front 6 had the goalkeeper distracted and the ball went through untouched straight to the Oles defender.
A real slugfest in Northfield. Otero scores a second goal for CMS and they take a 3-2 lead in the 59th minute.
FINAL: CMS 3 - St. Olaf 2
St. Olaf drops to 2-3 in a tough start to the defense of their nat'l championship. CMS jumps to 3-0-1, with the only blemish a tie against Luther in the opening game. Successful trip to Minnesota for CMS with wins against Mary Hardin-Baylor and St. Olaf. They also have demonstrated that their offense is in fine form with 13 goals in 4 games.
United Soccer Coaches Regional Ranking for Region X
Region X - Poll 1 - September 10, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 2 4-0-0
2 Southwestern University 4 3-0-1
3 Trinity University (Texas) 3 2-0-2
4 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges NR 2-0-1
5 University of Redlands 8 2-1-0
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 5 2-0-0
7 University of California Santa Cruz NR 2-0-2
8 Texas Lutheran University 6 3-0-1
Quote from: Kuiper on September 10, 2024, 03:11:20 PMUnited Soccer Coaches Regional Ranking for Region X
Region X - Poll 1 - September 10, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 2 4-0-0
2 Southwestern University 4 3-0-1
3 Trinity University (Texas) 3 2-0-2
4 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges NR 2-0-1
5 University of Redlands 8 2-1-0
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 5 2-0-0
7 University of California Santa Cruz NR 2-0-2
8 Texas Lutheran University 6 3-0-1
These records are through Sept 8th and therefore don't include CMS' 3-2 win at St. Olaf on Sept 9th. I would bump CMS up over Trinity and Southwestern based on strength of opponents. I would also place Texas Lutheran higher on the same basis. Beating Capital and Otterbein away on back-to-back days is no small task.
One morning result to report:
Caltech 5 - Life Pacific 0
Life Pacific is a bad NAIA team. They were 2-12-2 last year. They did come into this game 1-0, having beaten Soka 1-0, but that was one of their two wins in 2023. Last year, Caltech beat them 5-1. So, this result was expected. Nevertheless, Caltech held them scoreless this year and Etienne Casanova and Ishaan Mantripragada each got a brace, with the team outshooting Life Pacific 24-7. This bumps up Caltech's record to 4-1 with one more very winnable non-conference game (against NAIA side Bethesda) before starting conference play. It's getting more and more likely that Caltech will exceed its record win total from last year of 6 and possibly end up with a winning record for the first time in program history if they can replicate their results from last year in conference. The challenge for them in the SCIAC is that the teams they beat last year - Whittier, Pomona-Pitzer, and LaVerne - all seem to have improved, but the fact that they only lost to Swarthmore 1-0 demonstrates their rising level of competitiveness.
Three evening games out West tonight
Pomona-Pitzer 3 - LaVerne 0
The first SCIAC game of the season between two teams that were out of the conference playoff race early last season. LaVerne outshot P-P 16-9, but most of their shots were way off target and P-P GK Jasper Broad saved the ones that did make it toward the net, ending with 7 saves. Both teams try to pass and play the game, but P-P is better at it than LaVerne. They really have a lot of skilled players. Problem is that they aren't quite precise enough to play the way they do against teams that press hard, so they are going to give up goals against better teams than LaVerne just from giveaways in bad spots. I admire the commitment to the game plan though. It puts Broad under pressure at times, but that's actually where he excels.
UC Santa Cruz 1 - Pacific 0
Unlike in the P-P-LaVerne game, these were not teams that like to pass and play the game, at least tonight. It really was a dreadful sight at times, made worse when Pacific was pushing to get a goal late in the game and UC Santa Cruz was trying to counterattack off their mistakes. Santa Cruz had a 3 on 0 breakaway late in the game and the UCSC player panicked when he realized the Pacific defenders were catching up to him and skied a shot from 35 yards out instead of passing to one of his teammates. I get that UCSC is emphasizing their size, athleticism and physical play, but they basically just ran through players, earning 16 fouls to 5 for Pacific. It was ugly.
Whittier 4 - Bethesda 1
Bethesda is a bad NAIA team and they were only down 2-1 to Whittier until the Poets scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of the game. Whittier outshot Bethesda 27-3, but just wasn't clinical enough. They also gave up a PK to give Bethesda a lead early in the game.
A few interesting games in Region X tonight:
CMS 2 - Wheaton (IL) 0
CMS looks like it might be the class of the SCIAC and Region X after beating St. Olaf and Mary Hardin-Baylor in Minnesota over the weekend and then handling Wheaton (IL) 2-0 at home. Rafael Otero had 2 goals to bring his total goals up to 5. Wheaton is not a particularly strong team, but CMS passed around them with relative ease and outshot them 14-7 (6-2 on goal). It's rough on the eyes to watch games on CMS' home field because it looks so patchy (almost like well-tended weeds of different varieties), but it doesn't seem to hinder CMS' passing game.
Redlands 2 - Whitman 1
Whitman has only played 1 regular season game before this game (against a middling NAIA team), so they are both a mystery and not fully-formed. This starts a three game stretch in Southern California against SCIAC teams with games against LaVerne tomorrow and Chapman on Sunday still to come, so we'll know a lot more about them after this trip. You can see that they have quality, but they give away the ball pretty cheaply, often in their own end. Whitman opened the scoring against Redlands to take a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, but Redlands tied it up on an Anders Beckton goal in the 26th minute and took the lead on a Phillip Kostenko goal (his 5th of the year) five minutes into the second half. Unlike CMS, Redlands' field is beautiful and well-manicured, but Redlands' precision in passing does not match CMS's passing game (which is only partly a function of the difference in quality of opponents). Still, Redlands beat Luther, which tied CMS, and Redlands' only loss was to DII Cal Poly Pomona.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 2 - Austin College 1
UMHB mostly had their way with Austin College in this game, only giving up a goal on a PK late in the game, but it's clear that they have to work for the few goals they get. They beat St. Olaf in Minnesota 1-0, but lost to CMS 3-1 and Texas Lutheran 2-1 and tied Concordia TX 1-1, which I think sums them up right now. A good team that can be competitive with anyone, but isn't going to be dominant very often.
Concordia TX 1 - LeTourneau 1
This result kind of surprised me considering that Concordia has tied UMHB 1-1 and gone to Virginia where they tied Christopher Newport 3-3 and beat Virginia Wesleyan 1-0, while LeTourneau traveled to Michigan and was crushed by Calvin (4-0) and Hope (7-0). Concordia was down 1-0 for almost the whole game, though, after LeTourneau scored in the 10th minute. I wasn't able to watch the game, so I assume that LeTourneau basically went into a bit of a shell until Concordia broke through in the 74th minute. LeTorneau had a player ejected in the 88th as well, but that was too late for Concordia to capitalize.
An article in today's Trinity student newspaper confirms that last year's leading scorer, Michael Meese, is likely lost for the season with a recurrence of the injury that has bedeviled him much of his collegiate career.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 13, 2024, 07:18:59 PMAn article in today's Trinity student newspaper confirms that last year's leading scorer, Michael Meese, is likely lost for the season with a recurrence of the injury that has bedeviled him much of his collegiate career.
That's a real bummer for the young man. Is that it for him or can he still use his Covid year next year and his medical redshirt this year? Of course, he may want to call it quits for health reasons regardless.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 13, 2024, 07:38:25 PMQuote from: Ron Boerger on September 13, 2024, 07:18:59 PMAn article in today's Trinity student newspaper confirms that last year's leading scorer, Michael Meese, is likely lost for the season with a recurrence of the injury that has bedeviled him much of his collegiate career.
That's a real bummer for the young man. Is that it for him or can he still use his Covid year next year and his medical redshirt this year? Of course, he may want to call it quits for health reasons regardless.
This is his covid year. Theoretically you could get a medical redshirt but at that point it'd be 6 years of school on top of injuries.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 13, 2024, 07:38:25 PMQuote from: Ron Boerger on September 13, 2024, 07:18:59 PMAn article in today's Trinity student newspaper confirms that last year's leading scorer, Michael Meese, is likely lost for the season with a recurrence of the injury that has bedeviled him much of his collegiate career.
That's a real bummer for the young man. Is that it for him or can he still use his Covid year next year and his medical redshirt this year? Of course, he may want to call it quits for health reasons regardless.
He started at William and Mary in the 2020-21 season, full season at Trinity '21-'22, out for the season after five games in '22-23, full season in '23-24. Listed as a senior on the roster which makes me think he got a medical redshirt for '22-23. There are no COVID years after this season.
Even if they could work something out not only would it be a sixth season, but with two season-ending injuries in three seasons why would you want risk it (and possibly a more severe injury) again?
A few interesting games out in Region X tonight
Trinity 2 - Cal Lutheran 0
Trinity pretty much dominated this game, scoring the first goal halfway through the first half and the second in the first five minutes after halftime and out-shooting Cal Lu 25-3 and winning the corner kick battle 11-1. Only thing Cal Lu nearly matched or matched Trinity on was fouls (16-17) and yellow cards (3 apiece). I don't think Cal Lu is a very strong SCIAC team this year, but they compete in most games, so I would consider this a solid victory for Trinity.
Colorado College 1 - Ohio Northern 1
Really tight playoff-type game between two teams that are likely going to be vying for the conference titles this year. This is their third time playing each other in less than a year, with the teams tying 1-1 last year in the regular season in Ada, Ohio and Colorado College winning 1-0 in OT in the Sweet Sixteen. So, I think it's fair to say that these teams know each other well and have a budding cross-country rivalry. Consistent with all of that, it took something special - a top corner shot from outside the box by Colorado College in the 82nd minute to break open the game before ONU secured the equalizer in the 86th.
UC Santa Cruz 2 - Willamette 2
After a bad trip to LA, where Willamette lost to Occidental 4-1 and Cal Lutheran 2-1, this was a good result against an undefeated (3-0-2) UC Santa Cruz team. It probably felt like a victory since Willamette was down 2-1 from the 21st minute (when UCSC secured the lead after the teams traded goals in the first 7 minutes) until taking the lead for good in the 82nd minute on a PK. UCSC's aggressiveness and physicality was their undoing in this game. Not only did they concede the late PK, but they received 3 yellows to 1 for Willamette and committed 16 fouls to 9 for Willamette (and 12-4 in the second half).
Whitman 4 - LaVerne 3
After losing to Redlands 2-1 the night before, I wondered if Whitman would have the energy for this game. At least on offense they did. Sawyer Valero had a hat trick to lead Whitman. It was a heartbreaker for LaVerne though. After being down 2-1 at halftime, they scored two goals two minutes apart about 15 minutes into the second half and appeared to be cruising to a 3-2 victory before Whitman's Valero hit a PK in the 80th minute and followed it up with the game winner in the 84th.
St. Thomas 4 - Hendrix 2
Hendrix remains winless, but UST didn't look very good winning it. In fact, they went into halftime down 2-1 (giving up 2 goals 1.5 minutes apart in the first 11 minutes) before scoring 3 goals in the second half. It wasn't until Hendrix had a player ejected on a second yellow in the 87th minute that Tony Castro put things out of reach with the 4th goal. Not only did UST have a shaky start, but they went back to their fouling ways, committing 14 fouls and incurring 3 yellows. It was a chippy game and both teams committed infractions, but this was a far cry from the relatively foul free win over Howard Payne.
Texas Lutheran 1 - Hardin-Simmons 0
Much like last season, TLU isn't flashy and doesn't score a lot of goals, but it just quietly goes about its business and wins games. This win raises its record to 4-0-1 after beating Capital and Otterbein on its Ohio trip.
Pacific Lutheran 2 - Calvin 1
Big victory for the Lutes, but not as big as I anticipated preseason given Calvin's somewhat weakened state. Trevor Thompson overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with a couple of goals right after halftime to secure the victory.
Cal Lutheran was aggressive out of the chute but slowly faded during the rest of the 1st half. They didn't really show up in the 2nd half.
Much credit to a Trinity team that is playing as well as I've seen them over the last three seasons. Lots of individual ball skills but it's clear they have team chemistry and play with obvious confidence.
Adam Knutson is particularly noteworthy. He handles the ball extremely well and has a cannon leg.
Overall, the team has found its stride.
A few afternoon games:
Caltech 5 - Bethesda (NAIA) 1
Fully expected this given Bethesda's low quality, but the game was tied at half 1-1 on PKs for each team before Caltech scored 4 in the second half to complete the route. Caltech goes to 5-1 on the season, one short of the entire win total of last season, which was a program record 6 wins.
Northwest (NAIA) 3 - Lewis & Clark 1
L&C is 0-4 now and still doesn't look like they will win a game this season (just like last season), but signs of life as they score their first goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1 in the 61st minute. Northwest only beat Linfield 3-2 in the previous game, so maybe Lewis & Clark isn't that far off.
UT Dallas 1 - Ohio Northern 1
UTD is going DII next year, so they are in DII/DII purgatory right now. The tie probably says more about Ohio Northern's fatigue after a tough 1-1 tie against Colorado College than it does about UTD, which lost to Emory 4-1 yesterday. Still, ONU can't be happy coming away from this weekend with two 1-1 ties.
LeTourneau 2 - Schreiner 1
After a tough trip to Michigan to open the season, LeTourneau has now gone 4 games without a loss. Schreiner is not a strong SCAC program, but a win is a win. The sign that LeTourneau's success is more mirage than reality, though, is that they went down 1-0 in the 6th minute and didn't pull out a victory until scoring goals in 82nd and 90th minutes after Schreiner went down a man because of a second yellow card in the 79th minute.
Concordia TX 4 - East Texas Baptist University 3
Concordia is undefeated (2-0-3), but they aren't doing it in impressive fashion. They were up 3-1 in the 79th minute and hang on to win 4-3. ETBU is 4-2 now and could be a challenger to Mary Hardin-Baylor for the ASC title this year.
Whittier 1 - Stanton (NAIA) 1
Whittier was up 1-0 virtually the entire second half, but let the win slip away when Stanton tied it up in the 88th minute. Not a horrible result for Whittier, even if a missed opportunity. Stanton is 5-2-3 and beat LaVerne 2-0 last week. Stanton lost to Chapman 6-3, though, so it probably just gives a clue about the pecking order at the bottom of the SCIAC.
A post for the evening games of interest out in Region X:
Calvin 1 - Willamette 0
Calvin scored 5 minutes into the game and holds on for the win. Willamette is now 0-3-1, while Calvin salvages its northwest trip after losing to Pacific Lutheran 2-1.
Colorado College 2 - Emory 1
Pretty tight game, but not quite at the level of the Ohio Northern - Colorado College match last night. CC scored first and took a 1-0 lead into the half. Emory tied it up in the 60th minute, but Colorado College regained the lead three minutes later and then held on against a barrage of Emory shots and corner kicks, which explains why Emory outshot CC 16-7 and held an 8-2 edge on corners. The story of the game was that the two teams were equal on shots on goal with 3 apiece. Lots of aimless offensive chances for Emory and CC was more efficient.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 - McMurry 0
After scoring three goals between the 15th and 28th minute, UMHB was able to sit back and toy with the outmatched McMurry team, which is likely to be toward the bottom of the SCAC this season.
Chapman 1 - Wheaton 1
Both teams come into the game with only one win thus far this season and they kind of played like they were on the same level. Chapman had a 1-0 lead at halftime, but Wheaton equalized in the 62nd minute and that was it for the scoring. Chapman has a game Sunday against Whitman, so we'll see how they do on short rest.
Occidental 5 - Soka (NAIA) 1
This game doesn't tell us much about Oxy, who hit a rough patch recently, but it was a game to watch more of the bench play. Everyone who was healthy seemed to get into this game for Oxy, who played 25 players. They were only up 2-1 at the half, but poured on 3 more in the second half to complete the route. 5 goals by 5 different scorers.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 14, 2024, 10:06:13 PMColorado College 2 - Emory 1
Pretty tight game, but not quite at the level of the Ohio Northern - Colorado College match last night. CC scored first and took a 1-0 lead into the half. Emory tied it up in the 60th minute, but Colorado College regained the lead three minutes later and then held on against a barrage of Emory shots and corner kicks, which explains why Emory outshot CC 16-7 and held an 8-2 edge on corners. The story of the game was that the two teams were equal on shots on goal with 3 apiece. Lots of aimless offensive chances for Emory and CC was more efficient.
A few notes on the weekend in Colorado:
Though most of us think the altitude has to be a factor, it did not seem so in either the CC-ONU or CC-Emory matches. Most of the time, opponents traveling to Colorado Springs may alter their tactics and sit back and defend quite a bit to avoid box to box play too early in the game. But both ONU and Emory brought their normal games, in normal formation, and with at least normal energy, for the full 90 minutes.
The CC-ONU game was a really beautiful game of soccer, imho. Both teams showed a lot of discipline and technical skill. Really fun to watch. The players were gracious to each other at the end of the match - saw a lot of bro hugs. Love that.
The CC-Emory game, not so much. Emory was indeed productive in shots taken and played with a high press and aggressive marking. It made for a bit of an ugly/scrappy game, and CC's win was a satisfying and telling one in light of not being able to play their normal game and having to defend most of the 90.
Finally, if any of you have a chance to visit Stewart Field at CC, you should. It is stunning.
A few results from the Northwest Conference
George Fox 2 - Corban (NAIA) 0
I haven't written much about George Fox on this board. They were 5-11-4 last season and generally have finished in the bottom third of the Northwest conference in recent years. This year, however, they are 4-0 after beating Corban. Not a big achievement since Corban is 1-4 and lost 4-1 to Willamette and 3-1 to Linfield, but George Fox did beat a decent Emerson team 2-1 and a less decent Emmanuel team 5-1 on their Massachusetts trip. One noteworthy result, or so I thought, was a 6-0 shellacking of Warner Pacific. WP is a strong NAIA side that was 13-3-3 last season. They scrimmaged against D1 Gonzaga in preseason for instance. Beating them 6-0 suggests that they may be moving up to at least the middle, if not the top, tier of the NWC this season. When I looked more closely, however, the result seemed odd. They scrimmaged WP 8 days before opening the season against them. Why play them twice? Turns out, they beat the WP reserve team, which only plays three games all season, as an official game, and played the first team in the unofficial scrimmage. So, while beating Corban by two goals (scored 53 seconds apart in the 62nd minute) and starting the season 4-0 is nice, I'm going to reserve judgment on them until after they play @Whitman and @Whitworth next weekend.
Pacific Lutheran 3 - Warner Pacific 1
PLU beats the WP first team with three goals in the second half to overcome a 1-0 deficit at halftime. Craig Johnson and Trevor Thompson scored early in the second half to secure the lead and Yuta Shimazu added an insurance goal in the 87th minute. PLU led the foul battle 14-3, but WP committed the critical foul that led to a penalty and PLU's first goal. A nice weekend along with its victory over Calvin to leave them 2-1-1 leading into NWC conference play starting with Willamette next Saturday.
Pacific 4 - Linfield 1
Statement game for Pacific in the NWC opener. After being down 1-0 at half, they scored 4 goals, with braces from Buchert and Landy, to complete the route. Oddly enough, Linfield won't have to wait long for revenge as it plays Pacific in the second game of the NWC round robin series on Wednesday at Pacific
Two more games of note in Region X
Trinity 8 - Howard Payne 0
According to Trinity's men's soccer page, which has a page listing the number of times Trinity has played each school since 2009, this is the first time Trinity has played Howard Payne since 2009. I suspect they won't be scheduling each other anytime soon. Not only did Trinity win 8-0, but they outshot Howard Payne 38-6, including 18-1 on shots on goal. At least they got playing time for 31 of their players, including all 3 of their goalkeepers, and 7 different players scored their 8 goals. I just feel bad for GK Aidan Roy. GK Omar Sakpathy got credit for the win because he played the most minutes, but Roy was the only one who had to make a save in the game in his 8 minutes of playing time.
Whitman 2 - Chapman 1
Whitman leaves SoCal with 2 wins out of three, beating Chapman and LaVerne and only losing narrowly to Redlands. This was a game where Chapman may have been too accommodating to Whitman, playing an 11 am game after playing at 7 pm v Wheaton the night before. While it was Whitman's third game of the trip, they had Sat off. Whitman secured the winning goal in the 73rd minute and held on the rest of the way.
On the NORTH part of this thread (which I mostly don't cover, because it's such a huge number of schools)
St. Olaf 2 - Bethel (MN) 1
Bethel was up 1-0 at half on a goal in the 10th minute and it took 2 goals by St. Olaf, one in the 89th minute, to get the win. St. Olaf has certainly come back to earth after losing their three stars to DI covid years, but they managed to reclaim the magic at least for the moment. They outshot Bethel 30-11, but just didn't have the quality to wrap things up earlier.
This is hard to differ with too much. Colorado College will either solidify its top spot or drop after games this weekend at Christopher Newport and new #1 Mary Washington.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 2 - September 17, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 5-0-1
2 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 4 4-0-1
3 Southwestern University 2 4-0-1
4 Trinity University (Texas) 3 4-0-2
5 University of Redlands 5 3-1-0
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 3-0-0
7 University of California Santa Cruz 7 3-0-3
8 Texas Lutheran University 8 4-0-1
Quote from: Kuiper on September 17, 2024, 07:37:27 PMThis is hard to differ with too much. Colorado College will either solidify its top spot or drop after games this weekend at Christopher Newport and new #1 Mary Washington.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 2 - September 17, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 5-0-1
2 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 4 4-0-1
3 Southwestern University 2 4-0-1
4 Trinity University (Texas) 3 4-0-2
5 University of Redlands 5 3-1-0
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 3-0-0
7 University of California Santa Cruz 7 3-0-3
8 Texas Lutheran University 8 4-0-1
Just guessing here but, CC just might have the highest SoS in the nation. Stand-alone #1 if they get results against MW and CNU. I expect them to make a deep run again.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 18, 2024, 12:31:50 PMQuote from: Kuiper on September 17, 2024, 07:37:27 PMThis is hard to differ with too much. Colorado College will either solidify its top spot or drop after games this weekend at Christopher Newport and new #1 Mary Washington.
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 2 - September 17, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 5-0-1
2 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 4 4-0-1
3 Southwestern University 2 4-0-1
4 Trinity University (Texas) 3 4-0-2
5 University of Redlands 5 3-1-0
6 University of Saint Thomas (Texas) 6 3-0-0
7 University of California Santa Cruz 7 3-0-3
8 Texas Lutheran University 8 4-0-1
Just guessing here but, CC just might have the highest SoS in the nation. Stand-alone #1 if they get results against MW and CNU. I expect them to make a deep run again.
At least on Massey, Colorado College's strength-of-schedule (pre-CNU and UMW games) is 133, which is third worst among the top 15 teams. That's dragged down primarily by playing Fontbonne (#364 in Massey) and Concordia (MN) (#283 in Massey) in the its first two games.
Early Upset alert:
Cal Lutheran 3 - CMS 0 in the 34th minute
Cal Lu has only 3 shots in the first half. It's just that all 3 have been on goal and all 3 went in
One afternoon game in the SCIAC
Occidental 1 - Caltech 0
Oxy scored in the 7th minute and, while that was all they needed to win this one, Caltech didn't make it easy. This is not your "little old lady from Pasadena" Caltech team. They were outshot by Oxy 17-8 and 11-3 on goal, but Caltech's two GKs (who split halves) made five saves apiece. Oxy can't feel too good about this win, which required them to resort to their bully ball approach, including 20 fouls and a team yellow card in the 85th minute. Caltech, on the other hand, looks like they will no longer be an easy out in the SCIAC this year.
SCIAC after Dark
Cal Lutheran 4 - CMS 2
CMS can say goodbye to its lofty national ranking. They were down 3-0 well before halftime and the only consolation is that they won the second half 2-1. Cal Lu came into this game 2-3-1 after losing 3 out of 4 on its Pennsylvania and Texas trips, with the only result a tie against Gettysburg. By contrast, CMS came in 4-0-1 after knocking off St. Olaf and Mary Hardin-Baylor on its Minnesota trip and Wheaton (IL) at home. The key was that Cal Lu really shocked CMS early, scoring a goal in the 3rd minute and a PK in the 8th minute. CMS outshot Cal Lu 17-6 trying to catch up, but Cal Lu was extremely efficient, scoring 4 off of 6 shots, all on goal. The key defensively was that Cal Lu managed to keep CMS' Otero off the score sheet. He's pretty much the focus of the CMS offense, as evidenced by his 5 shots this game.
Redlands 1 - Chapman 0
Very tight game. Redlands didn't secure the lead until the 79th minute. Redlands outshot Chapman 16-6, but Chapman hung tough.
Whittier 1 - Pomona-Pitzer 0
Whittier scored in the 63rd minute and held on for the win. A fairly typical game for Pomona-Pitzer in that they possess the ball well and got off a decent amount of shots, but lacked some quality in the final third and weren't as air-tight as they needed to be on defense.
UC Santa Cruz 1 - LaVerne 0
Not a SCIAC game, but pretty close since UCSC plays a lot of games against SCIAC teams. Pretty even game. UCSC was physical and committed a lot of fouls, but LaVerne doesn't shy away from that type of game. The only goal was just before halftime. UCSC is still unbeaten at 4-0-3.
A couple of games in the NWC
Pacific 1 - Linfield 0
This is the rematch as Pacific beat Linfield in the first game on Sunday 4-1. Linfield obviously tightened things up, in this game, but it left them pretty bare offensively, which means perfection is required on defense. Linfield tried to come out more aggressively in the second half after going into halftime down 1-0 and did manage all 5 of their corners and 3 of their 5 shots in the second half, but nothing was too threatening.
Willamette 2 - Lewis & Clark 0
Pretty admirable effort by L&C, despite losing failing to win again for the 25th straight regular season game [UPDATE: they had one tie last season and it's the 32nd straight non-win if you go back to their first season when they were not yet admitted for conference play officially]. I like how the school media folks pointed out that this was the fewest goals they let in all season. Congrats? More impressive to me was that they kept Willamette off the board until the 42nd minute. This was Willamette's first win of the season, after losing to Cal Lu, Occidental, Calvin and tying UC Santa Cruz - all pretty good teams. The fact that they didn't score more, though, is probably an indication that Willamette is going to have to scrap for goals this season. Matt Chase scored both goals, which puts him into a tie for the team lead.
1 game from the SCAC
Ouachita Baptist 1 - Austin College 0
In theory, this is not a bad result for 2-5-1 Austin considering that Ouachita Baptist is a DII team. In reality, however, OB isn't a very good DII team and they've already tied DIII Lyon 1-1 and lost to DIII Centenary (Louisiana) 3-0. Austin College actually outshot them 16-9 and had 8 corners to OB's 5. The only goal conceded was a PK off a handball in the box.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 18, 2024, 01:06:44 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 18, 2024, 12:31:50 PMJust guessing here but, CC just might have the highest SoS in the nation. Stand-alone #1 if they get results against MW and CNU. I expect them to make a deep run again.
At least on Massey, Colorado College's strength-of-schedule (pre-CNU and UMW games) is 133, which is third worst among the top 15 teams. That's dragged down primarily by playing Fontbonne (#364 in Massey) and Concordia (MN) (#283 in Massey) in the its first two games.
Fwiw, #1 UMW and #2 Midd are the two other teams with worse SoS.. perhaps a testament to common wisdom of not putting that much weight on Massey week to week. Also fwiw, though not counted in SoS, folks may find it interesting that Colorado College beat CSU-Pueblo in its first preseason exhibition match. CSU-Pueblo has made the DII national championship game the last 2 years.
General question: does anyone know how the Massey SoS works? As just one example, Chicago's SoS of 5 seems strange given that its played games have not been against any serious top 25 teams. Only 2 of 4 were in top 25 - St. Olaf (23) and the other Gustavus Adolphus (8). The others were in the mid- to high-100s. SoS according to the key is for played games only. Its SSF (for future games) is 1, but it is playing mostly significantly lower ranked teams.
Quote from: wihsuafs24 on September 19, 2024, 11:32:55 AMQuote from: Kuiper on September 18, 2024, 01:06:44 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 18, 2024, 12:31:50 PMJust guessing here but, CC just might have the highest SoS in the nation. Stand-alone #1 if they get results against MW and CNU. I expect them to make a deep run again.
At least on Massey, Colorado College's strength-of-schedule (pre-CNU and UMW games) is 133, which is third worst among the top 15 teams. That's dragged down primarily by playing Fontbonne (#364 in Massey) and Concordia (MN) (#283 in Massey) in the its first two games.
Fwiw, #1 UMW and #2 Midd are the two other teams with worse SoS.. perhaps a testament to common wisdom of not putting that much weight on Massey week to week. Also fwiw, though not counted in SoS, folks may find it interesting that Colorado College beat CSU-Pueblo in its first preseason exhibition match. CSU-Pueblo has made the DII national championship game the last 2 years.
General question: does anyone know how the Massey SoS works? As just one example, Chicago's SoS of 5 seems strange given that its played games have not been against any serious top 25 teams. Only 2 of 4 were in top 25 - St. Olaf (23) and the other Gustavus Adolphus (8). The others were in the mid- to high-100s. SoS according to the key is for played games only. Its SSF (for future games) is 1, but it is playing mostly significantly lower ranked teams.
I don't know the underlying details of Massey's SOS, but in Simple Coach's rankings thread there was a question about whether Chicago had 1 or 2 losses and Simple Coach noted that he relied on Massey, which said that they had 2 losses. Turns out that Massey includes a scrimmage game against Eastern Illinois as a real game since it counted for Eastern Illinois, so it's possible that is what bumps up Chicago's SoS. Eastern Illinois is not a good D1 team (their only win is against University of Chicago), but perhaps a D1 team is automatically slotted higher than a D3 team.
You can pull up the global Massey Rankings by selecting "csoc2024 (https://masseyratings.com/csoc2024/ratings)" as the conference.
E Illinois is ranked 315
Colorado Coll is 292
Chicago is 255
Early season so you are seeing a lot of big moves here.
Sul Ross State 2 - University of St. Thomas 0
Sul Ross was a bad D3 team the last few years (1-21-9 the last two years) that has now transitioned to DII. It looks like they pretty completely overhauled their roster in the transition, bringing in some international players and juco transfers. They still aren't great, but they have shored up the defense with some better center backs and they are generally more athletic. Two years ago, St. Thomas beat them 7-0 though. This game felt like a toothless version of that St. Thomas team that beat them in 2022. They don't have the offensive firepower this year to overwhelm a team (they were outshot 16-7 and had only 1 shot on goal to 10 for Sul Ross), but they somehow retained the moronic arguing with the referee that plagued them in 2022 (and 2023). One player -- Daniel Espinosa -- was given a yellow card for arguing with the AR about a call and then when Espinosa turned right around and argued with the Center Ref about the call or the yellow he was given a second yellow/Red and thrown out 12 seconds after the first yellow in the 63rd minute. Classic. To be fair, this ref was pretty quick with the cards for anyone giving him any lip -- he gave a second yellow/red to a Sul Ross player for saying something to the ref in the 79th minute, but at least that kid's first yellow was 12 minutes earlier. Still, the ref had already given 5 yellows before the first one to Espinosa, who should have known better as a senior.
As an aside, it's kind of interesting to me that St. Thomas even scheduled Sul Ross and agreed to play there. It's probably close to a 9 hour drive in a bus from Houston to Alpine, where Sul Ross is located, so it's a haul. Coupled with the fact that Sul Ross is DII now and St. Thomas also played North American, a non-traditional NAIA opponent, I'm wondering if some of the typical D3 non-conference schools in the vicinity are no longer willing to play St. Thomas due to the antics of the last few years. More likely, the new coach from out of the area meant they were playing catch-up and couldn't be picky in scheduling, but it's just a strange game to schedule, especially since it's the only D3 team on Sul Ross' schedule this season.
Hardin-Simmons 2 - Concordia (TX) 1
This game was Exhibit A for people who argue against playing out of the back. Concordia plays out of the back, pretty religiously, to one of the following: the outside backs on the ground or, if higher up, in a ping in the air, the center backs, or to a center midfielder coming back for the ball who passes out to one of the center backs or to the GK if he drags a defender with him. That works fine if the players are all in sync and commit no mistakes and if the players know WHY they are making the passes they are making. It's not just about playing keep away. You're trying to move the opponent so you can unbalance them and look for an opportunity to break lines or go over top. In this case, the Concordia players didn't seem to know why they were inviting pressure, which led to some indecision on the ball, which led to getting stripped of the ball and two goals in quick succession midway through the first half that won them the game. I actually really like playing out of the back and believe in it, but when your players don't really have the technical skill to do it or, even more importantly, the decisionmaking speed and understanding to break the press, it's a killer.
Incidentally, what's with Texas teams today and stupid double yellows? Concordia scores a late goal in the 86th minute and one of its players gets in a dustup, two yellows are issued, but the Concordia player already had one, so he gets ejected. You're team scored, you're only down 2-1, there are 5 minutes left, and you already are on a yellow. Get back to your side!
East Texas Baptist 4 - McMurry 1
McMurry scored a quick goal in the 10th minute and I thought my prediction that ETBU might be a contender in the ASC was wildly inaccurate. ETBU roared back, though, and scored 4 unanswered - 2 in each half - to make this a route and got to 5-2 on the season.
UT Dallas 1 - Centenary 0
Surprisingly close game. UTD wins on a PK in the 69th minute after outshooting Centenary 22-8 and 10-2 on goal.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 19, 2024, 11:51:44 PMI actually really like playing out of the back and believe in it, but when your players don't really have the technical skill to do it or, even more importantly, the decisionmaking speed and understanding to break the press, it's a killer.
Worthy of a pin. Just to add all XI need conviction. One exception is all it takes to disrupt. I'm guessing this is more challenging in a collegiate setting with class turnover and transfers as opposed to club or academy where some teams have played together for many years and instinctually understand where teammates will be or otherwise know how to solve problems based on actual experience with one another.
A few results from Friday night (besides the Colorado College game, which I discussed in the National Perspectives thread)
Trinity 3 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 1
UMHB got on the scoreboard first with a goal in the 17th minute, but Trinity equalized in the 23rd minute and scored two more after half to secure the victory, it's first away from home this season. Trinity is now 5-0-2 and probably won't be tested again until a string of games from Oct. 6 - Oct. 13 against Concordia TX, Texas Lutheran, and Southwestern. UMHB still seems like the leader for the SCAC, although Hardin-Simmons and East Texas Baptist are plausible challengers.
Redlands 1 - UC Santa Cruz 1
Redlands has to be disappointed by this result, because they took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute and clung to it until UCSC finally broke through and equalized in the 86th minute. The issue is that Redlands goal was arguably against the run of play and this just continues a longer term problem for Redlands in getting going offensively. Redlands also might have an issue in goal since their starting GK went out in the 73rd minute and the goal was scored on the backup (not that it was necessarily his fault, it was a breakaway where he deflected the shot and UCSC scored on the rebound). For UCSC, this game was another game where they resorted to the press and fouling a lot, which provided a good number of offensive chances, but a combination of goalkeeping, luck (one hit the crossbar early on) and lack pf precision kept them off the scoresheet. In that sense, it resembled UCSC's 1-0 victory over LaVerne on Wednesday, a team you would have expected that they would score more against (after all, LaVerne is 1-5 and gave up 4 goals in a loss to Whitman last Friday and 3 goals in a loss to Pomona-Pitzer a week ago). UC Santa Cruz is now 5-0-3 and has proven that they can compete with some of the preseason favorites in Region X (beating Pac Lu and tying Oxy and Redlands), but I still can't figure them out because they can also stumble against some of the middling teams (e.g., ties against Whittier and Willamette, narrow win over LaVerne). I tend to think the problem is that they don't have dominant players on the ball who can create on their own. The press and chaos ball can be effective, but inconsistent, offensive strategies and one of the less-talked about negatives of that kind of physical pressing play is that it can leave you vulnerable in the back (hence giving up 2 goals apiece in ties to Whittier and Willamette, two teams that have been shut down offensively by other teams).
Caltech 3 - Pomona-Pitzer 3 in the 53rd minute
This game is bonkers and worth a watch. Pomona-Pitzer went up 2-0 with two goals, 50 seconds apart, in the first three minutes of the game. Caltech ties it up on two goals, 1 minute 30 seconds apart, in the 30th and 31st minutes of the game. Then, Cal Tech's Ishaan Matripragada scores on a great free kick in the the 52nd minute and 39 seconds later, Pomona-Pitzer ties it up. Plus, Pomona-Pitzer uses a drone for all free kicks and corner kicks to provide an overhead view!
FINAL: Caltech 3 - Pomona-Pitzer 3
Pretty even game (or, really a game of runs). Neither team came in with the intent of bunkering. They just played it straight up. For as many goals as were conceded, both GKs had pretty strong saves or chance-prevention saves (including each with game-saving saves in the last few minutes)
Cal Tech coach could end up having the pick of the litter when it comes to head coaching vacancies, if he even wants to leave that is. Just an incredible coaching job, I'm a major fan.
Quote from: stlawus on September 21, 2024, 03:32:34 PMCal Tech coach could end up having the pick of the litter when it comes to head coaching vacancies, if he even wants to leave that is. Just an incredible coaching job, I'm a major fan.
Seriously.
SC.
Some Northwest Conference action this afternoon
Pacific Lutheran 1 - Willamette 1
Both teams may be a bit down this season, but they still will contend for the NWC championship. Willamette scored early in the first half and looked to be heading for a 1-0 victory, but Pac Lu got the equalizer in the 77th minute. Probably a deserved tie, which basically means that both teams stay in the race given that neither is likely to be in contention for a Pool C bid. The return game at Willamette on Oct 20th could loom large unless one of the other NWC teams break away from the pack.
Whitman 3 - Pacific 2
Whitman was up 2-0 on the first half and up 3-1 right up until the 87th minute and almost let Pacific come back with a PK. Whitman is now 4-1 and it's only loss was 2-1 at Redlands, but they have yet to shutout an opponent and they've only held a team below 2 goals once. If they don't contend for the NWC title, it will be because of the seeming inability to play shutdown defense when needed.
Puget Sound 3 - Linfield 2
This is virtually the same game as the Whitman-Pacific game (kind of bizarre actually), down to the order of the goals, with Puget Sound going up 2-0 in the first half and then 3-1 in the 78th minute and then holding on to a 3-2 lead after Linfield hits a PK in the 82nd minute. When you outshoot a team 20-9, including 12-6 in the second half, as Puget Sound did, your opponent shouldn't score 2 goals on you that half.
Whitworth 1 - George Fox 0
Whitworth takes care of business at home, but just barely after scoring in the 21st minute and holding on the rest of the game. Whitworth had 15 shots to 9 for George Fox, but unless Whitworth finds a way to get Cole Friesen untracked, I don't see them making noise in the NWC. George Fox suffers their first loss of the season after a kind schedule to start the season and stands at 5-1, but probably only demonstrates that they are closer to the middle than the bottom this year.
Some SCIAC results
Occidental 3 - Whittier 1
Whittier took a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute, which seemed to wake Oxy up from its slumber. They reeled off 3 unanswered to win the game. This wasn't the kind of dominant performance you would expect from Oxy in recent years, with the shooting stat mostly even although Whittier was generally on its heels playing defense for long stretches. Still, Oxy is 4-1-1 and 2-0 in the SCIAC and the name of the game is survive and advance.
CMS 3 - Chapman 0
CMS took awhile to get on the scoreboard, before scoring two quick ones in the 31st and 37th minutes. It added one early in the second half to complete the route, which included a brace from Rafael Ortero. As I've said, how Ortero goes, so goes CMS. Big turnaround from a 4-2 loss to Cal Lu mid-week. CMS is now 5-1-1.
LaVerne 2 - Cal Lutheran 0
Cal Lu beats CMS 4-2 mid-week and then loses to LaVerne 2-0, which was 1-5 coming into this game and it's only victory was against Southern California Leadership Academy? What the heck? It's not like there was a red card or some lucky goals involved. LaVerne outshot Cal Lu 26-15 and 7-3 on corner kicks. LaVerne was at home, but it's not like they have some kind of fortress out there. Heck, there were only 30 people in attendance. Only thing I can figure is that Cal Lu was overconfident, but they usually find ways to score. Only other teams to shutout Cal Lu this season are Messiah and Trinity and I don't think anyone has uttered LaVerne's name in the same sentence as Messiah and Trinity before. Plus, as I mentioned in a previous post, LaVerne gave up 4 goals to Whitman and 3 goals to Pomona-Pitzer.
Some SCAC results of interest to me
Mary Washington 1 - Colorado College 0
I'll let others provide more color for this game, but I think it's fair to say that Colorado College acquitted itself well on its East Coast trip, tying #13 CNU while playing a man down the second half and getting edged out by #1 Mary Washington on a goal scored early in the second half off a rebound from a keeper save.
Concordia TX 2 - Howard Payne 1
They rebounded from a deflating 2-1 loss to Hardin-Simmons, but not in impressive fashion against a winless HP team. Howard Payne scored the first goal in the 60th minute and held on to the 1-0 lead until Concordia scored goals in 86th and 90th minutes to secure the victory. Maybe the fact that it was senior night for Concordia, which has a whopping 15 seniors, was part of the problem since some kids might have gotten more minutes than they might have otherwise, but it's not a great sign. Trinity beat Howard Payne 8-0 a week ago.
Hardin-Simmons 2 - St. Thomas 1
St. Thomas scored first in the 9th minute, but let H-S creep back into the game with a goal in 24th and another 8 minutes into the second half to secure the victory. UST continued its pattern from the Sul Ross State game of being toothless on offense, yet undisciplined with the refs. They had 5 yellows and a straight red card for Tony Castro in the 90th minute. That's two red cards in two games. These aren't conference games, so UST is still in the hunt in the SCAC, but I don't see them making much noise there unless they change drastically. I tend to think that not only are they missing Taty Aleman offensively, but Coach Ramirez has brought in a diamond formation in the midfield that is not taking advantage of the offensive players they do have. Hardin-Simmons goes to 4-2-1.
Southwestern 3 - Carthage 2
Southwestern is now 5-0-1 as it plays the last of the non-conference, non-Texas teams on its schedule. In this game, they were down 2-1 in the 64th minute before storming back with goals in 66th and 82nd minutes to win the game. Not sure how strong Carthage is, but Southwestern continues a string of decent form with it's third win in a row after beating Whitworth and Cal Lutheran.
Centenary (LA) 3 - East Texas Baptist 1
ETBU outshot Centenary 20-9, but they were tied on shots on goal at 7 apiece and Centenary was more clinical in its finishes, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime and then breaking a 1-1 tie with goals in the 72nd and 83rd minutes. I suspect Centenary is the top of the bottom of the SCAC this year, after tying Howard Payne and beating ETBU, but we'll know more once they start SCAC play hosting an Ozarks team on Friday that lost to East Texas Baptist the second game of the season.
Sunday Northwest Conference results
Pacific Lutheran 5 - Linfield 0
It took them a little while to break through on 1-7 Linfield, but once the Lutes scored in the 22nd minute, the dam broke and they rattled off four straight to complete the route. It probably felt good after the 1-1 tie with Willamette, but beating Linfield is going to be familiar for most NWC teams this year. Probably the positive takeaway from this game, where the Lutes outshot Linfield 23-8 is that they had 5 different scorers. Trevor Thompson, who scored 1 goal today, has 8 of the 15 goals PLU has scored this season and almost a third of all of their short, has carried them in many games.
Whitman 2 - George Fox 2
Whitman was up 2-1 at half and looked to be coasting to a narrow,, but secure, win after outshooting GF 13-6 in the first half, but it led down its guard for a moment in the second half and gave away 2 points. If Whitman can't sweep Pacific and George Fox at home, it's going to have an uphill climb in the NWC despites its 4-1-1 record. George Fox, on the other hand, has to feel pretty good about its 4-1-1 record. A 1-0 loss to Whitworth and a 2-2 tie to Whitman is a decent road trip for them.
Whitworth 0 - Pacific 0
Just like Whitman, Whitworth can't feel good about tying with Pacific at home, especially after having double the number of shots. I think the lesson from this weekend might be that Whitman and Whitworth are probably taking a step back to the middle this season when last season they were challenging Pacific Lutheran for the title. Pacific, on the other hand, probably feels OK with a tie and a narrow loss on its road trip.
Willamette 0 - Puget Sound 0
Third tie in the NWC today. Parity reigns, although at least Willamette's ties was at Puget Sound and it can rectify that by winning at home.
One game in Texas tonight
UT Dallas 6 - McMurry 0
To preface my remarks, UT Dallas is transitioning to DII and, while it is playing a D3 schedule, it is not eligible for the ASC tournament or the NCAA tournament. It may even have gotten some players in anticipation of the move who are above D3 quality who will be on scholarship next year. That said, UTD isn't a super team. Emory beat them 4-1 in Colorado Springs and they tied Ohio Northern 1-1. They haven't dominated against other local D3 opponents either, beating Centenary 1-0, Schreiner 4-2, and Austin 3-1. Against McMurry, however, UT Dallas not only had to take the foot off the gas, but had to slam the brakes to avoid winning by more than 6-0. UTD outshot McMurry 36-1 and 19-0 in shots on goal. UTD had 12 corners to 0 for McMurry and McMurry's goalkeepers made 12 saves to 0 for UTD. UTD played 28 players significant minutes (17 minutes or more) and most of their starters played less than a half with only two playing 53 minutes. It didn't help that McMurry also cleared its benches, playing 27 players, but they kept in three starters for more than 80 minutes and a bunch of their subs played approximately 10 minutes or less. Their backup GK only played 9 minutes, but the poor kid faced 8 shots during those 9 minutes and gave up 2 goals. I coached a team like this in AYSO U-littles years ago and one of my more promising future investment bankers figured out that the other team would forfeit if they beat us by more than 5 goals so he turned around and shot on his own goal . . . and missed. You might have thought the McMurry players would have at least fouled a lot to try to slow down UTD, but they only committed 7 fouls to 4 for UTD.
The crazier thing is McMurry is not winless or anything like that. They are 2-4-1, having beaten Lyon and University of Dallas and tied Howard Payne. They lost badly to Hardin-Simmons (5-0), East Texas Baptist (4-1) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (3-0), but the domination wasn't this bad in any of those games. Maybe the other coaches did a better job of slowing their teams down early, but this was UGGGGLY.
I wonder if Trinity College or Lewis & Clark has any interest in taking a trip down to Abilene, Texas for a game?
Preview of games to watch in Region X on Wednesday 9/25:
Cal Lutheran @ Chapman 4 pm PDT
Which Cal Lu team is going to show up? The one that dominated CMS 4-2 or the one that lost to Laverne when it was 1-5? Chapman is 1-5 and has gone winless the last five games, including a 3-0 loss to CMS on Saturday, but it has its moments, playing tough at Redlands before losing 1-0. Cal Lu should win this game and the ULV loss should motivate them, but Chapman will probably make the game tight playing at home.
Puget Sound @ Pacific Lutheran 4 pm PDT
Both teams come into this game getting wins against Linfield and ties against Willamette at their home fields on opening weekend of NWC play. Difference is that PLU stuffed Linfield 5-0 (albeit in the second game of the weekend when Linfield was worn down), while Puget Sound let Linfield back into a game they were winning 2-0 and had to hold on for a 3-2 win. The Lutes should win this game, if for no other reason than the game is at Pacific Lutheran, which hasn't lost a game since the first game of the season and hasn't lost at home at all. Puget Sound has lost all of its away games and won or tied all of its home games.
St. Thomas TX @ Mary Hardin-Baylor 7:30 pm CDT
Both teams are coming into the game limping a bit. UMHB lost to Trinity at home 3-1 and UST has lost two away games in a row to Sul Ross St and Hardin-Simmons. Both teams have shown the ability to beat weaker teams, but neither team has proven they can win against the stronger teams (unless you still consider St. Olaf, a stronger team, but that was a long time ago for UMHB). It's a toss-up but I suppose I would take UMHB since it's at home. With red cards in each of the last game, UST just looks like they could self-destruct at any time and I don't see a lot of offensive cohesiveness that is necessary to break down an organized defense.
Whitworth @ Whitman 5:30 pm PDT
The Battle of the Whits is always worth watching regardless of the records. In this case, neither team is hitting on all cylinders. I think Whitman's been the stronger of the two teams, but both teams came out of the opening weekend of NWC play with a tie and a win. Difference is that Whitworth beat George Fox 1-0 and Whitman tied them 2-2 after a late equalizing goal by GF, while Whitman beat Pacific 3-2 and Whitworth tied Pacific 0-0. That basically sums up the difference between the teams (at least recently). Whitworth doesn't score much (never more than 1 against non-NAIA opponents) and has tightened up its defense after a bad Texas trip and Whitman both scores and leaks goals and has done so all season. If Whitworth could get Cole Friesen untracked, it might have a chance, but I think Whitman has the upper-hand at home.
Redlands @ CMS 7:00 pm PDT
CMS seems to have righted the ship with a 3-0 victory over Chapman, after losing to Cal Lu 4-2. Redlands also beat Chapman in the mid week game, but only 1-0 and then tied UC Santa Cruz 1-1. CMS has more firepower than Redlands offensively, but the secret to slowing down CMS is containing Rafael Otero, which Cal Lu did (although he still got off 5 shots, 2 on goal) and Chapman did not (where Otero scored a brace). Redlands might be able to do that, but a wildcard will be starting GK Brady Bachman. He went off in the 74th minute of the Santa Cruz game with a 1-0 lead and his replacement, Jason Salmeron, gave up the goal. They've made that switch once before, with Bachman coming off up 1-0 in the 60th minute against Puget Sound and Salmeron giving up the equalizer before Redlands won it in the 81st. I don't know if there was an injury or if Coach Perez just wants to give Salmeron minutes, but it's only happened twice and Salmeron has given up goals both times in very limited minutes. If this is injury related, give the edge to CMS. I would probably give CMS the edge anyway playing at home.
Pomona-Pitzer @ Occidental 7 pm PDT
Oxy won its first two SCIAC games, but not convincingly like it has done in the past against these opponents. Caltech was able to limit them to 1 goal and Whittier scored first and was tied with them 1-1 until right before halftime. Oxy also hasn't been getting the attendance they used to this year for some reason (the graduation of one of the seniors took away a very dedicated parent who used to organize some fans and beat some drums, but that doesn't explain the students except that the seniors as a class were probably popular). Still, they should handle Pomona-Pitzer which has a decent amount of offensive power (if Kyla Lau can get past their outside back on the wing and distribute from the end line), but not a lot of lock-down defending as evidenced by their 3-3 draw with Caltech.
Exciting night in Region X
Occidental 3 - Pomona-Pitzer 2
If you ever want to watch a random game as a neutral, watch a Pomona-Pitzer game. They play an attractive form of soccer, they have some flair (including a full bicycle kick by Kieran Veloria with power pretty high up in the box tonight that didn't miss the top corner by much), they have the ability to shoot from distance with accuracy (Kyle Lau's shot from outside the box for P-P's second goal was a thing of beauty that you don't see often in D3) and they are leaky on defense. Last game was a barnburner of goals leading to a 3-3 tie against Caltech and tonight was a similar barnburner of a game. Oxy took a 1-0 lead and let in the tying goal right before half on a great pass to a diagonal run where the Oxy GK came out and the P-P attacker beat him to the ball and scored from a tight angle. Then, P-P took the lead early in the second half on the Kyle Lau screamer. But, as is the case with P-P, they are vulnerable. Oxy came back with a tying goal from run through the middle by the defensive mid and then won it in the 88th minute on a beautiful cross to Oury Diane, who headed it over the onrushing GK. Nice that Oxy showed resilience and came back, but not a great sign for its defense, which was shaky all game. They also showed some vulnerability to a high line, getting hit with a bunch of offside calls and having trouble using their speed to attack. Still, Oxy sits at 3-0 in the SCIAC and all of its principal competitors already have at least one loss.
CMS 2 - Redlands 0
This was a game where it's not so much that CMS was dominant or anything like that (they were basically identical in all of the offensive stats). It's just that CMS has better finishers and more creative players. Redlands did go down a man on a straight red card, but not until the 86th minute after CMS had scored both of its goals. Redlands should be particularly motivated going to Oxy on Saturday with already one loss in the SCIAC, but I don't think motivation was going to be a problem after they lost all three games last year to Oxy.
LaVerne 2 - Whittier 1
Two goals by Adan Villarreal, their leading scorer last season who had yet to get on the sheets this season, was all they needed in this game. Big for them after beating Cal Lu 2-0 over the weekend. They are technically the only other undefeated team in the SCIAC because their 3-0 loss to Pomona was officially a non-conference game.
Cal Lutheran 2 - Chapman 0
Cal Lu scored two goals three minutes apart in the 67th and 70th minutes to break open a pretty sloppy game between two teams that were trying to pass on the ground, but weren't connecting a lot of passes. Chapman is now 1-6-1 and 0-3 in the SCIAC and Cal Lu continues to be up and down, with a 4-4-1 record overall and 2-1 in the SCIAC.
Whitman 2 - Whitworth 1
Whitman scored two goals in the first half to win the Battle of the Whits and go to 5-1-1 and 2-0-1 in the NWC. Since it seems like no NWC team really is going to dominate this season, Whitman has as good a chance as any to contend for the title.
Pacific Lutheran 1 - Puget Sound 1
PLU took a 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute, but let in the equalizer in the 76th minute to end up with a tie in a game where they had more chances, but couldn't put any home. Both Puget Sound and PLU are 1-0-2 in the NWC right now. This result probably helps Puget Sound more than PLU because PLU failed to get the victory at home.
St. Thomas 2 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 1
Big victory for St. Thomas that was much needed after two straight losses. UST scored first in the 12th minute on a giveaway by UMHB that the UST striker chipped over the GK from a severe angle on the left side. UMHB equalized 8 minutes later and it took a moment of brilliance from Daniel Castro in the 79th minute to get the victory. The stain on the win, though, was that St. Thomas continues to be undisciplined. In fairness, it was a chippy game from the get-go and the referee was having none of it. Still, there were 9 yellow cards (6 for UST and 3 for UMHB) and 1 straight red card for players on each team on a scuffle in the 86th minute. That is three straight games that St. Thomas has had a player kicked out with a red card. I would say that this has to be a record, but my guess is St. Thomas has had a longer streak than that. At this point, referees have to be watching for bad behavior from UST players and their opponents are likely baiting them into cards because they know they can't resist.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 26, 2024, 12:51:06 AMSt. Thomas 2 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 1
Big victory for St. Thomas that was much needed after two straight losses. UST scored first in the 12th minute on a giveaway by UMHB that the UST striker chipped over the GK from a severe angle on the left side. UMHB equalized 8 minutes later and it took a moment of brilliance from Daniel Castro in the 79th minute to get the victory. The stain on the win, though, was that St. Thomas continues to be undisciplined. In fairness, it was a chippy game from the get-go and the referee was having none of it. Still, there were 9 yellow cards (6 for UST and 3 for UMHB) and 1 straight red card for players on each team on a scuffle in the 86th minute. That is three straight games that St. Thomas has had a player kicked out with a red card. I would say that this has to be a record, but my guess is St. Thomas has had a longer streak than that. At this point, referees have to be watching for bad behavior from UST players and their opponents are likely baiting them into cards because they know they can't resist.
Hard to figure out exactly what UMHB has this year. They go to Minnesota and get a result against St. Olaf (who, though not as strong as expected, are still a solid side), but they've lost now to TLU, CMS, Trinity, and now St. Thomas (and tied Concordia(TX)). Guess they are basically a .500ish side, at least until they get to ASC play.
With Colorado College "struggling" a bit as of late (1-1-2 in last four, with three top 15 teams including #1 UMW) the match at home Saturday against St. Thomas could be informative as to where these two SCAC favorites sit. CC does have a tough away and home set the following weekend, travelling to Clarksville, AR for a match at U of Ozarks on Friday, Oct 4, then back home two days later for a match against Centenary. The Gents are often a tough out at home but should present less of a challenge at altitude. The toughest things about the Eagles will probably be the travel getting there and back - it's 12 hours by bus each way. My guess is they'll take the only decent nonstop flight option from the Springs, to Fayetteville, about 1:30 from Clarksville.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 26, 2024, 10:26:52 AMQuote from: Kuiper on September 26, 2024, 12:51:06 AMSt. Thomas 2 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 1
Big victory for St. Thomas that was much needed after two straight losses. UST scored first in the 12th minute on a giveaway by UMHB that the UST striker chipped over the GK from a severe angle on the left side. UMHB equalized 8 minutes later and it took a moment of brilliance from Daniel Castro in the 79th minute to get the victory. The stain on the win, though, was that St. Thomas continues to be undisciplined. In fairness, it was a chippy game from the get-go and the referee was having none of it. Still, there were 9 yellow cards (6 for UST and 3 for UMHB) and 1 straight red card for players on each team on a scuffle in the 86th minute. That is three straight games that St. Thomas has had a player kicked out with a red card. I would say that this has to be a record, but my guess is St. Thomas has had a longer streak than that. At this point, referees have to be watching for bad behavior from UST players and their opponents are likely baiting them into cards because they know they can't resist.
Hard to figure out exactly what UMHB has this year. They go to Minnesota and get a result against St. Olaf (who, though not as strong as expected, are still a solid side), but they've lost now to TLU, CMS, Trinity, and now St. Thomas (and tied Concordia(TX)). Guess they are basically a .500ish side, at least until they get to ASC play.
With Colorado College "struggling" a bit as of late (1-1-2 in last four, with three top 15 teams including #1 UMW) the match at home Saturday against St. Thomas could be informative as to where these two SCAC favorites sit. CC does have a tough away and home set the following weekend, travelling to Clarksville, AR for a match at U of Ozarks on Friday, Oct 4, then back home two days later for a match against Centenary. The Gents are often a tough out at home but should present less of a challenge at altitude. The toughest things about the Eagles will probably be the travel getting there and back - it's 12 hours by bus each way. My guess is they'll take the only decent nonstop flight option from the Springs, to Fayetteville, about 1:30 from Clarksville.
I agree that it's hard to figure out UMHB. As I said in my preview of this game, it's been awhile since they beat St. Olaf and they've lost to Texas Lutheran, CMS, Trinity, and St. Thomas and beaten Austin and McMurry (in addition to the Concordia tie). Those four losses are to good teams and UMHB was the regular season champion in the ASC last season while losing to the best SCAC teams, but Hardin-Simmons beat St. Thomas and it beat Concordia too. H-S may be the team to beat in the ASC.
Centenary has been a better team this season and certainly could give Colorado College and St. Thomas competitive games, especially after beating a decent East Texas Baptist team 3-1, but their tie to Howard Payne suggests they are either inconsistent or play down to the level of their competition. I doubt they challenge for the SCAC conference tournament, but they could play spoiler for someone given a good team or two are going to be left out.
Speaking of ASC games, there are two conference openers on tap this evening:
Hardin-Simmons @ LeTourneau 7:30 pm CDT
H-S has gone 4-1 in its last 5 games, including a pair of 2-1 wins against Concordia and St. Thomas. Its only loss has been to Texas Lutheran. LeTourneau has gone without a loss in its last 5 games, including a 1-1 tie to Concordia. H-S should win this game, but it's away and LeTourneau actually tied H-S 0-0 in their only game last season. This could be more competitive than people might expect. It might come down to how well LeTourneau handles H-S's press.
Howard Payne @ East Texas Baptist 7:30 pm CDT
ETBU is 5-3 and coming off a 3-1 loss to Centenary, while HP is 0-4-3 and is coming off a surprisingly close 2-1 loss to Concordia after an 8-0 loss to Trinity. Interestingly, HP tied Centenary 1-1 on Sept. 6th. ETBU should win this one, but they've been pretty erratic.
Yep...The Cru are pretty hot and cold this year. Never really put together a complete 90 minutes yet even in the games they won.
Conference play will be especially tough this year in the ASC with everyone playing twice - home & away - in the regular season and then also having a tournament with the top 4 teams. It's never been set up like that before conference-wide(there was a divisional thing in Spring 2020-2021 COVID season). Whoever comes out with the AQ will have been thoroughly tested against their peers!
And don't look now but the Oles are unbeaten in 4 and just took down #10 Wisconsin-Eau Claire yesterday, all since dropping to UMHB and CMS!
Well, both Hardin-Simmons and East Texas Baptist took care of business in their ASC openers
Hardin-Simmons 4 - LeTourneau 0
Scratch what I said about LeTourneau maybe surprising us by making this game competitive, or at least qualify it by saying for a half. H-S scored in the 7th minute, but LeTourneau kept them off the board the rest of the half, going into halftime only down 1-0. H-S' Sisson twins then scored goals 9 minutes apart to put them game out of reach and H-S got one more goal in the 79th to put the game to bed. LeTourneau did its best to muck up the game, committing 18 fouls to 9 for H-S, but H-S was just too good to be bothered.
East Texas Baptist 2 - Howard Payne 0
Howard Payne remains winless and ETBU goes to 6-3, but it was a tighter game than the records or even the score might indicate. The two teams were tied 0-0 well into the second half when ETBU finally broke through in the 56th minute to put one of its 23 shots in the back of the net. It didn't get an insurance goal until the 89th minute.
Watched that 1st game and was guilty of feeling the same in the 1st half. But HS eliminated any hope LETU had in the 2nd.
Preview of a couple games of note in Region X on Saturday 9/28:
St. Thomas @ Colorado College 4 pm MT
SCAC conference opener. UST is coming off a 2-1 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor, while Colorado College is licking its wounds after a hard-fought, but perhaps ultimately disappointing, trip to Virginia where they tied Christopher Newport after going down to 10 men right before halftime and a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Mary Washington less than 24 hours after expending so much energy in the CNU game. Colorado College is a better "team" than UST right now and has the altitude advantage, but UST still has lots of individual skill (but not team cohesion and discipline) and showed some signs of life in the UMHB game after losing two straight to Sul Ross and Hardin-Simmons. Colorado College beat UST in Houston last season, but then lost in the rematch in Houston at the SCAC tournament. I expect Colorado College will win, but they need to avoid being knocked off their game. It might depend upon how much the ref is willing to put up with in terms of fouls. I wouldn't bet against St. Thomas continuing its 3 game streak of red cards.
Redlands @ Occidental 7 pm PDT
Redlands has gone winless in its last two games, tying UC Santa Cruz 1-1 and losing to CMS 2-0. They have to find a way to get Phillip Kostenko back on track after having failed to score in the last two weeks after starting hot with 5 goals in the first four games, including braces against Luther and Puget Sound. He missed the UCSC game altogether and only played 39 minutes against CMS, so I suspect he is dealing with a knock. In his absence, they have had to rely upon Owen Jamieson and Anders Beckton, who have had 1 shot on goal between them in the last two games, or Landon Azevedo, who scored UR's lone goal against UCSC, but that was his first goal of the season and only second shot on goal and 6th shot all season. In short, they simply don't have much offense right now. Defensively, the 2 goals Redlands gave up to CMS is the most they have given up all season to a D3 team and those two goals were scored in a 4 minute stretch from the 73rd to the 77th minute that felt like a moment of disorganization or confusion rather than a case of revealed vulnerability. Oxy, by contrast, has plenty of offense (although most of its goals have been against weaker teams), but has shown a tendency to give up plenty of goals too as evidenced by giving up 3 goals to Swarthmore and 2 goals to Pomona-Pitzer mid-week that seemed a bit too easy. Redlands will be motivated by this game having lost 3 times to Oxy last season (its only 3 losses last season), but for it to break through, it needs to get its offense going. Oxy seems to bend, but not break, thus far in its SCIAC season and it has the offensive pieces to come back quickly if decides to put them all on the field at the same time. At home in a game against a school whose fans travel should make this a great environment.
Add Texas Lutheran v Southwestern at 7:30 CST tonight (Friday 9/27). These are two very good teams. It will be a close game. Both teams are capable of beating anybody.
Quote from: CC United on September 27, 2024, 01:52:39 PMAdd Texas Lutheran v Southwestern at 7:30 CST tonight (Friday 9/27). These are two very good teams. It will be a close game. Both teams are capable of beating anybody.
Yes. Didn't mean to give short shrift to the big TLU-Southwestern game tonight.
I think the biggest wildcard in this match is the seemingly bizarre scheduling from these two teams.
Texas Lutheran has been off for a full two weeks, last playing in a 1-0 victory over Hardin-Simmons on 9/13. I have no idea why, but I suppose it does anticipate a jam-packed schedule in the SCAC with all the new teams. Maybe they are really well-rested. Or maybe they have lost all of the edge they had from the start of the season and feel like they are starting anew. I can't decide whether this is an advantage or disadvantage for TLU.
Southwestern, by contrast, traveled all the way up to Wisconsin to play a single game against Carthage last Saturday night at 7:30 pm on 9/21 and then flew back, presumably the next day, to Georgetown, Texas. I suppose that is the way to do it if you want to travel on Saturday, stay one night, and travel back on Sunday and thereby avoid missing any classes, but the cost of flying a team at least three hours (on a non-stop from Austin to O'Hare) and then driving an hour to Kenosha, Wisconsin and doing it in reverse the next day for a single game seems kind of baffling. It's not like there aren't plenty of other teams in the area who they could have played to get another game in. Maybe Carthage subsidized the trip. In any event, that quick turnaround probably took something out of the players, but at least there were no time zone adjustments and they've had 6 days since that game.
Otherwise, the teams are fairly even. I think TLU played a bit harder schedule, beating top ASC teams Mary Hardin-Baylor 2-1 and Hardin-Simmons 1-0 and a tough non-conference team in Otterbein 2-1 in Ohio. Southwestern has played exclusively out-of-state opponents, but they have generally been of middling quality, such as Cal Lu, Whitworth, Hendrix, Berry, and Methodist, but I guess the victory over Carthage, which just beat Chicago, counts as a big win, and Berry has played well, although they were crushed by Trinity 6-0 and Southwestern tied them 3-3. Southwestern has the stronger offense - scoring 2 or 3 goals in every game but the Berry game - while TLU usually scores 1 or 2 goals and packs it in.
Quote from: Kuiper on September 27, 2024, 02:34:45 PMQuote from: CC United on September 27, 2024, 01:52:39 PMAdd Texas Lutheran v Southwestern at 7:30 CST tonight (Friday 9/27). These are two very good teams. It will be a close game. Both teams are capable of beating anybody.
Yes. Didn't mean to give short shrift to the big TLU-Southwestern game tonight.
I think the biggest wildcard in this match is the seemingly bizarre scheduling from these two teams.
Texas Lutheran has been off for a full two weeks, last playing in a 1-0 victory over Hardin-Simmons on 9/13. I have no idea why, but I suppose it does anticipate a jam-packed schedule in the SCAC with all the new teams. Maybe they are really well-rest. Or maybe they have lost all of the edge they had from the start of the season and feel like they are starting anew. I can't decide whether this is an advantage or disadvantage for TLU.
I should have mentioned that one question is whether the two weeks off has allowed injured players to heal. One player whose absence has been felt is senior Cole Sixkiller (the best surname in DIII soccer). He is listed as a F, but played more like a wingback last season who was really valuable defensively while often providing some valuable offensive contributions that didn't show up in the stat sheet. He started in 34 straight games the last two seasons and was all-SCAC honorable mention last season. This year, he played about 30 minutes in each of the first two games and had the assist on the game winning goal in the Mary Hardin-Baylor game, but hasn't appeared in a game since. If his absence is because of injury, it would be a big lift if he was ready after the two week break.
QuoteOne player whose absence has been felt is senior Cole Sixkiller (the best surname in DIII soccer).
Personally, I'm a big fan of "Moses Beers" from Cairn, but Sixkiller is awesome!
Quote from: Ejay on September 27, 2024, 11:00:24 PMQuoteOne player whose absence has been felt is senior Cole Sixkiller (the best surname in DIII soccer).
Personally, I'm a big fan of "Moses Beers" from Cairn, but Sixkiller is awesome!
It's Cherokee and was in fact originally a warname
I assume Beers goes by "Mo"
Southwestern 0 - Texas Lutheran 0
Very tight game. TLU had most of the possession in the first half, but Southwestern came back strong in the second half. Both teams are very good at 1-touch combination play in the midfield, but neither could get a foothold in their opponent's box to bother the GKs. They each had only 6 shots and 1 shot on goal. As the announcer (who is pretty decent) said, it was a lot of possession without a purpose. Still, you can see why these are contenders in the SCAC. TLU only really plays with 1 forward and it's very difficult to get by their CBs, especially 6'3" senior Noah Harris. Diego Roman, who was 3rd team all Region X last year, is also really strong at outside back and brings the ball up well in their 5-4-1 formation. Southwestern also had more shots from their own 6'3" CB Cooper Pero than from anyone else. The difference in the game is that Southwestern appeared to be missing their 6'3" Forward, Greyson Pinto, who usually leads them in shots and can serve as a focal point on offense even when he's not scoring, which would have kept the TLU center backs busier and left room for others. It may not be a coincidence that the one other time that Southwestern has been shutout this season, Pinto also did not play.
Centenary 1 - Ozarks 0
Fairly even game, with the teams virtually tied in most categories, but Centenary pulled out the win with a goal in the 57th minute. Ozarks beat Centenary 8-0 last time these teams played, so this was quite a turnaround (or the Ozark's home field advantage is really epic, even for a team from Shreveport, LA). The two teams played like they didn't like each other, each committing 17 fouls and there were 7 yellow cards issued in the game. Centenary is now 5-2-1 on the season
Quote from: Kuiper on September 28, 2024, 01:25:44 AMSouthwestern 0 - Texas Lutheran 0
Very tight game. TLU had most of the possession in the first half, but Southwestern came back strong in the second half. Both teams are very good at 1-touch combination play in the midfield, but neither could get a foothold in their opponent's box to bother the GKs. They each had only 6 shots and 1 shot on goal. As the announcer (who is pretty decent) said, it was a lot of possession without a purpose. Still, you can see why these are contenders in the SCAC. TLU only really plays with 1 forward and it's very difficult to get by their CBs, especially 6'3" senior Noah Harris. Diego Roman, who was 3rd team all Region X last year, is also really strong at outside back and brings the ball up well in their 5-4-1 formation. Southwestern also had more shots from their own 6'3" CB Cooper Pero than from anyone else. The difference in the game is that Southwestern appeared to be missing their 6'3" Forward, Greyson Pinto, who usually leads them in shots and can serve as a focal point on offense even when he's not scoring, which would have kept the TLU center backs busier and left room for others. It may not be a coincidence that the one other time that Southwestern has been shutout this season, Pinto also did not play.
Centenary 1 - Ozarks 0
Fairly even game, with the teams virtually tied in most categories, but Centenary pulled out the win with a goal in the 57th minute. Ozarks beat Centenary 8-0 last time these teams played, so this was quite a turnaround (or the Ozark's home field advantage is really epic, even for a team from Shreveport, LA). The two teams played like they didn't like each other, each committing 17 fouls and there were 7 yellow cards issued in the game. Centenary is now 5-2-1 on the season
I kept asking myself when either team is going to attack. At time, it seemed like one big game of keep away. Don't think either wanted to take any risks going forward.
SC.
HALF: Pacific Lutheran 4 - Lewis & Clark 1
I think the L&C announcer deserves a raise for finding the sunshine amidst the rain. In a game in which PLU is winning 4-1 and has outshot L&C 19-4, he points out that this is a big step up for L&C. Last year, they only had 2 shots total over 2 games against PLU in which L&C lost 5-0 in both games and this year they have 4 shots in the first half! Plus, they scored a goal. Progress!
Probably the highest scoring start to a game I have seen in quite a while. St. Olaf is up 5-1 at St. Scholastica after just 22 minutes.
Some afternoon games in the NWC
Pacific Lutheran 4 - Lewis & Clark 1
This was the score at halftime and PLU just emptied the bench in the second half. They outshot L&C 34 - 7 and 14-2 in shots on goal. L&C scored a goal in NWC play though. It's also the smallest margin of loss against PLU they've had.
George Fox 2 - Pacific 0
Good result for George Fox, which took the lead on a PK in the first half and then scored an insurance goal in the 68th minute. Pacific outshot them, but mostly because they were chasing the tie in the second half, when they took 13 shots. GF is now 5-1-1 and 1-1-1 in the NWC.
Whitman 4 - Linfield 0
Whitman scored two goals each half, outshot Linfield 22-10 and cruised to victory. As with the PLU victory, it doesn't really mean anything to beat up on the bottom of the NWC, but they are now 3-0-1 in conference and 6-1-1 overall. Plus George Fox's victory over Pacific suggests that Whitman's one NWC tie against GF may not be such a bad sign (although it was at home).
Colorado College 1 - St Thomas (TX) 0
I'm sure Kuiper will have a much better summary, but the Tigers get a goal from Zeke Lubin in the 67th to ease past the Celts in Colorado Springs. STT was on their best behaviour with "only" four yellows (to three for Colorado), all commencing after the goal was scored.
CC outshot STT 24-7 but the Celts had the advantage in shots on goal, 4-3.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 28, 2024, 08:36:20 PMColorado College 1 - St Thomas (TX) 0
I'm sure Kuiper will have a much better summary, but the Tigers get a goal from Zeke Lubin in the 67th to ease past the Celts in Colorado Springs. STT was on their best behaviour with "only" four yellows (to three for Colorado), all commencing after the goal was scored.
CC outshot STT 24-7 but the Celts had the advantage in shots on goal, 4-3.
Your summary was as good as I could have given. I tried to watch the game, but the CC FloSports feed kept saying it was over when the game had just started. So, my summary would have been primarily from the box score. I will say that it's a little odd to have fewer shots on goal than the other team when you outshoot them 24-7. CC sounds like they were either pretty wasteful with their opportunities or way too ambitious with their shots. The other noteworthy item I gleaned from the box score is that St. Thomas starting freshman forward Hani Ahmadie, who is the co-leading scorer for the team, was taken out after 18 minutes and never returned. That sounds like he may have suffered an injury, which couldn't have helped St. Thomas' offense.
HALF: Occidental 2 - Redlands 1
Oxy looked like it was going to run away with this game after scoring about 10 minutes into the game off a botched header clearance in the Redlands box and then on a PK, but Redlands clawed back into the game and scored on a rebound of a Riley Nyhan punching clearance that went right to a Redlands player who put it back into the net.
UPDATE: Occidental 2 - Redlands 2
Redlands ties it up on a header off a corner kick in the 62nd minute. Once again, Oxy's defense is proving leaky. Redlands hasn't scored more than 1 goal in a game since the Whitman game on 9/12. In both goals, Oxy has been vulnerable to chaos in the box.
FINAL: Occidental 2 - Redlands 2
Pretty fair result, although both teams had chances to get the winning score. It was a pretty even game overall.
Redlands gets the monkey off its back, although not exactly a win. It still feels like a win most likely, especially after being down 2-0. Oxy has to feel like it let this game slip from its grasp.
Redlands is now 4-2-2 and 1-1-1 in the SCIAC and Oxy is 5-1-2 and 3-0-1 in the SCIAC
Some games of note in Texas
Hardin-Simmons 5 - East Texas Baptist 0
ETBU may have fancied themselves a contender in the ASC after going 5-3 in non-conference games and beating Howard Payne 2-0 in the ASC opener. H-S quickly put an end to that notion, scoring in the 10th minute and pouring it on from there. H-S goes to 6-2-1 overall and 2-0 in conference
Concordia TX 6 - McMurry 1
The only surprise here is that McMurry scored in the first half after Concordia scored 5 straight goals in the first 32 minutes, starting in minute 2. Concordia was very efficient too, scoring 6 goals on 11 shots, 9 of which were on goal.
LeTourneau 4 - Howard Payne 0
After losing to Hardin-Simmons 4-0, LeTourneau metes out similar punishment to Howard Payne, scoring 3 in the first half and cruising to victory.
UT Dallas 2 - Mary Hardin-Baylor
UTD scored two goals in the first 30 minutes and then cruised to victory in a game that didn't involve a lot of offense other than the shots that ended up in the back of the net. UMHB played down a man for the final 11 minutes as one of their players got a second yellow card.
Trinity 5 - Schreiner 0
Trinity made short work of overmatched Schreiner, outshooting them 24-2 and playing 33 players, which I assume was every healthy non-GK on the roster and they played the two backup GKs in this game, giving the starter the night off.
It was SCIAC After Dark tonight
Occidental 2 - Redlands 2
(see the post up-thread for some description)
Whittier 2 - CMS 0
Major upset! Whittier entered the night 1-2 in the conference, having beaten Pomona-Pitzer and lost to Oxy and LaVerne. CMS looked like they might be conference title contenders, with its only blemish a 4-2 loss to Cal Lutheran. The game was at Whittier, but I wouldn't have predicted that would matter. The game was pretty even statistically. Whittier just took better advantage of its shots, scoring a goal in each half. CMS now looks like a team that has consistency problems, beating the strong teams and losing focus against the weaker teams.
Caltech 4 - LaVerne 1
Caltech dominated this match, scoring 2 goals in each half and preserving the shutout until LaVerne got a consolation goal in the 84th minute after Caltech had emptied its bench. Etienne Casanova scored a brace in the second half to raise his team-leading goal total to 8. Caltech played 28 players in this game and the ULV goal was scored against the 3rd string keeper. Some of those kids were probably writing computer code on the bench when they got the call to play. Caltech is now 6-2-1, which matches their win total from last season and their highest number of wins Caltech has had in the last 50+ years!
Chapman 2 - Pomona-Pitzer 0
Big win for Chapman, only their second of the season and first against a D3 team, and big loss for P-P, which looked like it was still feeling the emotional letdown of the last second goal scored by Oxy to win that game in mid-week. Neither Chapman goal, which occurred in the 28th and 78th minutes, were particularly special. The first was on a wide run in the corner where the striker just put the ball to the opposite corner past the P-P GK's oustretched arm and the second was a scramble in the box. Chapman was just better in shutting down P-P's passing lanes and preventing them from getting a head of steam. Chapman moves to 1-3 in conference and P-P is still looking for its first SCIAC win at 0-3-1.
Just to put into perspective how much better some of Cal Tech's players are then they were in years past, Junior Etienne Casanova's two goals last night against LaVerne gives him 23 for his career, which makes him Cal Tech's all-time leading scorer, besting the record of 21 held by someone from the Class of 1971. Fellow junior Ishaan Mantripragada, who also scored last night, now has 21 goals.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAgX5q3v7In/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
QuoteWith his two goals last night, junior Etienne Casanova becomes Caltech Men's Soccer's all time leading goalscorer. ET currently has 23 goals, surpassing the previous career record of Gerald Eisman, class of 1971, with 21 goals. Well done to ET and the whole team for helping him get here. Don't get too comfortable though! Junior Ishaan Mantripragada bagged his 21st career Caltech goal last night, tying the previous record, and will be looking to keep this friendly competition going!
I'm not positive whether Coach Gillis, who was named head coach in June 2021, initially recruited Casanova and Mantripragada, who both started in the Fall of 2022, but he would have been the one to offer them and get them to say yes. And, of course, he was the one who built a team to support these guys and help them develop.
It was twinsies day in the NWC. Three games, three identical 2-0 results
Puget Sound 2 - Lewis & Clark 0
Puget Sounds scored two goals 6 minutes apart in the 17th and 23rd minutes and that was all the scoring they needed against woeful L&C. PS didn't empty the benches either, unlike L&C, whose coaches appear to understand their situation and just give a lot of players an opportunity to play, hoping they will stick with it. L&C's players do appear to be getting frustrated, though, as one of their players got two yellow cards less than a minute apart in the 87th and 88th minutes.
Whitworth 2 - Linfield 0
Whitworth scored 2 goals in the first 10 minutes and that was all the scoring they needed to put away Linfield. Unlike other NWC teams playing woeful Linfield (1-9, 0-6 in the NWC), though, Whitworth only used 5 subs and played more than half its starters all 90 minutes. Maybe they have been hit by injuries or illness, but it struck me as a sign of a team that knew it really needed this game after tying Pacific and losing to Whitman. Two goals is also the most it has scored in a game against a non-NAIA team. Linfield at least kept it closer than its last two games against Whitman (0-4) and Pacific Lutheran (0-5). Maybe they were saving energy for the big game on Wednesday against fellow NWC basement-dweller Lewis & Clark.
George Fox 2 - Willamette 0
GF completes a banner weekend, sweeping Pacific and Willamette with identical 2-0 scores. GF scored on a PK in the 29th minute and then added an insurance goal in the 76th minute. Willamette had offensive chances, outshooting GF 22-12 and 8-5 in shots on goal, but never broke through. Willamette is in free-fall at 1-4-3 and 1-1-2 in the NWC. They know how to keep games close, as evidenced by their 1-1 tie with PLU and 1-0 loss to Calvin, but they don't appear to have many players who can score. It looks like this will be a rebuilding year for their new coach as he tries to bring in an influx of talent for next season.
Weekday games of note in Region X (9/30 - 10/4)
Wed 10/2
Whittier @ Caltech 4 pm PDT
If Caltech wins, it will have 7 wins on the season, which would be an all-time program record. Whittier is coming off a big 2-0 win over CMS. Given how up and down most teams have been in the SCIAC and how Cal Lu and Chapman have been more down than up this season, either of these teams could sneak into 4th place and make the conference playoffs.
Redlands @ Pomona-Pitzer 4 pm PDT
Redlands tied Oxy in an emotional game this past weekend after losing decisively to CMS, while Pomona-Pitzer suffered a bad defeat to Chapman. Both need to win - Redlands to keep its head above water in the SCIAC, even if it is behind CMS/Oxy, and P-P just to stay alive after starting SCIAC play 0-3-1. While Redlands is the clear favorite, mid-week afternoon games on Pomona-Pitzer's grass field with virtually no fans in attendance have a way of working against the favorites, especially if they rely at least in part upon hustle, which is a little harder to generate in this environment, especially on a day when the predicted high at the 4 pm kickoff is 100 degrees on Wednesday.
Linfield @ Lewis & Clark 5 pm PDT
Linfield is 1-9 and 0-6 in conference and L&C is 0-7 and 0-3 in conference. Linfield has only scored 9 goals all season and none in the last three games, while conceding 31 goals. L&C has only scored 2 goals all season, while conceding 23. It's the resistible force against the moveable object. If Lewis & Clark is going to win its first game since the program re-started in 2022 and end three straight winless seasons, this is its chance. For Linfield, the L&C game is like the elixir for a bad season. Losing means crashing through the bottom to the sub-basement of the NWC.
Occidental @ Cal Lutheran 7 pm PDT
Oxy beat P-P and tied Redlands, but it let in two goals in each game and didn't look convincing in either. Coach Rod has been messing with the lineup in an attempt to solidify the team, but I don't think he's gotten it quite right yet. They can score when they need to, but they sleepwalk through games and give up goals in bunches. Cal Lu had the weekend off and should be well-rested. They've been maddeningly inconsistent though. They crushed CMS 4-2, but then lost to LaVerne 2-0 before beating Chapman 2-0. I tend to think they get up for big games, especially under the lights at their beautiful new turf in Thousand Oaks, which is where they beat CMS.
Thursday 10/3
Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Hardin-Simmons 7:30 pm
These seem to be the two contenders for the ASC title this year, which puts pressure on defending home field for H-S. It's UMHB's conference opener because its game against UTD doesn't count for the ASC standings as they transition to DII. H-S is 2-0 in the ASC, having crushed Letourneau 4-0 and East Texas Baptist 5-0 - two of the better of the rest of the ASC teams - this weekend. If UMHB wants to assert itself in conference, this is the game to do so. It has lost three games in a row though, including to SCAC contenders Trinity and St. Thomas.
USC Regional Rankings for Region X
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 4 - October 1, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 6-1-2
2 Southwestern University 2 5-0-2
3 Trinity University (Texas) 3 6-0-2
4 Occidental College 8 5-1-2
5 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 4 6-2-1
6 Texas Lutheran University 7 4-0-2
7 University of California Santa Cruz 6 4-1-5
8 University of Redlands 5 4-2-2
I might have dropped CMS farther after losing to Whittier, perhaps below Texas Lutheran since TLU tied Southwestern. Redlands probably sticks in the top 8 because there aren't a lot of other teams knocking on the door, but Hardin-Simmons might have a case for jumping into the rankings if they can beat UMHB this Thursday
Quote from: Kuiper on September 30, 2024, 04:40:36 PMUSC Regional Rankings for Region X
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 4 - October 1, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 6-1-2
2 Southwestern University 2 5-0-2
3 Trinity University (Texas) 3 6-0-2
4 Occidental College 8 5-1-2
5 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 4 6-2-1
6 Texas Lutheran University 7 4-0-2
7 University of California Santa Cruz 6 4-1-5
8 University of Redlands 5 4-2-2
I might have dropped CMS farther after losing to Whittier, perhaps below Texas Lutheran since TLU tied Southwestern. Redlands probably sticks in the top 8 because there aren't a lot of other teams knocking on the door, but Hardin-Simmons might have a case for jumping into the rankings if they can beat UMHB this Thursday
"West" portion of the national poll:
6 Colorado College 7 6-1-2
18 Southwestern University 19 5-0-2
24 Trinity University (Texas) RV 6-0-2
Wednesday results in Region X were mostly true to form
Linfield 2 - Lewis & Clark 1
Linfield is having a bad season, but Lewis & Clark remains a reliable salve for what ails you in the NWC. Linfield went up in the 3rd minute on a PK, depriving L&C of the dignity of packing it in and hoping for a 0-0 tie, but L&C made a game of it in the second half, scoring in the 85th minute, but also managing several shots and a few shots on goal.
Occidental 3 - Cal Lutheran 0
The final score probably flatters Oxy, but they got the job done. They scored in the 17th minute and held the 1-0 lead until late in the game when Oxy knocked in two insurance goals in the 82nd and the 84th minutes as Cal Lu was pressing for the equalizer. Cal Lu tried to muck up the game and just succeeded in making it ugly. Not only did they commit 15 fouls to Oxy's 8, but Cal Lu earned three red cards, although they didn't impact the final score. All three were given after Oxy scored its third goal in the 84th minute as part of a dust-up between the goal scorer Oury Diane and several of Cal Lu's players, plus the bench (I think it was a player for entering into the fight from the bench). Diane got a yellow, Maxi Schelotto got a double yellow (I think the second was for saying something to the ref after the yellow) and Justin Nishimoto got a straight red. Cal Lu seems determined to establish itself as the St. Thomas of the SCIAC.
Redlands 4 - Pomona-Pitzer 1
After falling short against CMS and Oxy, Redlands took out its frustrations on an overmatched Pomona-Pitzer team. Redlands was up 2-1 in the first, but it wasn't that close as P-P was outshot 10-1 in the first half and the goal was a PK. Then Redlands proceeded to break the game open with two more in the 2nd half.
Chapman 1 - La Verne 0
After winning two straight against Cal Lutheran and Whittier, La Verne has lost two straight against Caltech and Chapman. Chapman pretty well dominated all game, outshooting La Verne 20-8 and 10-2 in the first half, but couldn't find the back of the net until the 75th minute.
Whittier 2 - Caltech 1
Whittier follows up its 2-0 upset of CMS with a win against Caltech in a mostly even game. Whittier went up early in the 5th minute and carried that 1-0 lead to halftime, but Etienne Casanova scored his 9th goal in the 59th minute to equalize. Alas, Caltech couldn't find the winner and it's record-setting 7th win, as Whittier scored in the 77th minute. Whittier is now 6-2-2 and 4-2 in conference. If the season ended today, they would be one of the SCIAC conference tournament qualifiers, a big step up from finishing last and 1-10-1 in conference last season.
A couple of games in Texas tonight
UT Dallas 3 - Howard Payne 1
Not a surprising result, given that Howard Payne came into the game 0-6-3, but this one was a bit closer that the score indicated. The teams went into half tied 0-0 and UTD was only up 2-1 in the 74th minute after Howard Payne cut the lead in half. UTD didn't score its third goal until the 89th minute. Nevertheless, UTD outshot HP 13-4 and it always seemed like a matter of time for UTD to take control.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 2 - Hardin-Simmons 0
I'm not sure what we can glean about this match about either team. Hardin-Simmons went down to 10 men after forward Jakob Fiol, their leading scorer with 6 goals and 3 assist, was issued a straight red card in the 32nd minute. At that point, H-S expended a lot of energy just trying to shore up the defense, but they held firm until the 63rd minute when H-S freshman midfielder Daniel Villagomez received a straight red for a two footed tackle from behind. So, H-S was down to 9 men. Even then, it took another 12 minutes before UMHB got a goal, which they doubled on a PK after their striker slalomed past a bunch of tired H-S defenders in the 85th minute.
Games of note in Region X this weekend:
Saturday 10/5
Pacific Lutheran @ George Fox 12 pm
George Fox is 6-1-1 and 2-1-1 in the NWC. They just beat Pacific and Willamette by identical 2-0 scores and are in 4th place in the NWC. At home, this is the chance to declare themselves contenders against Pacific Lutheran, which is 4-1-3 and 1 point ahead of them at 2-0-2 in the NWC. The Lutes have not looked convincing, tying Willamette and Puget Sound at home, but they've been here before.
Whittier @ Redlands 1 pm
Whittier beat CMS and Caltech in its last two games and is in 2nd place in the SCIAC at 5-2-2 overall and 3-2 in the SCIAC. Redlands has been unconvincing, losing to to CMS, but it tied Oxy and crushed Pomona-Pitzer in its last two games. It is in 3rd in the SCIAC with the same 5-2-2 overall record, but a 2-1-1 record in the conference. Much like with George Fox, this is a game for Whittier to establish that the CMS win wasn't a fluke and it is a contender in the conference, although the fact that Redlands is at home where they are 4-0-1, rather than away where they are 1-2-1, should still make UR favorites.
Pomona-Pitzer @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 pm
The Sixth Street Rivalry! Throw the records away. P-P walked across the street (literally) last season at 2-4-5 in the SCIAC on the second to last game of the season with only one win in the previous 8 games, while CMS was on an 8 game unbeaten streak that included a 3-1 win at Oxy. Nevertheless, P-P still came away with a 3-1 win on CMS' home field. This year, both teams are coming off bad losses, P-P to Redlands 4-1 and CMS to Whittier 2-0.
Sunday 10/6
Trinity (TX) @ Concordia (TX) 5 pm
Trinity is 6-0-2 and has dominated in doing so. Some of these performances have come against bad teams, but they did beat Mary Hardin-Baylor away 3-1, which is the only goal they have conceded in the last 6 games. Concordia did well on its Virginia trip, tying Christopher Newport 3-3 and beating Virginia Wesleyan 1-0, but the loss to Hardin-Simmons suggests that they aren't quite top tier yet in Texas and the tie to LeTourneau was a bad tie. I expect both teams will beat up on their opponents Friday (McMurry and Schreiner, respectively), but this game will be more competitive.
Friday Night Lights in Texas (and Arkansas/Louisiana)
Trinity 2 - McMurry 0
This is a game where Trinity dominated possession and was only threatened a couple of times (they outshot McMurry 18-4), but they are a bit of a victim of their own success. Coming in knowing that Trinity was steamrolling opponents, McMurry played very conservatively and tried to have as many players behind the ball as possible. Trinity broke, through, however, on a flicked header on a corner kick to a back post player who headed it in in the 44th minute. They tacked on an insurance goal in the 59th minute after a Trinity player was taken down at the edge of the box and they scored the ensuing PK. McMurry's GK was only credited with three saves, but he seemed to do more than that in keeping the score from getting any higher.
Texas Lutheran 5 - University of Dallas 0
UD is probably the weakest of the weak SCAC teams, coming into this game 1-6, and TLU, which usually doesn't score many goals, showed no mercy. After a scoreless tie to Southwestern last game, TLU is now 5-0-2 and 1-0-1 in the SCAC.
St. Thomas 2 - Centenary 1
Another bonkers game involving UST, but for once not because of cards. UST had plenty of offense, outshooting Centenary 16-3 in the first half, forcing Centenary into 8 saves to keep the game level at 0-0 in the first half. The game was more even in the second half as Centenary started to realize they might have a chance to steal a win. Still, no score until the 81st minute when UST's Daniel Castro scored. You figured that would open the floodgates, but it was Centenary rather than UST, that struck next as Centenary equalized 3 minutes later in the 84th minute. At that point, Centenary started playing for the tie and St. Thomas was attacking in waves, but never breaking through with a clean shot until the 90th minute (with 49 seconds left in the game), when Castro and Daniel Espinoza executed a great two man, one touch passing game in the box, with Espinoza, who had his back to the defender, turning and shooting for the win. I have to confess it was nice to see a last minute win on something other than a corner kick or a hopeful garbage ball lobbed into the box. This was actually a very nice sequence that followed a previously nice sequence (complete with a well-played back heel from a diagonal runner) that was kicked over the bar. The question is why UST can't do this more often, but the answer is probably that Centenary's defense didn't exactly cover itself in glory in the final few minutes, tracking runners, but not really preventing them from doing anything.
Southwestern 3 - Austin College 2
Another bonkers game (this time with red card too!) in which the better team found a way to win, but not without a lot of nervy moments. Southwestern outshot Austin 11-4 in the 1st half, but only forced Austin to make a couple of saves and the game was 0-0 at half. A little over two minutes into the second half, however, Austin's Louis Catchpole (who was one of the best strikers in the SCAC last year, scoring 14 goals), scored his 6th of the season to give the Kangaroos a 1-0 lead. They held that for about 12 minutes until Greyson Pinto (who was missing from their game last weekend against TLU) scored the equalizer in the 60th minute and Raghav Sharma put Southwestern in the lead three minutes later. I figured that was it for Austin, but they equalized less than three minutes later in the 66th minute and it stayed that way until Southwestern finally found the winner in the 89th minute to go to 6-0-2 on the season and 1-0-1 in the SCAC (EJay: pronounced as one word - SCAC, NOT S-CAC, like NESCAC - people in Texas don't like to do anything like those damn Yankees in the Northeast!).
Concordia TX 3 - Schreiner 1
Concordia was up 2-0 in the first half and appeared to be cruising, but Schreiner scored early in the 2nd half to make it a game. After that, the game got very chippy, with 7 yellows (5 for Schreiner), including a double yellow 1 minute and 24 seconds part that led to an ejection for a Schreiner player. Concordia got an insurance goal in the 82nd minute on a PK.
Colorado College 2 - Ozarks 0
Ron Boerger warned us that the Ozarks trip might be tricky for Colorado College this year and he was right (and not just because the Ozarks stadium lights kept shutting off during the game, which seems like a great way to slow a team down if your defense needs a rest!). Despite out-shooting them 25-5 and having a 14-2 edge on corners, plus having a man advantage from the 56th minute on because of a second yellow to an Ozarks player, it still took until the 71st minute for Colorado to score a goal and that was on a PK from a handball in the box. They didn't get an insurance goal until the 88th minute.
Trinity has seen a lot of this recently with teams packing the defending third and resigning themselves to trying to score off of the rare counters that result. Yesterday the McMurry keeper (who I agree should have had more than three saves, but only five shots were officially counted as on-target which is not good when you have 18 corners) had an "extra defender" in the posts which kicked out at least two shots that could easily have gone in (one directly to the keeper who was sprawled face first on the ground at the time and otherwise would have had no chance to defend a shot off the rebound). They'll need to be more effective with their shots Sunday at Concordia, and with the game a few miles from my house instead of actually on campus I may head over that way.
Some questions answered in the NWC this morning/afternoon
Pacific Lutheran 3 - George Fox 0
I wrote in the preview that this was the chance for George Fox to declare whether they were a real contender or not in the NWC after beating Willamette and Pacific last weekend. I guess it looks like the money is on "not" after this game. I actually liked a lot of what I saw from GF on the attack. They do a great job with diagonal switches of the point of attack and they play positively while keeping possession. They just didn't have any ideas once they got forward. Pacific Lutheran's play wasn't always pretty, but they took more shots. When you have 13 shots on goal, compared to 3 for GF (and 21 v. 12 overall), you can get away with only having great shots ~25% of the time. The Lutes are now 5-1-3 and 3-0-2 in the NWC, while GF falls to 6-2-1 and 2-2-1.
Whitman 2 - Willamette 0
Whitman dominated this one pretty thoroughly, scoring goals on either side of halftime and outshooting Willamette 20-5 and 13-3 on goal. Willamette just seems toothless right now. They were even out-fouled 13-2, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but feels like a reflection of their un-Bearcat-like play. It seems like Whitman and Pacific Lutheran will be the most likely contenders for the NWC title as Whitman now sits 7-1-1 and 4-0-1 in the NWC. Next weekend's game against the Lutes will be a big game for both teams.
Puget Sound 1 - Pacific 0
Puget Sound is quietly putting together a nice conference record. They are now 3-0-2 in the NWC, having tied the Lutes 1-1 on the road. Nevertheless, they haven't looked particularly impressive in their games and this game was no exception. They scored in the 6th minute of the game and they only took 3 more shots the rest of the game. Of course, Pacific only took 1 shot the whole game, so maybe Puget Sound's defense can carry them.
Whitworth 4 - Lewis & Clark 1
Whitworth is starting to put things together in its season. Not that this game was a barometer. They were only up 1-0 at half, but scored three straight goals in the second half to put it to bed. The best thing about the game for Whitworth was that it may have helped Cole Friesen get untracked. He had two goals and two assists in the game, probably because the L&C defense didn't have the type of players other conference opponents have been using to mark him out of the game and prevent him from doing his thing. Whitworth is now 3-1-1 in conference. Lewis & Clark scored a consolation goal in the 88th minute, but the Whitworth official scorer took all the glory out of it with a way-too-specific description of the shot: "cross from right side of field, Bia [Whitworth defender] slipped and free shot on goal. left foot shot right side of goal." L&C is now 0-9 and 0-5 in the NWC. If the NCAA is going to basically have free transfers and employee athletes, the NCAA might as well allow mid-season loans in D3. There have to be some guys wasting away on the bench at other NWC schools that could help L&C get at least one win.
SCIAC afternoon games
Redlands 4 - Whittier 1
Much like George Fox in the NWC, this was a game for Whittier to announce itself as a contender (or pretender) in the SCIAC. Turns out it was more pretender than contender. They hung tough for awhile, holding Redlands to a 1-0 lead at the half and scoring first in the second half in the 61st minute to equalize at 1-1, but Redlands woke from its slumber and scored goals in the 72nd, 73rd, and 83rd minutes to turn it into a route. Even before that barrage, this was coming. UR outshot Whittier 19-8 and 9-3 on goal. Redlands has now won two straight 4-1 games after losing to CMS and tying Oxy.
Cal Lutheran 2 - Caltech 2
Caltech has to feel like it let this chance for a program record 7th win slip away after it held a 2-0 lead in the 51st minute. Cal Lutheran scored in the 63rd and 80th minutes on almost identical shots from the mid-left top of the box to the upper right corner of the goal. Both were instances of giving the Cal Lu player too much space or failing to keep up with him as he dribbled parallel to the box. I suspect this was a situation where Caltech's lack of depth came back to bite them. They have been playing plenty of subs in most of their games this year, but this game they only used four field player subs (plus a GK because they rotate their GKs at half), two of whom only played 6 minutes and the third only played 15 minutes. Most of their starters got at most 6 minutes of rest. The game was played in the afternoon on a day when Pasadena was under an excessive heat warning and the temperatures on Caltech's turf had to be around 100+ degrees. They just kind of wilted while Cal Lu used 16 subs, 9 of whom played at least 17 minutes or more.
UC Santa Cruz 2 - Chapman 2
UCSC gets their 6th tie of the season on a 76th minute equalizer. Chapman has been turning things around lately and this game was at home for them. They were 3-6-1 coming into this game, but they have played what has turned out to be a pretty strong schedule, including Stevens, Montclair St, Wheaton (IL), Whitman, Redlands, CMS. The problem is they lost to all but one of those teams (Wheaton). This kind of result makes me question whether UCSC deserves its regional ranking, although at 4-1-6, it is showing it knows how to avoid a loss, which is one sign of a good team.
SCIAC gets kind of crazy after dark once again
Occidental 3 - La Verne 2
La Verne's Adan Villarreal scored in the 6th and 11th minutes to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, however, Oxy came back to life and reeled off three straight goals in the 57th, 72nd, and 82nd minutes to win the game. On the one hand, it's a good sign that Oxy can turn it on when it needs to and score at will. On the other hand, this isn't tournament or playoff soccer and many of these teams that they are doing this to aren't all that good. If the coaches and players can't figure out how to avoid these problems from the get-go, they won't go far this season.
CMS 1 - Pomona-Pitzer 0
This was a crazy game befitting the Sixth Street Rivalry, complete with really annoying Vuvuzelas, multiple scuffles (or at least what future software engineers, doctors, and investment bankers imagine a fight looks like while they wait for their teammates to hold them back), 1 rough challenge of the CMS goalkeeper on a muffed catch that led to the ref having to hold back the GK from doing something to the P-P player (not sure this kid had any idea what he was going to do when he went charging after him) and at least one scary, injury-causing, tackle. P-P started out on the front foot and looked like they took the lead on a header off a perfect corner kick that was waived off for a foul in the box. Both teams had chances, but the half ended 0-0. In the second half, a PK in the box in the 51st minute was scored by Otero and CMS took the 1-0 lead. In the 65th, P-P's Aidan MacLennan unleashed a two-footed studs up leaping challenge from the side that went right into the shins of a CMS player and he was shown a red card. That led to a bunch of scuffling and the CMS kid had to be helped off the field. Hope he's OK, because it looked kind of nasty. P-P played hard down a man for the last 25 minutes, but they weren't able to threaten much until the very end. P-P's GK, Jasper Broad (formerly of Colorado College), had a really strong game with 13 saves, mostly of the full stretch variety. Credit also to CMS defenders because they were apparently playing two freshman center backs due to injuries and yellow card accumulation suspensions for SCIAC games.
Sunday afternoon games in the NWC
Pacific Lutheran 4 - Pacific 0
The Lutes are on a roll, having gone unbeaten in 9 straight games after an opening loss to UC Santa Cruz and they have won the last three games by a margin of 3 goals or more. Pacific is nothing special, but they have played other NWC contenders tight, losing to Whitman 3-2 and tying Whitworth 0-0. PLU was only up 1-0 at halftime on a goal in the 28th minute, but they poured it on after halftime, scoring goals in the 62nd, 75th, and 89th minutes to seal the victory and outshooting Pacific 14-5. Next weekend's games hosting Whitman and Whitworth should be big games for all three of these schools.
George Fox 1 - Puget Sound 0
GF rebounds from the loss to Pacific Lutheran by scoring in the 10th minute and holding on in what was a tightly contested affair. This is Puget Sound's first loss in conference as they fall to 3-1-2, but it reflects a problem scoring goals that they have had all season. They have only scored more than 1 goal against a D3 opponent twice -- against NWC cellar dwellers Lewis & Clark and Linfield -- so when George Fox scored early, it was always going to be difficult for Puget Sound to adjust tactically and try to chase the game.
Whitman 3 - Lewis & Clark 1
Probably a closer scoreline than it should have been. Whitman was up 2-0 after 10 minutes and seemed to take their foot off the gas. They didn't score again until the 76th minute and allowed L&C to score in the 90th minute. Most of Whitman's starters played less than a half.
Whitworth 4 - Willamette 1
Whitworth carried over the scoring mojo from its game against L&C and matched the scoreline against Whitworth. Willamette actually scored first in the 7th minute, but Whitworth followed up with goals in the 21st, 27th, and 42nd minutes to take a 3-1 lead into halftime. A goal right after halftime in the 47th minute finished off Willamette, which has become a shell of its former self. The one thing that marred the game for Whitworth was a straight red issued to Dawson Heuett in the 77th minute, but it didn't cost them as Willamette couldn't hit the net with the man advantage.
Sunday games in the SCAC
Trinity 2 - Concordia TX 1
Ron Boerger will likely have more to say about this game because he was going to go and watch in person. The stream was pretty brutal because the camera was facing the setting sun, which was blinding for pretty much the whole game around the middle of the field. Concordia scored in the 19th minute and then went into a shell, taking the 1-0 lead into halftime. Trinity came back to tie it up in the 57th and then launched wave after wave of attacks in the second half (they outshot Trinity 19-6 in the game and 12-4 in the second half), operating almost the entire half on Concordia's side of the field. It wasn't until Concordia broke out a little bit, creating some space, that Trinity was able to launch a ball forward in sort of a counter attack. Hunter Cain chased it to the left side of the box with the defender on his heel and the Concordia goalkeeper came off his line in an attempt to intervene, but Cain got there first and nicely chipped it over his head for the winning goal in the 83rd minute. Trinity is now 8-0-2 and 3-0 on the SCAC, while Concordia falls to 5-2-3 and 2-1. [one additional note: I know Concordia doesn't have its own field, but if you're going to be on FloSports and have your games broadcast "worldwide," you should probably spring for Concordia-branded pop-up tents for the benches. It's not a good look to have the pop-up canopies from LoneStar SC, a youth soccer club in Austin that presumably sublets you the field on their permit, be the most visible brand at your home games]
Texas Lutheran 0 - Austin 0
This is a surprising result, especially since Austin came into the game 3-7-1 and 1-1 in the SCAC, while TLU was 5-0-1 and 1-0, but Texas Lutheran has trouble scoring and they are always dancing on the precipice of being shutout before they find a way to nick a goal. In this game, despite outshooting Austin 15-3, they only put 2 shots on goal to 1 for Austin, which leaves very little margin for error. They've shutout Hardin-Simmons and Southwestern, so they can play defense, but it's hard to see them winning the SCAC if they can't compete with the likes of Trinity, Colorado College, and even St. Thomas offensively.
Southwestern 4 - Dallas 1
Southwestern blitzed Dallas, scoring in the 2nd, 6th, and 7th minutes. They surprisingly conceded in the 22nd minute, probably because everyone from Southwestern was trying to go forward, but also because they were missing their security blanket in the back, Cooper Pero, who had been red carded the day before in the 90th minute of the Austin College win. They then got a fourth in the 36th minute and packed it in for the night and started emptying the bench. Southwestern is now 7-0-2 and 2-0-1 in the SCAC.
Schreiner 2 - McMurry 1
In the battle at the bottom (at least outside of University of Dallas), Schreiner prevails on two goals early in the first half. They outshot McMurry 16-7, but McMurry GK Brandon Walker had 8 saves to keep the game close.
Colorado College 2 - Centenary 0
CC finishes the Arkansas/Louisiana swing with a second straight 2-0 win. It wasn't for lack of shots that Colorado College didn't score more. They outshot Centenary 36-3 and these weren't just a bunch of wild shots either because they had 18 on goal. Credit to Centenary GK Sebastian Lutin for making 16 saves to keep the score respectable. CC is 8-1-2 and 3-0 in the SCAC, while Centenary falls to 5-4-1 and 1-2.
Concordia's front line was playing very high and putting pressure on the Trinity back line until they scored the opening goal, but then decided to park the bus and it stayed parked basically the entire game. Trinity struggled to get an open shot before the break. I'm not sure what McGinlay changed at halftime but the result was, as Kuiper mentioned, dominant run of play in the Concordia defensive half.
Concordia had some significant height advantages but they didn't get as much from them as they could have.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 06, 2024, 11:40:34 PMConcordia's front line was playing very high and putting pressure on the Trinity back line until they scored the opening goal, but then decided to park the bus and it stayed parked basically the entire game. Trinity struggled to get an open shot before the break. I'm not sure what McGinlay changed at halftime but the result was, as Kuiper mentioned, dominant run of play in the Concordia defensive half.
Concordia had some significant height advantages but they didn't get as much from them as they could have.
I kept asking myself why Concordia dropped back and kept yelling to press the Trinity back line. Was incomprehensible to me.
SC.
Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 07, 2024, 06:52:43 AMQuote from: Ron Boerger on October 06, 2024, 11:40:34 PMConcordia's front line was playing very high and putting pressure on the Trinity back line until they scored the opening goal, but then decided to park the bus and it stayed parked basically the entire game. Trinity struggled to get an open shot before the break. I'm not sure what McGinlay changed at halftime but the result was, as Kuiper mentioned, dominant run of play in the Concordia defensive half.
Concordia had some significant height advantages but they didn't get as much from them as they could have.
I kept asking myself why Concordia dropped back and kept yelling to press the Trinity back line. Was incomprehensible to me.
SC.
I sometimes think coaches are so risk averse and so absolute in their instructions to players that they end up increasing, rather than decreasing, their risks. The "always kick it long and never play it out of the back" coaches are one example. In this game, the notion that a 1-0 lead against a team like Trinity was going to hold-up for 70 minutes was always going to be the low probability event. Only thing I could figure is that it might be hot enough that he knew that the press was going to be unsustainable and he didn't feel like any of his bench players could do it as effectively as the starters. Even then, you figure he could have done it in short spurts to at least keep Trinity honest.
As someone who has lived in Texas basically his entire life, it wasn't that hot yesterday, plus there was a nice breeze from the north throughout the game. Low 90s, moderate humidity, sun at such an angle that the shade from the stands was mostly on the field and cooling as the sun set down further. There were a few guys cramping but compared to games earlier in the season it was a pleasant walk in the park.
I'll mark this to poor coaching rather than heat.
Saturday games in the ASC, last weekend 10/5
HSU 2 - UTD 2
HSU was without their best offensive threat with Jakob Fiol serving his red card suspension from the game against UMHB on Thursday. Even still, HSU found themselves 2-0 up at half. I didn't get to watch, but they have to be kicking themselves for letting UTD come back and tie the game. Perhaps their legs got heavy having played with 9 men for the last 25-30 on Thursday. At the end of the day, the game doesn't count, but a confidence building win against a strong team that slipped through HSU's hands.
LeTu 2 - ETBU 2
To borrow a frequent phrase from Kuiper this past weekend, this game was bonkers. ETBU got on the board first with a goal in the 4', that LeTourneau's keeper will want back for certain. LeTu leveled things in the 18' with a smart early cross to the back post that Caleb Nelson settled and finished over the head of the ETBU keeper. In the end it finished 2-2, with 2 very late goals for both teams. LeTu thought they had won it in the 86' with a good first-time finish off of service from a wide free kick. They then gave up a direct free kick goal with 36 seconds remaining to tie it up and steal a point; very well taken up and over the wall from about 25 out. These schools are only 30 minutes away from each other and seemed like a very good atmosphere and full stands on video. Box score lists the attendance at 313.
HPU 1 - UMHB 2
The Cru got on the board in the 1' as Peyton Hoyt scored his first collegiate goal smashing in a rebound off the keeper to take the early lead and went into halftime 1-0 up. HPU works very hard and are one of the best 0 win teams you might see so far, oddly enough. Right out of halftime, HPU equalized in the 50', scoring a header to the near post from a corner kick. UMHB, who have a tendency to come out flat to start the second half, got things going eventually and retook the lead in the 58' with Chase Cherrington scoring his own rebound as he was 1v1 with the keeper. The Cru settled things down and saw the game out for the remaining 30 minutes.
HSU and UMHB lead so far with 6 points a piece and ETBU and LeTu round out 3rd and 4th with 4 points apiece, holding the last 2 tournament spots. HPU sits at the bottom on 0 points. After this next weekend of games, everyone will have played everyone once so far and we'll turnaround and do it again.
One morning game in the SCAC (not sure why it was moved from Sunday to Monday)
St. Thomas 6 - Ozarks 1
A tight game in the first half was blown open in the second. St. Thomas scored first in 26th minute, Ozarks equalized 4 minutes later in the 30th minute, and St. Thomas took the lead 8 minutes later in the 38th minute and carried that to halftime. In the second half, UST reeled off four straight goals while Ozarks looked like they didn't want to be there on a Monday, getting outshot 13-3 in the second half. This was the first time I really have seen St. Thomas unleash on an opponent like they used to a few years ago, with the Castro brothers combining for 3 goals and 2 assists. Ozarks isn't a great team 3-4-2 and 0-2 in the SCAC, but I tend to think they expended so much energy holding off Colorado College until the 71st minute on Friday, including playing down a man for 35 minutes after Colin Cosby was sent off with a second yellow, that they were exhausted even with the extra day of rest playing on Monday. Plus, missing 5th year senior Cosby, who was honorable mention all-SCAC last season and ASC Defensive Freshman of the Year his first year, didn't help.
Games of interest this week in Region X
I don't think there are many weekday games of note between 10/8-10/11, but there are a couple.
Friday 10/11
Texas Lutheran @ Trinity 5 pm central
TLU had a disappointing 0-0 tie against Austin over the weekend and continues to have trouble scoring against all but the weakest of teams (like its 5-0 win over University of Dallas last Friday). Trinity overcame two bunkering teams - McMurry and Concordia TX - to secure wins. Both teams remain undefeated overall and in the SCAC, but TLU is probably the stubbornest defense Trinity has faced and Trinity is probably the strongest offense TLU has faced. TLU has only scored 12 goals all season (5 against UoD), but only given up 3 goals all season and the last one was on 9/8 at Otterbein (when they won 2-1). Trinity has scored 2 goals or more in every game since opening weekend and has scored 34 goals and only given up 4. I expect Trinity to win this game, but I doubt they will be able to generate a ton of offense simply because TLU's defense and style of play doesn't really allow it. Because it's the first game of the weekend for the two teams and this is probably the shortest road trip in the SCAC for TLU (about 40 miles), I expect we'll get both teams' best efforts.
Colorado College @ Concordia (TX) 7 pm central
Concordia is coming off a tough loss to Trinity, getting beat 2-1 after being up 1-0 for most of the game. Colorado College had an efficient, if unspectacular, weekend of 2-0 wins over Ozarks and Centenary. My guess is Concordia might try the same tactics as they did against Trinity, pressing until they get a goal and then parking the bus (or the pickup truck?). Either way, Colorado College's offense has not been as prolific as Trinity, so this might be a better game in which to employ it.
Everything stays the same except Redlands jumps ahead of TLU (after its tie with Austin) and UC Santa Cruz (after its tie with Chapman). I could see Pacific Lutheran entering the rankings in the next poll if they beat Whitman and Whitworth this weekend and someone else stumbles.
Region X - Poll 5 - October 8, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 8-1-2
2 Southwestern University 2 7-0-2
3 Trinity University (Texas) 3 8-0-2
4 Occidental College 4 7-1-2
5 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 5 7-2-1
6 University of Redlands 8 6-2-2
7 Texas Lutheran University 6 5-0-3
8 University of California Santa Cruz 7 4-1-6
Some interesting results in Region X tonight
Occidental 0 - Chapman 0
In some ways, this isn't that surprising a result, even though the game was at Oxy. This is the third year in a row that the two teams have tied and the second year in a row they have tied 0-0. Last time the teams played and there was a result was in 2022 in the SCIAC championship game and Chapman won 1-0 on a last second bicycle kick in double overtime (and that was after tying twice during the regular season). Still, Chapman came into the game 3-6-2 and 2-3 in the SCIAC and Oxy was 7-1-2 and 5-0-1 in the SCIAC. Oxy has been shaky in games, but they have managed to prevail at the end in every SCIAC game except against Redlands. Plus, Chapman went down to 10 men in the 70th minute on a DOGSO foul in a breakaway. Nevertheless, Chapman's GK, Alex Glynn was exceptional and Oxy didn't help itself by continuing to lob balls into the box while knowing that Glynn was going to claim every cross in the air. I think Oxy missed Vicente Navarro, who went out at halftime and didn't return, and Oury Diane, who didn't play. I'm still unconvinced by Oxy this year.
Redlands 5 - Caltech 0
While Oxy was being stymied by Chapman, Redlands was steamrolling over Caltech. They scored 2 goals in the first 14 minutes and never looked back, scoring a third just before halftime and 2 more in the 57th and 76th minutes, outshooting Caltech 23-7 despite emptying the bench. Redlands has scored 4, 4, and 5 goals in three straight wins since tying Oxy and losing to CMS.
CMS 3- La Verne 2
CMS was up 2-0 after 26 minutes, but they had trouble putting La Verne away, conceding a ULV goal sin the 33rd minute and then another in the 80th minute after extending their lead to 3-1 right after halftime. After losing to Whittier and squeaking by Pomona-Pitzer, CMS probably hoped for a more convincing win. They have some great wins, including against St. Olaf, Mary Hardin-Baylor, Wheaton (IL), and Redlands, but they have had trouble being consistent in games.
Cal Lutheran 2 - Whittier 0
Speaking of inconsistent, Cal Lu scored in the 5th minute and again in the 58th minutes to secure the victory after losing to Oxy and tying Caltech in their last two games.
Pacific 3 - Willamette 1
Pacific breaks a five game winless streak by taking out its frustrations on hapless Willamette, which extends its own 6 game winless streak. The only game Willamette has won this year was against Lewis & Clark, but they'll have another chance on Sunday when they host Linfield. Hard to believe that this is the same team that tied UC Santa Cruz and Pacific Lutheran earlier this year and only lost to Calvin 1-0.
A couple of games on tap today in the Lone Star state
Mary Hardin-Baylor 1 - LeTourneau 1
This was a surprising result, especially at home for UMHB. After beating Hardin-Simmons 2-0 and Howard Payne 2-1 this weekend, I assumed they were heading toward their usual top spot in the ASC with Concordia having moved to the SCAC this year and UT Dallas ineligible for any postseason events because they are reclassifying to DII. LeTourneau has been better this year, but they lost to Hardin-Simmons 4-0. Nevertheless, sometimes it is a question of which team gets on the board first and, in this game, it was LeTourneau in the 34th minute of a fairly evenly contested first half. UMHB equalized in the 62nd minute, but, despite out-shooting LeTourneau 13-1 in the second half, couldn't find the winner. UMHB is still on top of the ASC with a 2-0-1 record, but it lost an opportunity to put some distance between itself and the rest of the conference.
UT Dallas 2 - East Texas Baptist 1
UTD scored a goal (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA90zM9vELI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) in the third minute and another right before halftime in a half it dominated. It needed that because ETBU scored in the 51st minute and less than 40 seconds later a UTD player received a straight red. Down a man for almost the entire second half, UTD was outshot 10-2, but managed to retain the lead to secure the win.
Games of note in Region X this weekend:
Saturday 10/12
Whitman @ Pacific Lutheran 12 pm Pacific
Whitman, on an 8 game unbeaten streak, is 8-1-1 and 5-0-1 in the NWC. Pacific Lutheran, on a 9 game unbeaten streak, is 6-1-3 and 4-0-2 in the NWC. These are probably the two most likely contenders for the NWC championship at the end of the first round of games among conference opponents, although things can and do go haywire in the second round of NWC games sometimes and Whitworth, Puget Sound, George Fox, and Pacific are all still within shouting distance of each other. Whoever wins this game, if they also win in their second game this weekend, has a chance to enter the Region X rankings.
Sunday 10/13
Southwestern @ Trinity 12 pm Central
Southwestern, which has a 9 game unbeaten streak, but only a 2 game winning streak because of the tie with Texas Lutheran, is 7-0-2 and 2-0-1 in the SCAC. Trinity, which has a 10 game unbeaten streak and an 8 game winning streak, is 8-0-2 and 3-0 in the SCAC after a big comeback against Concordia last weekend. There's a pretty decent chance that these two teams, along with Colorado College and one of St. Thomas, Texas Lutheran, or Concordia will be the Final Four teams in the SCAC. Trinity has had to contend with teams bunkering on them in recent weeks, but that's not typically Southwestern's style. If both teams are healthy and play this game straight-up, it could be pretty entertaining football.
St. Thomas @ Concordia TX 1 pm Central
Two teams that have shown high quality and significant inconsistency. UST is 6-3 and 2-1 in the SCAC, while Concordia is 5-2-3 and 2-1 in the SCAC. St. Thomas has the talent to compete with anyone, as evidenced by beating Mary Hardin-Baylor and going to Colorado College and only losing 1-0. Concordia has tied Christopher Newport 3-3 and beaten Virginia Wesleyan 1-0 and last weekend almost prevailed against Trinity. My guess is only one, and not both, of these teams will make it to the SCAC unless one of Trinity, Southwestern, or Colorado College stumbles down the stretch. With only one game against each SCAC team this season, I would consider this effectively a play-in game for these two teams.
I would add this evening's Texas Lutheran @ Trinity match (5pm CDT) - TLU is 5-0-3 themselves despite only scoring 12 goals this season, and last year defeated the Tigers for the first time in their history (improving to 1-35-7). Noel Peña has played every minute in goal for the Bulldogs. I haven't watched TLU, but given their low-scoring offense imagine they will bunker as have most of Trinity's recent opponents.
Trinity broadcasts, hosted on YouTube are open to all: 5pm CDT 10/11 vs. TLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6qZ8zBvQg8); noon CDT 10/13 vs. Southwestern (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XpFkovRnaw)
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 11, 2024, 04:05:40 PMI would add this evening's Texas Lutheran @ Trinity match (5pm CDT) - TLU is 5-0-3 themselves despite only scoring 12 goals this season, and last year defeated the Tigers for the first time in their history (improving to 1-35-7). Noel Peña has played every minute in goal for the Bulldogs. I haven't watched TLU, but given their low-scoring offense imagine they will bunker as have most of Trinity's recent opponents.
Trinity broadcasts, hosted on YouTube are open to all: 5pm CDT 10/11 vs. TLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6qZ8zBvQg8); noon CDT 10/13 vs. Southwestern (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XpFkovRnaw)
Thanks Ron. I actually highlighted this game in a post devoted to today's game that I posted earlier this week. I definitely agree that TLU @ Trinity is a big game!
QuoteFriday 10/11
Texas Lutheran @ Trinity 5 pm central
TLU had a disappointing 0-0 tie against Austin over the weekend and continues to have trouble scoring against all but the weakest of teams (like its 5-0 win over University of Dallas last Friday). Trinity overcame two bunkering teams - McMurry and Concordia TX - to secure wins. Both teams remain undefeated overall and in the SCAC, but TLU is probably the stubbornest defense Trinity has faced and Trinity is probably the strongest offense TLU has faced. TLU has only scored 12 goals all season (5 against UoD), but only given up 3 goals all season and the last one was on 9/8 at Otterbein (when they won 2-1). Trinity has scored 2 goals or more in every game since opening weekend and has scored 34 goals and only given up 4. I expect Trinity to win this game, but I doubt they will be able to generate a ton of offense simply because TLU's defense and style of play doesn't really allow it. Because it's the first game of the weekend for the two teams and this is probably the shortest road trip in the SCAC for TLU (about 40 miles), I expect we'll get both teams' best efforts.
Colorado College @ Concordia (TX) 7 pm central
Concordia is coming off a tough loss to Trinity, getting beat 2-1 after being up 1-0 for most of the game. Colorado College had an efficient, if unspectacular, weekend of 2-0 wins over Ozarks and Centenary. My guess is Concordia might try the same tactics as they did against Trinity, pressing until they get a goal and then parking the bus (or the pickup truck?). Either way, Colorado College's offense has not been as prolific as Trinity, so this might be a better game in which to employ it.
Southwestern 2 - Schreiner 2
Kind of a stunning result this afternoon in Kerrville, Texas. Schreiner came into this game 2-7 overall and 1-2 in the SCAC. Southwestern was 7-0-2 and 2-0-1 in the SCAC. Southwestern is 15-3-2 overall against Schreiner going back to 2013 and had won 8 straight games against Schreiner coming into this game. Last year, Southwestern beat Schreiner 7-0 and the year before 5-0. Schreiner has been a little better defensively this year, but they lost 5-0 to Trinity a couple of weeks ago and they had only scored 11 goals in 9 games coming into this game. So, to score 2 and tie? I wouldn't have predicted it. You might think this is one of those games where the team with the better record dominated, but couldn't put the ball in the net, which happens, but this was a fairly even game. In the first half, the game was tied 0-0. Southwestern scored first in the 56th minute, but Schreiner answered in the 66th. In the 73rd, Southwestern's Michael Grimm scored a beautiful free kick goal to give Southwestern the 2-1 lead and you figured that would unlock things. Instead, Southwestern relaxed for a second and Schreiner scored a great goal on the ensuing kickoff with Zaaron Gonzalez taking a pass on the kickoff and lofting a really nice chip into the box with the outside of his right foot and Schreiner's Cameron Armer soared over the defender to head it to the top left corner beyond the GK's reach. Southwestern did outshoot Schreiner 10-4 and 7-3 on goal, but this was just one of those days. Southwestern remains unbeaten at 7-0-3 and 2-0-2 in the SCAC, but this may come back to haunt them if they end up just missing the conference tournament.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 11, 2024, 04:05:40 PMI would add this evening's Texas Lutheran @ Trinity match (5pm CDT) - TLU is 5-0-3 themselves despite only scoring 12 goals this season, and last year defeated the Tigers for the first time in their history (improving to 1-35-7). Noel Peña has played every minute in goal for the Bulldogs. I haven't watched TLU, but given their low-scoring offense imagine they will bunker as have most of Trinity's recent opponents.
Trinity broadcasts, hosted on YouTube are open to all: 5pm CDT 10/11 vs. TLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6qZ8zBvQg8); noon CDT 10/13 vs. Southwestern (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XpFkovRnaw)
Currently watching. Trinity just knocked one off the post.
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Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 11, 2024, 06:28:04 PMQuote from: Ron Boerger on October 11, 2024, 04:05:40 PMI would add this evening's Texas Lutheran @ Trinity match (5pm CDT) - TLU is 5-0-3 themselves despite only scoring 12 goals this season, and last year defeated the Tigers for the first time in their history (improving to 1-35-7). Noel Peña has played every minute in goal for the Bulldogs. I haven't watched TLU, but given their low-scoring offense imagine they will bunker as have most of Trinity's recent opponents.
Trinity broadcasts, hosted on YouTube are open to all: 5pm CDT 10/11 vs. TLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6qZ8zBvQg8); noon CDT 10/13 vs. Southwestern (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XpFkovRnaw)
Currently watching. Trinity just knocked one off the post.
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Switching between multiple cameras! Nice production
HALF: Trinity 1 - Texas Lutheran 0
Really impressive goal by Trinity, worked through a bunch of intricate one touch passing to the right side, top, and through the box, before being passed into the opposite corner. It took a deflection from the defender, which is the reason the GK looked fooled (and the announcers are giving short-shrift to how critical that deflection was because he was set up to get the ball without it), but Trinity earned that goal through some impressive play and they weren't going to score any other way given how strong TLU is defensively.
UPDATE: Trinity 1 - Texas Lutheran 1
What a goal by Louis Hart in the 61st minute! Diving header on a beautiful cross to the six yard box that left the Trinity GK frozen
UPDATE: Texas Lutheran 2 - Trinity 1
TLU scores a nice goal on a scramble off a corner kick. You usually don't see a defender up for a corner have a clean chance for a side volley on a ball like that.
UPDATE: Texas Lutheran 2 - Trinity 2
WOW!!!! Really impressive goal by Will Powell with a flicked kick in the box
UPDATE: Trinity 3 - Texas Lutheran 2
Holy Crap! Luke Chandler, the CB, scores on a great shot from the far post to take the lead with 41 seconds left
FINAL: Trinity 3 - Texas Lutheran 2
Instant classic game, and not just because Trinity came back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 with 2 goals in the last 3 minutes. Just a great game between two really organized and well-coached teams full of talented players. A great representation of D3 soccer (and a top flight broadcast as well with good commentators, multiple angle shots, and replays all at no cost).
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - McMurry 1
I've mostly been watching the Trinity-TLU game, but I had one eye on this one after I saw that McMurry scored. I was going to write that this game seemed to be one of those I mentioned in the Southwestern write-up, where one team dominated, but the other team nicked in a goal and then just absorbed pressure. UST had 12 shots in the first half to 1 for McMurry, which was the goal they scored in the 12th minute. I switched to it when Trinity went to half, though, just in time to see the UST GK pick up a ball in his box and quickly kick a perfect left-footed side volley punt down the middle of the field to a sprinting Daniel Castro who slotted it past the on-rushing McMurry keeper to tie it up in the 45th minute. That kind of symbolizes how St. Thomas sometimes plays given their lack of a true offensive game plan. Lots of technical skill and passing, signifying nothing, but they score when they throw all that away and unleash their superior athleticism.
I am watching Trinity TLU as well. Entertaining so far. And I know they announcers say it has been hot and dry but the pitch looks great.
Quote from: Freddyfud on October 11, 2024, 07:08:16 PMI am watching Trinity TLU as well. Entertaining so far. And I know they announcers say it has been hot and dry but the pitch looks great.
Yeah, you would not know based on the field conditions.
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What a great diving header by the TLU forward. What a goal.
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And now a defensive lapse on a corner and TLU rifles a ball in for the go ahead goal....
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Wow! What a finish. What a game!
Quote from: Freddyfud on October 11, 2024, 08:02:43 PMWow! What a finish. What a game!
Seriously. I kept track of the events in my post up-thread, but that was an impressive game between two really well-coached and talented teams. Texas D3 soccer showing off for the rest of the country.
Wow. What a goal on the equalizer for Trinity.
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Quote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2024, 07:01:12 PMHALF: St. Thomas 1 - McMurry 1
I've mostly been watching the Trinity-TLU game, but I had one eye on this one after I saw that McMurry scored. I was going to write that this game seemed to be one of those I mentioned in the Southwestern write-up, where one team dominated, but the other team nicked in a goal and then just absorbed pressure. UST had 12 shots in the first half to 1 for McMurry, which was the goal they scored in the 12th minute. I switched to it when Trinity went to half, though, just in time to see the UST GK pick up a ball in his box and quickly kick a perfect left-footed side volley punt down the middle of the field to a sprinting Daniel Castro who slotted it past the on-rushing McMurry keeper to tie it up in the 45th minute. That kind of symbolizes how St. Thomas sometimes plays given their lack of a true offensive game plan. Lots of technical skill and passing, signifying nothing, but they score when they throw all that away and unleash their superior athleticism.
I didn't keep up with this game because of the Trinity-TLU barnburner, but this apparently had a wild ending too.
McMurry 2 - St. Thomas 1
It looks like the UST GK Christo Gayoso committed a penalty in the box in the 89th minute for which he received a yellow and McMurry scored the PK to win 2-1. St. Thomas outshot them 22-7, but loses for the first time in three tries to Scheiner, which had been outscored 15-2 in their three games since UST moved to the SCAC. With Southwestern tying Scheiner, there are openings for teams to move up if they take their chances. McMurry goes to 3-7-1 and 1-3 in the SCAC.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2024, 06:49:59 PMHALF: Trinity 1 - Texas Lutheran 0
Really impressive goal by Trinity, worked through a bunch of intricate one touch passing to the right side, top, and through the box, before being passed into the opposite corner. It took a deflection from the defender, which is the reason the GK looked fooled (and the announcers are giving short-shrift to how critical that deflection was because he was set up to get the ball without it), but Trinity earned that goal through some impressive play and they weren't going to score any other way given how strong TLU is defensively.
UPDATE: Trinity 1 - Texas Lutheran 1
What a goal by Louis Hart in the 61st minute! Diving header on a beautiful cross to the six yard box that left the Trinity GK frozen
UPDATE: Texas Lutheran 2 - Trinity 1
TLU scores a nice goal on a scramble off a corner kick. You usually don't see a defender up for a corner have a clean chance for a side volley on a ball like that.
UPDATE: Texas Lutheran 2 - Trinity 2
WOW!!!! Really impressive goal by Will Powell with a flicked kick in the box
UPDATE: Trinity 3 - Texas Lutheran 2
Holy Crap! Luke Chandler, the CB, scores on a great shot from the far post to take the lead with 41 seconds left
FINAL: Trinity 3 - Texas Lutheran 2
Instant classic game, and not just because Trinity came back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 with 2 goals in the last 3 minutes. Just a great game between two really organized and well-coached teams full of talented players. A great representation of D3 soccer (and a top flight broadcast as well with good commentators, multiple angle shots, and replays all at no cost).
Thought I would move this up in case anyone wanted a quick summary of the game.
UPDATE: Here's a link to a post with video (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBANSULRWzM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)of the winning goal
And the go ahead with 41 seconds left. Holy smokes. What a game.
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Well I don't need convincing. Nothing lacked quality. Good goal keeping, good sequences, good game flow.
I think I know where to turn for Friday Night Lights now.
Couple of additional results in Region X tonight:
Colorado College 3 - Concordia 0
The final score flatters Colorado College. It was a 0-0 tie for most of the game, with Concordia actually out-shooting Colorado College 7-3 in the first half, holding the corner kick edge 2-0, and forcing CC's GK to make 5 saves. Colorado College got on the board in the 77th minute and tacked on two more less than a minute apart in the 86th and 87th minutes to turn a very tight game into what looks like a route. Regardless, it's a good away result for Colorado, moving it to 9-1-2 and 4-0 in the SCAC.
George Fox 3 - Linfield 1
Linfield surprised George Fox by scoring in the 2nd minute in this game, but GF didn't press snooze on that wake-up call, roaring back with goals in the 14th, 31st and 45th minutes to take the 3-1 lead, which it held through the second half. GF is now 8-2-1 and 4-2-1 in the NWC.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2024, 11:31:45 PMCouple of additional results in Region X tonight:
Colorado College 3 - Concordia 0
The final score flatters Colorado College. It was a 0-0 tie for most of the game, with Concordia actually out-shooting Colorado College 7-3 in the first half, holding the corner kick edge 2-0, and forcing CC's GK to make 5 saves. Colorado College got on the board in the 77th minute and tacked on two more less than a minute apart in the 86th and 87th minutes to turn a very tight game into what looks like a route. Regardless, it's a good away result for Colorado, moving it to 9-1-2 and 4-0 in the SCAC.
CC was sluggish the first half, for sure, but I think saying a 3-0 win was somehow a misleading or unwarranted result is a bit stingy. If Concordia outshot CC first half 7-3, CC outshot Concordia 11-3 the second half (not mentioned), so I think another take might have been "CC found its footing and outshot CTX 11-3 the second half, eventually capitalizing in the 77th minute and twice more before match end." I like a team that can pull out a win, even when the game wasn't their finest for all 90.
Quote from: wihsuafs24 on October 12, 2024, 12:06:47 AMQuote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2024, 11:31:45 PMCouple of additional results in Region X tonight:
Colorado College 3 - Concordia 0
The final score flatters Colorado College. It was a 0-0 tie for most of the game, with Concordia actually out-shooting Colorado College 7-3 in the first half, holding the corner kick edge 2-0, and forcing CC's GK to make 5 saves. Colorado College got on the board in the 77th minute and tacked on two more less than a minute apart in the 86th and 87th minutes to turn a very tight game into what looks like a route. Regardless, it's a good away result for Colorado, moving it to 9-1-2 and 4-0 in the SCAC.
CC was sluggish the first half, for sure, but I think saying a 3-0 win was somehow a misleading or unwarranted result is a bit stingy. If Concordia outshot CC first half 7-3, CC outshot Concordia 11-3 the second half (not mentioned), so I think another take might have been "CC found its footing and outshot CTX 11-3 the second half, eventually capitalizing in the 77th minute and twice more before match end." I like a team that can pull out a win, even when the game wasn't their finest for all 90.
That's fair. Didn't mean to slight Colorado College and definitely didn't say the result was unwarranted. It's just that a 3-0 score in soccer is sufficiently uncommon given the difficulty of scoring that someone might look at the final score and assume this was an easy game for Colorado College or that they dominated the game, which isn't really true. As you say, though, good teams can pull out a win even when they don't have their best game and Colorado College is definitely a good team. And, as I said, it's a good away result (against a decent Concordia team I might add).
Agreed re: Concordia and also as to the fact that it wasn't as though CC didn't have to get their act together to score that first goal. Was definitely not a rout in that sense!
I'm glad those of you who watched last night enjoyed the TLU-Trinity match - though who could have predicted two goals in the last 3' to secure a win! Key on the winning goal was GK Satpathy's well placed free kick from inside his defensive half in the last minute which somehow found the head of a Trinity attacker in the box.
Someone commented on the condition of the pitch - Coach McGinlay takes pride in his namesake surface, and they did quite a bit of work over the summer from posts I've seen. They are also fortunate enough to have reclaimed water to use on campus and this, I believe, is the only natural field remaining on campus, so they put it to good use.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 12, 2024, 10:32:36 AMThey are also fortunate enough to have reclaimed water to use on campus and this, I believe, is the only natural field remaining on campus, so they put it to good use.
Playing any sport on an artificial surface in the Texas heat must be torture. I complain about the frequency of boots destroyed by glue failure here. I can't imagine the budget there.
Couple of afternoon games in the SCIAC:
CMS 2 - Caltech 0
Caltech held firm in the first half, which ended in a 0-0 tie, but CMS scored in the 51st and then doubled their lead in the 84th. CMS is now 9-2-1 and 5-2 in the SCIAC.
La Verne 2 - Pomona-Pitzer 2
On the one hand, P-P should be happy to pick up a point in the SCIAC after starting the season 0-5-1 in the SCIAC. Nevertheless, they will disappointed since they scored first in the 23rd minute and had a 1-0 lead at the half which they doubled in the 54th minute, before La Verne scored goals in the 61st, and 77th minutes to get the tie. La Verne gets some revenge after losing to Pomona-Pitzer 3-0 (in a game that was classified as non-conference) earlier in the season. It is 2-4-1 in the SCIAC now, which keeps its faint hopes alive for a conference tournament spot alive.
Action today in the NWC:
Pacific Lutheran 7 - Whitman 0
Pacific Lutheran made a STATEMENT this afternoon. Wow! Whitman came into the game 8-1-1 and 5-0-1 in the NWC and PLU was 6-1-3 and 4-0-2 in the NWC. I wrote that the winner of this game should get some consideration for the Region X rankings next week, assuming they also won their Sunday game. Pacific Lutheran has been really strong offensively of late, scoring 4, 3, and 4 goals the last three games, but those were not quite as strong opponents as Whitman. Whitman was on an 8 game winning streak, last losing to Redlands 2-1. They don't have a lock-down defense, but they had only given up 2 goals in the last 4 games. Not only did Pacific Lutheran score SEVEN goals on Whitman, but they scored four in the first half and kept pouring it on in the second even after completely emptying the bench (they played 30 players). And it wasn't like Whitman had a red card or something else to explain the blow-out. In fact, the shots and shots on goal were virtually the same and Whitman had an edge over PLU in corners. Pacific Lutheran was just absolutely clinical in its shooting, making 7 goals on 10 shots on goal and 16 shots total. It's the largest margin of victory for either team in this series against each other in the last 70 games (since 1980).
Whitworth 1 - Puget Sound 1
Whitworth dominated on the stats and was up 1-0 at half on a PK in the 22nd minute, but Puget Sound equalized in the second half in the 50th minute and Whitworth couldn't find a winner. Neither team was able to make up ground on the NWC leaders.
Pacific 3 - Lewis & Clark 0
Pacific scored a couple of goals 5 minutes apart in the first half, and then added a third in the second half while emptying the bench. Pacific is 6-6-1 and 4-4-1 in the NWC and Lewis & Clark is now 0-37-1 in its reboot.
SCIAC Saturday late games
Occidental 5 - Bethesda 0
This was a "scheduled win" for Oxy in the sense that Bethesda is a poor NAIA team (2-8 thus far). Oxy sat almost all of its regular starters or brought them off the bench for limited minutes and gave significant minutes to players who normally come off the bench or who don't play much if at all. Gives the rest a chance to rest/heal up for the stretch run in the SCIAC.
Cal Lutheran 0 - Redlands 0
Good result for Cal Lu, which frustrated Redlands and, if anything, had the upper hand, but neither team did very well offensively in that each team only had one shot on goal. Redlands drops behind CMS in the SCIAC standings and is only 3 points ahead of Cal Lu for third place.
Whittier 1 - Chapman 1
Whittier scored in the 15th minute and Chapman had to chase the game after that. Chapman found the equalizer in the 72nd minute on a long shot that the GK appeared to mishandle, but couldn't get a winner in a game that got chippy in the end, with 4 yellow cards issued in the last 5 minutes, 3 to Chapman. The point leaves Whittier currently one point behind Cal Lutheran for the fourth and final spot in the SCIAC conference tournament, but Cal Lu has a game in hand.
ASC action on Saturday
Hardin-Simmons 6 - Howard Payne 0
H-S bounces back from a loss to UMHB and a tie to UTD to take out its frustrations on Howard Payne. The thorough beatdown started with a goal 32 seconds after kickoff and continued throughout the first half, with H-S going to halftime with a 4-0 lead. H-S emptied the bench in the second half, but still scored 2 more. It is now 7-3-2 overall and 3-1 in the ASC. Howard Payne's winless streak stretches to 13 this season.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 1 - East Texas Baptist 0
UMHB scored in the 6th minute and made the score hold-up for the game. The game got chippy at the end with an ETBU player earning a straight red in a tussle in the 89th minute with a UMHB player who got a yellow. UMHB remains in first in the ASC with a 3-0-1 record.
UT Dallas 3 - LeTourneau 0
After beating Howard Payne and tying East Texas Baptist and Mary Hardin-Baylor in the last three games, LeTourneau had to be feeling fairly good about itself. It appeared to use this "non-conference, conference" game against UTD as a chance to give a different group of players a chance to play, as they started a group of players who hadn't been starting this year. They did OK in the first half, holding UTD off the scoreboard and going to halftime with a 0-0 tie, but they fell apart during a crucial stretch early in the second half with UTD scoring two goals in the 54th minute and a third in the 57th minute.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 12, 2024, 12:38:48 AMQuote from: wihsuafs24 on October 12, 2024, 12:06:47 AMQuote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2024, 11:31:45 PMCouple of additional results in Region X tonight:
Colorado College 3 - Concordia 0
The final score flatters Colorado College. It was a 0-0 tie for most of the game, with Concordia actually out-shooting Colorado College 7-3 in the first half, holding the corner kick edge 2-0, and forcing CC's GK to make 5 saves. Colorado College got on the board in the 77th minute and tacked on two more less than a minute apart in the 86th and 87th minutes to turn a very tight game into what looks like a route. Regardless, it's a good away result for Colorado, moving it to 9-1-2 and 4-0 in the SCAC.
CC was sluggish the first half, for sure, but I think saying a 3-0 win was somehow a misleading or unwarranted result is a bit stingy. If Concordia outshot CC first half 7-3, CC outshot Concordia 11-3 the second half (not mentioned), so I think another take might have been "CC found its footing and outshot CTX 11-3 the second half, eventually capitalizing in the 77th minute and twice more before match end." I like a team that can pull out a win, even when the game wasn't their finest for all 90.
That's fair. Didn't mean to slight Colorado College and definitely didn't say the result was unwarranted. It's just that a 3-0 score in soccer is sufficiently uncommon given the difficulty of scoring that someone might look at the final score and assume this was an easy game for Colorado College or that they dominated the game, which isn't really true. As you say, though, good teams can pull out a win even when they don't have their best game and Colorado College is definitely a good team. And, as I said, it's a good away result (against a decent Concordia team I might add).
While I thought they were the better team, indeed, Colorado really didn't seem to pull itself together until the second half. Sometime as you say, this is what good teams need to be able to do. Not sharp, but can piece together a couple of plays to get the win. Which is how I saw this one.
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Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 13, 2024, 07:31:05 AMQuote from: Kuiper on October 12, 2024, 12:38:48 AMQuote from: wihsuafs24 on October 12, 2024, 12:06:47 AMQuote from: Kuiper on October 11, 2024, 11:31:45 PMCouple of additional results in Region X tonight:
Colorado College 3 - Concordia 0
The final score flatters Colorado College. It was a 0-0 tie for most of the game, with Concordia actually out-shooting Colorado College 7-3 in the first half, holding the corner kick edge 2-0, and forcing CC's GK to make 5 saves. Colorado College got on the board in the 77th minute and tacked on two more less than a minute apart in the 86th and 87th minutes to turn a very tight game into what looks like a route. Regardless, it's a good away result for Colorado, moving it to 9-1-2 and 4-0 in the SCAC.
CC was sluggish the first half, for sure, but I think saying a 3-0 win was somehow a misleading or unwarranted result is a bit stingy. If Concordia outshot CC first half 7-3, CC outshot Concordia 11-3 the second half (not mentioned), so I think another take might have been "CC found its footing and outshot CTX 11-3 the second half, eventually capitalizing in the 77th minute and twice more before match end." I like a team that can pull out a win, even when the game wasn't their finest for all 90.
That's fair. Didn't mean to slight Colorado College and definitely didn't say the result was unwarranted. It's just that a 3-0 score in soccer is sufficiently uncommon given the difficulty of scoring that someone might look at the final score and assume this was an easy game for Colorado College or that they dominated the game, which isn't really true. As you say, though, good teams can pull out a win even when they don't have their best game and Colorado College is definitely a good team. And, as I said, it's a good away result (against a decent Concordia team I might add).
While I thought they were the better team, indeed, Colorado really didn't seem to pull itself together until the second half. Sometime as you say, this is what good teams need to be able to do. Not sharp, but can piece together a couple of plays to get the win. Which is how I saw this one.
SC.
I haven't seen a lot of Colorado College native intel on the board - Kuiper, as the Region X correspondent, of course covers SCAC games, but CC supporters don't seem to be active here. Maybe it's because everyone is out hiking or doing something more productive - but not me!! So if I may, I'd like to offer my 7 cents:
I agree entirely with SC's take. CC had to pull itself together or it was going to be in danger against a pretty shifty, quick CTX team. There was an issue with the video feed the first half ("FLOOOOOOOO!" [shaking fist at sky]) but that was actually good because I had just eaten and would've suffered some serious indigestion watching that. Thankfully, I think the second half was an entirely different story in CC's favor. Being able to transition to and maintain a much higher level of play second half and (eventually) converting the chances they created should be confidence-building.
For context, I used to be a NESCAC team affiliate and my team at that time - though actually quite successful in post-season for many years - was notoriously unconvincing for most of their games, and we were always a bit relieved with each win. I don't feel this CC team (or last year's) falls into this same category. They seem to play, by nature or by design, a more balanced, deliberate type of game, which doesn't always look great to viewers at home against shifty, quick, high press teams and can be dangerous, but I like watching that kind of a game. I do believe in their ability to score goals, they don't rely on just one or two players to get it done, and, of course, it works in no small part because of a super-disciplined defensive structure that's produced a GAA of .250 across 12 games now. Definitely helps keep the ship steady while everyone naps or reloads or whatever they're doing. In the loss to Mary Washington, I think what stood out to me was the fact that UMW only had 10 shots the entire game. Would have been nice for CC to capitalize on any of their chances, but you get my point.
Finally - I know the orchestra is playing - I've been nodding while reading the National Perspectives thread on travel and home advantage because CC was in Arkansas a week ago Friday, Austin last Friday and was on a bus to Abilene yesterday. Rinse and repeat for next weekend... I have to believe that has an impact, especially at this point in the season. But it's not an excuse, and it's not the whole story.
Thanks all! Appreciate the coverage and the platform.
Quote from: wihsuafs24 on October 13, 2024, 09:17:50 AMI haven't seen a lot of Colorado College native intel on the board - Kuiper, as the Region X correspondent, of course covers SCAC games, but CC supporters don't seem to be active here. Maybe it's because everyone is out hiking or doing something more productive - but not me!! So if I may, I'd like to offer my 7 cents:
Welcome to (or back to?) the Boards! We definitely appreciate the insight into Colorado College, which has been one of the best teams in the country the last couple of years.
To be clear, Colorado College is by no means unique in not having any fan supporters on the board up until now. In fact, I think I can count on one hand the number of fans of Region X teams who post on, or at least seem to semi-regularly like posts on, this thread and most of those are from Texas. The rest are interested from a national rankings perspective or because Region X teams are involved in EJay's pool. There are some lurkers from the SCIAC and NWC who I have noticed over the years, but that's about it. Some of that is because of the overall downward trend of traffic on these types of boards generally (a subject that has been discussed several times previously), some of it is because most parent followers tend to move on after their kids graduate, and some of it is naturally the result of far fewer schools participating in D3 soccer in Region X than in other regions.
I know some Region X coaches personally and I know some of the players who have come out of SoCal where I live (although that also means I know some SoCal players in the NESCAC, Centennial, UAA, NCAC, Liberty etc as well), but I'm not a fan poster in the sense that I didn't go to a school in Region X and I don't have a kid who is at or went to a Region X school. Paul Newman created this thread and recruited someone to help man it, but I ended up mostly limiting it to Region X and ignoring the NORTH part of the thread because I can barely keep up as it is.
I post about the Region X teams to help support soccer in the west and to try to shine a spotlight on schools and teams that most people from other areas of the country tend to forget about if they ever knew they existed. Most of the time, I'm not sure anyone is reading what I write about the games or the region. I would love it if more fans of the schools posted! For now, I'm kind of the Board's biggest (only in most cases) fan on the Board of all of the teams in Region X and I try not to play favorites. I sometimes write more about certain teams like Colorado College because they are a strong team and their travel schedule is fascinating (I routinely remind readers about the block schedule providing openings for travel that minimizes class disruption in certain times of the year and I wrote about their bus trip to their closest D3 competitor in Nebraska earlier this season) or Occidental because of their tremendous fan support in recent years, or Trinity because they are such a model of consistency or St. Thomas because they have had such a tumultuous couple of seasons, but I'm not trying to push for one team over another. I have to confess, however, that I have a soft spot for Caltech, which needs one more win this season to set its all-time program record for wins in a season, and for Lewis & Clark, which I keep hoping will get a win, any win, after 38 straight games without one! Call me a sucker for underdogs.
So, to any lurkers from a Region X school, please post and encourage your fellow fans to post! It might even make a difference in recruiting (there are a lot of parent and some players who read these posts), but it will also be a lot more fun than me posting into the wind.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2024, 11:20:43 AMQuote from: wihsuafs24 on October 13, 2024, 09:17:50 AMI haven't seen a lot of Colorado College native intel on the board - Kuiper, as the Region X correspondent, of course covers SCAC games, but CC supporters don't seem to be active here. Maybe it's because everyone is out hiking or doing something more productive - but not me!! So if I may, I'd like to offer my 7 cents:
Welcome to (or back to?) the Boards! We definitely appreciate the insight into Colorado College, which has been one of the best teams in the country the last couple of years.
To be clear, Colorado College is by no means unique in not having any fan supporters on the board up until now. In fact, I think I can count on one hand the number of fans of Region X teams who post on, or at least seem to semi-regularly like posts on, this thread and most of those are from Texas. The rest are interested from a national rankings perspective or because Region X teams are involved in EJay's pool. There are some lurkers from the SCIAC and NWC who I have noticed over the years, but that's about it. Some of that is because of the overall downward trend of traffic on these types of boards generally (a subject that has been discussed several times previously), some of it is because most parent followers tend to move on after their kids graduate, and some of it is naturally the result of far fewer schools participating in D3 soccer in Region X than in other regions.
I know some Region X coaches personally and I know some of the players who have come out of SoCal where I live (although that also means I know some SoCal players in the NESCAC, Centennial, UAA, NCAC, Liberty etc as well), but I'm not a fan poster in the sense that I didn't go to a school in Region X and I don't have a kid who is at or went to a Region X school. Paul Newman created this thread and recruited someone to help man it, but I ended up mostly limiting it to Region X and ignoring the NORTH part of the thread because I can barely keep up as it is.
I post about the Region X teams to help support soccer in the west and to try to shine a spotlight on schools and teams that most people from other areas of the country tend to forget about if they ever knew they existed. Most of the time, I'm not sure anyone is reading what I write about the games or the region. I would love it if more fans of the schools posted! For now, I'm kind of the Board's biggest (only in most cases) fan on the Board of all of the teams in Region X and I try not to play favorites. I sometimes write more about certain teams like Colorado College because they are a strong team and their travel schedule is fascinating (I routinely remind readers about the block schedule providing openings for travel that minimizes class disruption in certain times of the year and I wrote about their bus trip to their closest D3 competitor in Nebraska earlier this season) or Occidental because of their tremendous fan support in recent years, or Trinity because they are such a model of consistency or St. Thomas because they have had such a tumultuous couple of seasons, but I'm not trying to push for one team over another. I have to confess, however, that I have a soft spot for Caltech, which needs one more win this season to set its all-time program record for wins in a season, and for Lewis & Clark, which I keep hoping will get a win, any win, after 38 straight games without one! Call me a sucker for underdogs.
So, to any lurkers from a Region X school, please post and encourage your fellow fans to post! It might even make a difference in recruiting (there are a lot of parent and some players who read these posts), but it will also be a lot more fun than me posting into the wind.
FYI - I truly appreciate your posts. I'm a Trinity alum who spent 30 years around the world in the Navy. The advent of the internet and Trinity's rising overall athletic success over that span have caused me to remain engaged. A daughter who played both club soccer and volleyball caused us to head to games on campus here in SA. Watching the teams in person and seeing the speed, power, and dedication solidified my love for the sports and teams.
You, and others like you, make the whole experience so much better. Having context and insights allows for watching events in different ways. For example, a local standout high school RB on the FB team who started in the Ivy League, returned to SA and Trinity, played LB for a year and is now back at RB and thriving. Knowing his story makes watching richer. Understanding rivalries, trends, and finer points of soccer does the same.
We're out here and we're reading. Sincere thanks!
Quote from: Kuiper on October 13, 2024, 11:20:43 AMSo, to any lurkers from a Region X school, please post and encourage your fellow fans to post! It might even make a difference in recruiting (there are a lot of parent and some players who read these posts), but it will also be a lot more fun than me posting into the wind.
Good perspective - thank you, and I echo D3Navy's appreciation for your updates as well. I don't know much about Region X other than our involvement with Colorado College - just learning as we go, and your posts provide a lot of color!
And if anyone is interested in watching another potentially great Texas D3 game, 9-0-2 Trinity is hosting 7-0-3 Southwestern and Southwestern is up 1-0 on a great free kick delivery by Grimm to an unmarked 6'2" Sharma in the middle of the box who beat the undersized Trinity Gk Satpathy (listed at 5'10") to the ball and headed it over him for the goal.
Southwestern 1 - Trinity 0 early in the first half
UPDATE: Southwestern 1 - Trinity 1
Adam Knutson hits what seems to be a back post floating/curling shot (or cross?) from the top left of the box and it finds the top corner of the goal without the Southwestern GK making a play on it.
Knutson gets the game winner in the 57th minute off a corner that went all the way through and was redirected to him wide outside the box just before the ball went out of bounds. He had a bit of room, drove around several defenders before taking a shot at the far corner of the penalty area that the Southwestern keeper could only get a finger on before it found the back of the net.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 13, 2024, 06:14:14 PMKnutson gets the game winner in the 57th minute off a corner that went all the way through and was redirected to him wide outside the box just before the ball went out of bounds. He had a bit of room, drove around several defenders before taking a shot at the far corner of the penalty area that the Southwestern keeper could only get a finger on before it found the back of the net.
Thanks Ron (had to sign off at the half). Here's a video (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBEwNZDRpQD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)of the game-winning Knutson goal, which I would describe as a bit niftier than "drove through." ;D That's a literal slalom job in close quarters!
A bunch of games in the SCAC today
Trinity 2 - Southwestern 1
See upthread for real time description. Trinity is now 10-02 and 5-0 in the SCAC, while Southwestern falls to 7-1-3 and 2-1-2 in the SCAC.
Colorado College 4 - McMurry 0
McMurry shocked the SCAC by beating St. Thomas on Friday, but no such luck with Colorado College. They did hold CC to 1 goal in the first half after being outshot 15-0, but Colorado College steamrolled McMurry in the second half with goals in the 50th, 65th, and 76th minutes. Overall, CC outshot McMurry 31-2. Colorado College is 10-1-2 and 5-0 in the SCAC, tied for the top spot with Trinity. They have a tough pair of games awaiting them next weekend as they travel to play Southwestern and Texas Lutheran.
Texas Lutheran 2 - Schreiner 0
TLU recovers from the disappointment of the last minute stunner at Trinity to beat Schreiner on two first half goals.
St. Thomas 3 - Concordia 1
St. Thomas recovers from a tough 89th minute loss to McMurry on Friday by beating a Concordia team that is competitive with a lot of good teams, but keeps finding new ways to lose. This time, a straight red card to Concordia's Marco Casulli in the 8th minute meant that they had to play down a man for almost the entire game. UST took advantage, scoring goals in the 32nd and 34th minutes and tacking on an insurance goal in the second half in the 58th minute. Daniel Castro, who has been relatively quiet this season without his partner Taty Aleman around to take off some pressure, got a brace. UST needs him to get and stay hot. The only blemish for St. Thomas was that they had 5 yellow cards, including one to the GK in the 59th minute that led to Concordia's only goal on a penalty kick.
Centenary 3 - University of Dallas 1
Despite losing a player to a double yellow in the 65th minute, Centenary, which was already up 2-1 at that point, holds onto the lead and even adds a goal in the 84th minute to win the game. Dallas drops to 1-10 and 0-5 in the SCAC.
Ozarks 2 - Austin 1
The tie against TLU last week is a distant memory for Austin, which goes down to Ozarks 2-0n in the first half and can only cut the lead in half despite outshooting Ozarks 10-3 in the second half.
A full slate of games in the NWC
George Fox 2 - Lewis & Clark 1
Heartbreak for L&C. After scoring first on a PK in the 8th minute for L&C's very first lead of the season after 12 games, L&C had some glimmer of hope this might be the day they break their 38 game winless streak. Sadly, it was not to be. They allowed an equalizer in the 31st minute, but they pressed forward and actually came close to matching George Fox on shots until a L&C player got a second yellow in the 79th minute and they went down a man. They still held firm, but George Fox scored the game winner in the 89th minute to deny L&C their first point of the season and what would have been only their second point of the last 39 games since they re-started the program. George Fox survives and despite the unconvincing performance, is 9-2-1 and 5-2-1 in the NWC, only one point behind Whitman for third in the NWC with Whitman and Whitworth coming to town next weekend.
Pacific Lutheran 2 - Whitworth 1
Not the blowout they enjoyed against Whitman, but PLU finishes the job in a fairly even game in which all three goals were scored in the first half. The Lutes have a five game winning streak and have opened up a 3 point lead in the NWC.
Whitman 1 - Puget Sound 1
On the one hand, Whitman recovers from the 7-0 loss to tie a decent Puget Sound team that has tied PLU and Whitworth. On the other hand, Whitman gives up points and drops further behind Pacific Lutheran in the NWC and is now only 1 point ahead of George Fox. Perhaps even more frustrating for Whitman is that they pretty much dominated Puget Sound, outshooting them 16-3 and 9-2 in shots on goal and 8-1 in corners. It took them until the 82nd minute to score, but when they did Whitman had to breath a sigh of relief and figure that they could walk away with a weekend split. It wasn't to be as a Whitman defender took down a Puget Sound player on a through ball in the box and Puget Sound equalized with a PK in the 88th minute.
Linfield 2 - Willamette 2
After going into halftime down 2-1, Willamette outshot Linfield 20-4 in the second half as it tried to get back on track. It got the equalizer in the 56th minute, but couldn't find a winner. Probably a fair result as both teams only have one win - against Lewis & Clark - in the NWC.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 08, 2024, 01:34:58 PMEverything stays the same except Redlands jumps ahead of TLU (after its tie with Austin) and UC Santa Cruz (after its tie with Chapman). I could see Pacific Lutheran entering the rankings in the next poll if they beat Whitman and Whitworth this weekend and someone else stumbles.
Region X - Poll 5 - October 8, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 8-1-2
2 Southwestern University 2 7-0-2
3 Trinity University (Texas) 3 8-0-2
4 Occidental College 4 7-1-2
5 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 5 7-2-1
6 University of Redlands 8 6-2-2
7 Texas Lutheran University 6 5-0-3
8 University of California Santa Cruz 7 4-1-6
As I expected after Pacific Lutheran crushes Whitman and beats Whitworth this weekend, it replaces UC Santa Cruz in the poll, which had its game cancelled this weekend,, and Trinity climbs from #3 to #2 after beating Texas Lutheran and Southwestern. Southwestern might not have fallen as far with just a close loss to Trinity, but the tie to Schreiner was a killer. Surprised Occidental went up after tying Chapman at home and Redlands stayed where they were after tying Cal Lutheran. I think a lot of teams are stumbling in conference and there is a sense that the SCIAC and the SCAC are better conferences than the NWC and the ASC.
Region X - Poll 6 - October 15, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 10-1-2
2 Trinity University (Texas) 3 10-0-2
3 Occidental College 4 8-1-3
4 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 5 9-2-1
5 Southwestern University 2 7-1-3
6 University of Redlands 6 7-2-3
7 Pacific Lutheran University NR 8-1-3
8 Texas Lutheran University 7 6-1-3
Wednesday action in the SCIAC:
Occidental @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 pm Pacific
Oxy has been climbing in the polls, while my assessment is they have only gotten shakier. They still have great players and they aren't losing, but a comeback win against La Verne and a 0-0 tie against a Chapman team that played down a man for the last 21 minutes doesn't inspire confidence. The 5-0 win against Bethesda should be considered a reserve team game in assessing the team. CMS hasn't been overwhelming either, though. It at least has won three in a row (against weaker teams La Verne, Pomona, and Caltech), but it had a bad loss to Whittier right before that streak started. Oxy and CMS play twice in a week - today at CMS and next Wednesday at Oxy. By the end of that second game, we should know a lot more about which of these two teams has the upper hand in the SCIAC.
La Verne @ Redlands 7 pm Pacific
La Verne lost a close 3-2 game to Oxy, going up 2-0 before Oxy scored three goals in the second half, including the game winner in the 82nd minute, and a close game 3-2 to CMS, going down 3-1, before scoring a goal in the 80th minute that made for a potentially nervy last 10 minutes. While Oxy and CMS are beating each other up twice in the next week, Redlands gets to take its crack at La Verne at home with a chance to atone for a disappointing 0-0 tie away to Cal Lutheran on Saturday. If it can dispatch La Verne, Pomona-Pitzer, and Caltech over the next three games (and it already beat P-P 4-1 and Caltech 5-0 before the Cal Lu game), it could go into the game against CMS in 10 days with a chance for revenge after losing to them 2-0 earlier in the season and a chance to solidify a spot at the top of the SCIAC. If, however, Redlands repeats its Cal Lu game and loses or ties against La Verne, it might find itself fighting for a playoff spot.
Caltech @ Chapman 4 pm Pacific
Chapman has tied the last three games, including a great tie earned at Oxy and a not-so-great tie against Whittier. They have been playing much better of late, but if they want to keep their faint conference tourney hopes alive, they need to win games against a bottom of the conference team like Caltech. Caltech is on a 4 game winless streak after tying Pomona and beating La Verne. It needs to get back on the winning track, but I fear their lack of depth is hurting them again as the we reach the final stretch of the season. They are better than last year, but Ishaan Mantripragada missed the game Saturday at CMS and that will really hurt their chances of picking up one more win if he has a longer-term knock. They generally need both him and Casanova to keep defenses off-balance and give them a chance to win.
Cal Lutheran @ Pomona-Pitzer 4 pm Pacific
Cal Lu is currently in the fourth and final conference tourney spot, but Whittier is nipping on its heels. It has had a bad habit of doing well against some of the better teams (beating CMS, tying Redlands) and losing or tying against weaker teams it should beat (loss to La Verne, tie to Caltech). It has two games in a week against Pomona-Pitzer that it really needs to get six points from to solidify its spot in the tournament. Pomona-Pitzer, by contrast, is winless in conference and it has a tough schedule the rest of the season (Cal Lu x2, Redlands, Oxy, and Whittier). If it is going to pick up a win, beating Cal Lu on its slow grass field at home in a 4 pm game after an 80 mile bus ride in LA traffic might be its best chance to catch an inconsistent team sleeping in a trap game.
One game in the NWC today:
Willamette @ Lewis & Clark 5:00 pm Pacific
Willamette beat L&C 2-0 at home a month ago for its only win of the season. After tying Linfield 2-2 at home, things are looking pretty bleak for the Bearcats. This may be its best chance to get a second win. Despite losing to George Fox on an 89th minute goal on Sunday after going down a man because of a second yellow, L&C may be kind of feeling good about itself. Losing to a GF team by a score of 2-1 that was 8-2-1 and 4-2 in the NWC coming into the game is a pretty big accomplishment for a team with a history of no accomplishments. With this game at home and the second game against Linfield away, this might be L&C's best chance for the first win in its rebirth.
Region X results tonight
Willamette 4 - Lewis & Clark 0
Willamette took care of business and L&C really couldn't stop the Bearcats. Winless streak extended to 40 games. Not sure this means anything for the now 2-win Willamette, but perhaps something to build upon for the rest of the season.
Chapman 2 - Caltech 1
Chapman scores two in the first half to put this one away. Caltech got one right after halftime, but couldn't get the equalizer. It only played two subs significant minutes with a third getting 14 minutes and I think Caltech just ran out of gas trying to chase the game. It's really tough when 7 of your starters play the full 90 and Chapman has 9 coming off the bench, but this game was largely over in the first half anyway. Chapman moves up to a tie with Cal Lutheran for the fourth and final playoff spot, while Caltech drops to a tie for last in the SCIAC.
Pomona-Pitzer 5 - Cal Lutheran 0
I wrote in the preview that this looked like a trap game for a Cal Lu team that doesn't seem to get up for the weaker teams and really needs energy to play well. Seems like they left any energy on the bus because Pomona-Pitzer just thrashed them, taking a 2-0 advantage at halftime and blowing the game open during a 6 minute stretch in the 2nd half when P-P scored 3 goals. P-P has tons of skill, creativity, and passing ability. If you don't press them, they can pick you apart. Their problem is that if they are a little off with their passing, then they can be beat on counters and long balls, and they often take unnecessary risks with the passes, which gets them in trouble. This afternoon, they were really good with their passing, Fuchs was a wizard dribbling in the CM position, and P-P was downright clinical with their shots, scoring 5 goals on 9 shots on goal and 16 shots overall. With Chapman's win, Cal Lu drops into a tie with them for 4th, although Cal Lu may have the tiebreaker. P-P gets their first SCIAC win of the year in fine fashion and is now tied with Caltech in the SCIAC cellar.
Redlands 5 - La Verne 0
Redlands brushed aside its disappointing 0-0 tie to Cal Lutheran and went back to its explosive offensive ways in this game. It thoroughly dominated this game, outshooting ULV 26-3. Redlands is now tied with Oxy for 2nd in the SCIAC and its next two games are against Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne again. It still hasn't proven it can beat the top teams in the SCIAC, but it has definitely proven it can score.
Claremont-Mudd-Scrips 3 - Occidental 2
Huge win for CMS. Oxy went ahead one minute into the game on a great cross that Andrew Notter cut off in front of the CMS GK and scored. I don't know if Oxy changed tactics after that or if a switch went off and they started to relax, because CMS went on the attack and kept pressing for an equalizer. It came in the 27th and a second goal came a few minutes later in the 33rd minute. With CMS taking a 2-1 lead into halftime, I thought Oxy would come out of the half with renewed vigor. They have been a team that needs to be woken from its slumber sometimes and usually they have the firepower to rise to the occasion. I think CMS took them off guard, though, because they came out in the second half with a high press and parlayed that into several dangerous chances, including one where confusion between the Oxy GK and CB over a ball at the edge of the box led to the CMS forward stripping them of it and a second CMS forward slotted into the empty net for the 3-1 lead in the 48th minute. Oxy came to life at that point and became dangerous, but couldn't break through until the 75th minute when a great shot hit the far post and went in the goal. They could not find an equalizer, though, and suffer their first SCIAC loss. CMS jumps ahead of them and takes 1st in the SCIAC, while Oxy not only drops to 2nd, but is now tied there with Redlands after its win. Oxy gets a chance for a rematch, though, as they will host CMS next Wednesday. One benefit of that is that not only will Oxy be home, but they will play on a much better field where they can take advantage of their speed. CMS has probably the worst field in the SCIAC. It is bare on lots of patches where it is just dirt right now with a hint of grass. Lots of players were slipping all over the field tonight with the cooler air and dew on the field. There was one shot of Oxy's GK replacing a divot after he slipped on a GK. I like that CMS still uses grass and they do keep the grass low, but it's really substandard.
First post and I follow you closely Kuiper as you have the most incisive objective posts out here hands down. Don't get me started on the East Coast threads as I can't bear to watch or follow them. Couple thoughts on the CMS/Oxy game tonight. I'm not sure turf fields are going to help the speed of Oxy next game. They were outclassed tonight- CMS had possession by 65/70% easily, played tika taka on the wings effectively and stretched Oxy's midfield. Hard to see Oxy string 3-4 forward passes together or have any build out of the back. When you have freshmen scoring on silly goalkeeper out of the box mistakes, something is wrong mentally. CMS was better tonight technically, play better as a team, don't rely solely on the striker. I suspect they will go forward and close out the season in first. The St Olaf defeat and their SOS/SSF should get them higher in overall standings soon. Coach Cartee is recruiting some stellar players. I smell upcoming dynasty...
Quote from: BTXCru18 on September 26, 2024, 04:06:55 PMYep...The Cru are pretty hot and cold this year. Never really put together a complete 90 minutes yet even in the games they won.
Conference play will be especially tough this year in the ASC with everyone playing twice - home & away - in the regular season and then also having a tournament with the top 4 teams. It's never been set up like that before conference-wide(there was a divisional thing in Spring 2020-2021 COVID season). Whoever comes out with the AQ will have been thoroughly tested against their peers!
I stand corrected... ASC tournament will be whacky. All 5 teams get in, with a 4v5 matchup in the lone quarterfinal on Tuesday 11/5, advancing to play the #1 seed in the semifinal round 11/7 before the eventual championship game on 11/9. Additionally, the host site is determined by the WOMEN'S #1 seed, who will host both sides of the tournament.
So the #1 seed for the men still holds value in that you get to play someone on short rest, but this will be weird.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on October 17, 2024, 12:11:56 PMQuote from: BTXCru18 on September 26, 2024, 04:06:55 PMYep...The Cru are pretty hot and cold this year. Never really put together a complete 90 minutes yet even in the games they won.
Conference play will be especially tough this year in the ASC with everyone playing twice - home & away - in the regular season and then also having a tournament with the top 4 teams. It's never been set up like that before conference-wide(there was a divisional thing in Spring 2020-2021 COVID season). Whoever comes out with the AQ will have been thoroughly tested against their peers!
I stand corrected... ASC tournament will be whacky. All 5 teams get in, with a 4v5 matchup in the lone quarterfinal on Tuesday 11/5, advancing to play the #1 seed in the semifinal round 11/7 before the eventual championship game on 11/9. Additionally, the host site is determined by the WOMEN'S #1 seed, who will host both sides of the tournament.
So the #1 seed for the men still holds value in that you get to play someone on short rest, but this will be weird.
I think the ASC had to do it this way because they needed more conference games to fill out their schedules. This way, everyone gets at least one extra game.
Quote from: seanie67 on October 17, 2024, 02:33:23 AMFirst post and I follow you closely Kuiper as you have the most incisive objective posts out here hands down. Don't get me started on the East Coast threads as I can't bear to watch or follow them. Couple thoughts on the CMS/Oxy game tonight. I'm not sure turf fields are going to help the speed of Oxy next game. They were outclassed tonight- CMS had possession by 65/70% easily, played tika taka on the wings effectively and stretched Oxy's midfield. Hard to see Oxy string 3-4 forward passes together or have any build out of the back. When you have freshmen scoring on silly goalkeeper out of the box mistakes, something is wrong mentally. CMS was better tonight technically, play better as a team, don't rely solely on the striker. I suspect they will go forward and close out the season in first. The St Olaf defeat and their SOS/SSF should get them higher in overall standings soon. Coach Cartee is recruiting some stellar players. I smell upcoming dynasty...
Thanks for the kind words! CMS definitely looked strong in this game. On one of CMS' goals in the first half, they had Oxy chasing ghosts with a beautiful string of passes on the left side and through the middle for a great shot from the top of the box. As for the turf, I was thinking of Oxy's counter game, where they like to bring the ball up the wing very quickly and cross from there. The right side of the field near the entrance that CMS was defending in the first half seemed to be very slick and was basically just dirt. The Oxy wingers were slipping try to make sharp turns.
Interestingly, this will be the first time in several years that CMS and Oxy play each other twice in the regular season under the SCIAC's unbalanced scheduling system that they adopted. So, it will be great to see how each team and coaches adjust for the rematch next week. CMS still has its own inconsistency problems with their losses to Cal Lu and Whittier standing out like sore thumbs, but if it's getting its act together (and getting healthy), it's doing it at the right time of the year!
A couple of games in the ASC tonight
Hardin-Simmons 2 - East Texas Baptist 1
I think the ASC is a two-way race between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons (3-1 in conference entering the game), but I'm not sure East Texas Baptist (1-2-1 entering the game), got the memo. After a 0-0 tie at half despite H-S having 13 shots and 10 corner kicks, ETBU got on the board first in the 60th minute. As often happens, that seems to unlock the game as H-S equalized in the 64th. H-S once again poured on the pressure, taking 16 shots in the second half alone, but it took them until the 87th minute to get the game-winner.
LeTourneau 1 - Howard Payne 1
LeTourneau was 4-4-4 and 1-1-2 coming into the game and Howard Payne was 0-10-3 and 0-3-1. LeTourneau won the first match between these two teams 4-0 at home. This seemed like a minor mismatch. The first half was pretty even, ending 0-0, but LeTourneau scored first in the 52nd and you figured that would draw HP out and give LeTourneau more opportunities. It did draw them out, but HP ended up equalizing in the 67th minute and LeTourneau couldn't find a winner despite outshooting HP 17-8 and 10-2 in the second half. Things got a little testy at the end and one HP player got a double yellow in the 90th minute.
I'm sure Kuiper will do a better match preview than this, but St. Thomas @ TLU this evening at 5 CT. Rematch of the blood bath that happened last season, this time in Seguin. I'm sure Eddie Salazar will do all he can to keep the guys as level headed/motivated as possible, but I imagine more than a few of the TLU players will want another shot at UST. Not that TLU was without blame last season either...
Last year's game was also the first loss of TLU's season and ultimately what kept them out of the SCAC tournament, with UST getting in over them on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
I am sure the conference has alerted all concerned that anything remotely resembling last years debacle will have much more severe consequences than last year's rather milquetoast response. The refs will be handing out cards like candy at Halloween.
Ron: Not sure I agree with your characterization of the response. The entire St. Thomas coaching staff lost their jobs. The player who committed the leg breaking tackle did not play again for the rest of the season. The conference also implemented a number of policies that impact men's soccer this year, such as:
1. A total of 3 yellows to the entire coaching staff combined will result in a 1 game suspension for the head coach (NCAA rule is 5 to a specific individual)
2. 3 yellow cards in conference play to a player equals a suspension (NCAA rule is 5 for the season).
Quote from: College Soccer Observer on October 18, 2024, 12:15:19 PMRon: Not sure I agree with your characterization of the response. The entire St. Thomas coaching staff lost their jobs. The player who committed the leg breaking tackle did not play again for the rest of the season. The conference also implemented a number of policies that impact men's soccer this year, such as:
1. A total of 3 yellows to the entire coaching staff combined will result in a 1 game suspension for the head coach (NCAA rule is 5 to a specific individual)
2. 3 yellow cards in conference play to a player equals a suspension (NCAA rule is 5 for the season).
Wasn't aware of the disciplinary changes in the SCAC. I'd add that no UST players were awarded any USC all-region/American honors last season, not even Taty Aleman with 20 goal contributions.
The USC honors may be as simple as the fact that your coach has to be a member in order for a player to win an award, and with the midseason change, the new coach might not have been aware of this requirement.
CSO: thanks for the added detail. The fact that the conference never publicly announced these changes (or any disciplinary actions) continues to be a great disappointment.
Stuff *happened* but nobody took responsibility or even acknowledged what went on.
Two spicy Friday Night Lights games in Texas today in Region X
St. Thomas @ Texas Lutheran 5 pm Central
As others have already noted, this is the first time these two teams will play each other since the game on October 8, 2023, when nominally UST came back to win 3-2 with goals in the 89th and 90th games against a backup freshman TLU keeper who had played only 6 minutes and 39 seconds in his college career before this game.
The real story, of course, was that there were at least two brawls, 5 red cards, 12 yellow cards with the teams playing 10-9 for a while and the game ended 8 v 8, one player, TLU's Jorge Ugaz, was taken to the hospital with a broken leg from a tackle and appears to have had his career ended by the injury - he is technically on the roster for a Covid year this season, but hasn't played a second after playing consistently for 4 years with TLU, the UST head coach and a few of his assistants were fired immediately after the game and the rest of the coaching staff was ushered out after the season, SCAC changed the rules to lower from 5 to 3 the number of yellows that lead to suspensions, and the poor, over-matched, freshman TLU keeper, who came into the chaos and let in the two UST goals after the starter was red carded for running the length of the field to head butt a UST player during one of the brawls, played a couple of games while the starter was suspended and then appears to have left the team and possibly the sport altogether.
I don't think I'm overstating things to say that lives were changed as a result of this single game and both sides may still bear grudges for their players/coaches who lost their jobs or their playing careers. And, perhaps ominously, it's noteworthy that all of the red and yellow carded players for TLU and three of the UST players remain on their respective rosters. Plus, many other players on both rosters return. Even if the coaches warn them about instigating anything, there are guys on probably both rosters, but especially UST based on what I have seen thus far this season, who still view getting under the other players' skins and talking back to the refs as an essential part of the game.
Assuming they can put last year's game behind them, it's an important game for both schools. TLU is 6-1-3 and 2-1-2 and tied for 4th in the SCAC with Southwestern and UST is 7-4 and 3-2 in 3rd place in the SCAC. These are both tough weekends for these teams. UST plays at TLU and at Southwestern and TLU hosts UST and Colorado College. My guess is if either teams comes out of the weekend with two wins, they will have gone a long way to securing 3rd seed in the conference tournament. The Southwestern and Colorado College games will also give each a chance to secure a quality win and possibly climb the NPI rankings.
Colorado College @ Southwestern 7:30 pm Central
Colorado College is 10-1-2 and 5-0 in the SCAC and Southwestern is 7-1-3 and 2-1-2 in the SCAC. Southwestern is coming off a bad tie to Schreiner and a tough 2-1 loss to Trinity and Colorado College is not only on a 5 game winning streak, but a 5 game shutout streak since a 1-0 loss to Mary Washington. If Southwestern wants to make a move in the SCAC and in the NPI rankings, this is their big chance at home to do so. For Colorado College, the games this weekend against Southwestern and Texas Lutheran, and next weekend against Trinity, are not just opportunities to jockey for the top spot in the SCAC, but to get some NPI quality win bonus points to give them some insurance in case they don't win the SCAC AQ. Because they played more of the bottom of the SCAC to start their conference schedule, Colorado College is only #17 in the NPI despite taking on some top teams in non-conference games and Southwestern (#59), Texas Lutheran (#49), and Trinity (#11) will be key to increasing their SoS and QWB points.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 18, 2024, 01:42:00 PMCSO: thanks for the added detail. The fact that the conference never publicly announced these changes (or any disciplinary actions) continues to be a great disappointment.
Stuff *happened* but nobody took responsibility or even acknowledged what went on.
I agree there should have been some sort of announcement.
I wonder if this is more in part due to member institutions being largely(if not exclusively) private. Aside from presidents, compensation and employment details are largely kept private. Just a thought.
You also have to consider the legal implications of all of this. I've been around enough general counsels to know how they think when potential lawsuits are in the air. Less is always more on the legal front.
Pulled the trigger and subscribed to Flosports to watch TU - Dallas.
No video.
Not a happy new customer.
Video now as the 2nd half winds down. And the video is blurry and terrible. The announcer is surely a nice guy but is sub-par when it comes to calling a soccer match.
Overall, this Flosports broadcast is a debacle.
And I notice that none of these SCAC schools with Bl0w$port$ broadcasts offer live stats any more. Truly pathetic. Please update on the final score if you would be so kind.
Feel free to tag @SCAC_Sports on X and let them know what you think of the product they are forcing on their audience.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 18, 2024, 07:38:34 PMAnd I notice that none of these SCAC schools with Bl0w$port$ broadcasts offer live stats any more. Truly pathetic. Please update on the final score if you would be so kind.
Feel free to tag @SCAC_Sports on X and let them know what you think of the product they are forcing on their audience.
Watching this game would have risked being called by the coroner to provide evidence at the inquisition. Trinity won 6-0 (Instrall, Perryman, Kuntson, Rule, Dougan, and Mayfield). Powell and Dougan had two assists each and Instrall and Perales had one apiece. Trinity outshot UD 18-2.
Almost all FloSports schools provide LiveStats. Only a few of the sketchier SCAC schools have left them out in my experience. The NCAA site (https://www.ncaa.com/game/6315937) has the info if they don't.
Results in the SCAC tonight
St. Thomas 0 - Texas Lutheran 0
Same result as the TLU-Southwestern game, with a little bit of a similar feel even though TLU had moments when they were attack-minded. Shots were equal, but there were just very few of them (7 for TLU and 6 for UST). It was a physical game, with 14/13 fouls and 6 total yellow cards (4 for UST and 2 for TLU), but it never felt like things were going to get out of control. At one point early in the first half a UST player gave a two-handed push to a TLU winger in the corner, which wasn't called, and I wondered if that was going to spark something, but the players generally kept their cool. For UST, Daniel Castro was dangerous with his speed, but TLU was generally equal to the task. TLU falls to 5th with this tie, behind Austin College. TLU is competitive in all games, but they have to score to get all three points.
Colorado College 1 - Southwestern 0
Speaking of Southwestern and tight games, this was another tight game without a ton of offense. Only goal was scored in the 65th minute on a penalty kick. This is Colorado College's 6th win in a row and 6th straight shutout. If you like defense, be sure to watch Colorado College's game on Sunday at Texas Lutheran, which has blanked all of its SCAC opponents thus far except Trinity.
Trinity 6 - University of Dallas 0
Trinity scored 3 goals in each half, outshot UD 18-2, and emptied the bench. UD goes to 0-6 in the SCAC and 1-11 overall.
Austin 3 - Schreiner 1
Austin scored 2 goals in the first 7 minutes. Schreiner made it interesting by scoring a goal in the 26th minute, but Austin got an insurance goal in the 62nd minute to secure the win in a game where they outshot Schreiner 24-9. I don't think Austin will win against Trinity on Sunday, but they have been more competitive in SCAC play this year, tying Texas Lutheran and losing a close 3-2 game to Southwestern. They currently sit in 4th in the SCAC.
Ozarks 4 - McMurry 0
Ozarks is another team like Austin that has been more competitive. Other than losing to St. Thomas 6-1, they have done OK separating themselves from the SCAC bottom group. In this game, they scored 3 goals in the first 27th minutes on only 6 shots and it was game over. They are currently tied with Concordia TX and Southwestern -- which are are typically considered greater threats to the top teams -- for 6th in the SCAC.
Concordia 3 - Centenary 2
Jose Aguirre put Concordia on his back and saved the team. After scoring a brace in the first half and leading his team to a 2-0 lead at half in which they outshot Centenary 15-5, it looked like they could go on cruise control. Centenary, however, had other ideas. They scored goals in the 54th and 62nd minutes to tie the game. It wasn't until the 84th minute that Aguirre completed his hat trick and secured the victory for Concordia on a penalty kick.
Afternoon action in the NWC
George Fox 5 - Whitman 1
Whitman has really fallen into a deep, dark, hole. After rising to 8-1 and 5-0-1 in the NWC, they are winless in the last three, losing to Pacific Lutheran 7-0, tying Puget Sound 1-1, and now losing to George Fox 5-1 all in a week's time. Whitman even scored first in this game in the 7th minute, but then George Fox reeled off 4 goals in the first half and 1 more for good measure in the 77th minute of the second half to complete the blowout. It's not like Whitman played down a man or anything else. The two teams were virtually even in shots both halves and they had identical shots on goal in each half. They changed GKs in the Pac Lu and Puget Sound game, to no effect, but this game they stuck with the same poor keeper the whole game and it didn't matter. GF now jumps ahead of Whitman to take 2nd place in the NWC.
Pacific Lutheran 3 - Linfield 1
Linfield has improved since Pacific Lutheran beat them 5-0 on 9/22 and they held the Lutes to a 1-0 lead at half. The stats were almost completely equal except for the goal Pacific Lutheran scored in the 11th minute. In the second half, Trevor Thompson scored in the 47th minute and they turned on the pressure going for more. They outshot Linfield 17-7 in the second half alone, but Linfield actually struck next, cutting the lead in half in the 70th minute. Pac Lutheran's Thompson finally added an insurance goal (for his 13th goal of the season) in the 83rd minute to put the game to bed and the team goes to 9-1-3 and 7-0-2 in the NWC.
Willamette 2 - Puget Sound 1
On Wednesday, I wondered if Willamette's 4-0 victory over Lewis & Clark could help jump start them for the rest of the season. Perhaps it did as they secured their 3rd victory of the season by scoring 2 goals in the second half to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit.
Pacific 2 - Whitworth 0
Pacific scores goals in the 32nd and 67th minutes to take a game from Whitworth and leapfrog them into 4th place in the conference standings. I don't think any team looks like they want to challenge Pacific Lutheran for the NWC AQ this year as the teams in the middle keep beating up on each other just as someone looks ready to make a move, while the Lutes keep chugging along with 12 games without a loss.
SCIAC action last night
CMS 1 - La Verne 0
La Verne is a team that has troubled many of the teams ahead of it in the SCIAC, including CMS who they lost to 3-2 earlier this season. In this game, La Verne and its GK held them off the board, despite CMS having a 17-6 lead on shots (9-2 on goal) and 5-2 on corners, until the 75th minute when Rafael Otero scored his 9th goal of the season off a cross in what proved to be the winner. The win -- its fifth in a row -- keeps CMS in first in the SCIAC.
Redlands 4 - Pomona-Pitzer 0
Redlands once again flashed its offensive prowess, at least against the bottom half of the league, in a game that wasn't that uneven on the stat sheet, except in the most important stat of balls in the back of the net. Redlands was up 2-0 at halftime and Anders Beckton scored a brace in the second half to complete the rout. This was one of those games where Pomona-Pitzer, which beat Cal Lu 5-0 in the mid-week game, didn't have the pinpoint passing accuracy it needs to be effective with its aggressive possession-based style of attacking play and that gave Redlands opportunities to steal ill-advised and overly ambitious passes to counter and pick apart P-P's defense. Not only is this Redlands' 5th game in the last 6 where they scored at least 4 goals, but it was its 4th shutout in a row. Assuming it gets by Caltech in the midweek game, it sets up a showdown for first place next Saturday at home against CMS, against whom it suffered its one D3 loss this season.
Occidental 1 - Caltech 1
Oxy extended its unbeaten streak to 12, but not without a lot of nervousness and another Houdini Act on Senior Night. The teams were tied 0-0 in a taut, defensive, battle until the 74th minute when Caltech scored on a header off a corner kick. It looked like the Beavers might have secured only its 2nd win in 33 tries against Occidental in program history (the last win was 15 years ago in 2009), but it was not to be. Caltech was called for a handball in the box in the 86th minute and Oury Diane hit the ensuing penalty kick to salvage the tie. Oxy falls to 3rd place in the SCIAC after the evening's results, while Caltech pulls out of the conference cellar.
Chapman 1 - Whittier 0
Chapman extends its unbeaten streak to 7 and avenges a 1-1 tie last Saturday, with a goal in the 40th minute and 6 saves by Alex Glynn in the second half to preserve the victory. Chapman has now climbed into 4th place in the SCIAC and has control of the last spot in the SCIAC tournament at the moment. Big turnaround for a team that started the season 1-6-1 (also an aid to the SoS of teams like Stevens and Montclair St, that played Chapman in those early games).
UCSC 3 - Cal Lutheran 3
Wild non-conference game as Cal Lu sought to rebound from their 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Pomona-Pitzer on Wednesday. UCSC was up 2-1 in the 86th minute in a game where it looked like the now 4-1-8 Banana Slugs might break their odd streak of 7 ties in the last 9 games. In the 87th minute, however the two teams combined for THREE goals. Cal Lu scored first to equalize, UCSC regained the lead almost immediately, and then Cal Lu found the equalizer again less than a minute later.
A few games in the ASC yesterday
East Texas Baptist 4 - Howard Payne 1
ETBU ends a 5 game winless streak by beating up on hapless Howard Payne, which is on a 15 game winless streak this season (17 including the last two games of 2023) and 0-11-4 and 0-5-1 in the ASC. They did tie LeTourneau 1-1 on Thursday, which was their first point since 9/12 against McMurry, giving them hope for this game. And the early returns looked positive. HP outshot ETBU 10-3 in the first half, forcing ETBU's GK to make 6 saves as the teams went into half tied 0-0. In the 2nd half, ETBU did score in the 48th, but HP equalized in the 64th and it was 1-1 through the 70th minute. In the last 20 minutes, however, ETBU scored three more goals as HP fell apart.
Hardin-Simmons 3 - LeTourneau 1
After needing late game heroics to come from behind and win against ETBU on Thursday, H-S took care of business earlier in this game, outshooting LeTourneau 13-3 in the first half, scoring in the 15th minute and going into halftime up 2-0 (with the second goal bouncing off the back of a defender to prove the old adage that you can't score if you don't shoot). LeTourneau got one back in the 68th, but H-S got a PK insurance goal in the 82nd to seal the victory.
UT Dallas 1 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 0
Mary Hardin-Baylor has been having difficulty scoring lately. The last three games, they have scored 1 goal apiece against LeTourneau and ETBU and they couldn't put anything in the net this game. This isn't a situation where they have been shooting a lot, but just not with clinical precision. UMHB had 0 shots in the first half and only 3 shots all game, 1 on frame, compared to 14 (8 on goal) for UTD. Hard to win like that, even though UTD's only goal was a PK right before halftime.
Sunday afternoon action in the SCAC:
Colorado College 2 - Texas Lutheran 0
Second week in a row where Colorado College turned a tight 0-0 game into a fairly comfortable win with a flurry of goals in the end. Perhaps it's a plan to feel out the game in the first half, or to conserve energy on these tough road trips, although this game wasn't quite like last week. CC forced TLU's keeper Noel Pena to make a few saves and they did have 5 corners, but CC seemed to be on the attack more after the first half, which ended 0-0. The difference between this game and the Concordia game last Friday is that TLU really doesn't want to push forward much except on the counter. They didn't have a single shot on goal the entire game because they really only had one player forward and the counter doesn't work that well if that forward can't beat the defender or if the other teams has several players back - both of which were the case today. I guess TLU was just playing for another 0-0 tie. This would have been TLU's third 0-0 tie of the season and second in a row after tying St. Thomas 0-0 on Friday, but CC finally broke through with a goal on a corner in the 82nd (not easy to evade TLU's Noah Harris on those plays, but CC finally managed to do it) and padded their lead with a PK in the 84th. Incredibly, this is Colorado College's 7th shutout win in a row, covering all of its SCAC games thus far this year, and extends its SCAC regular season conference unbeaten streak to 25 games dating back to 2021. Last goal scored on them by a SCAC opponent during the regular season was Trinity exactly a year ago today on October 20, 2023, when CC won 3-2, which is also the last time the two teams faced each other. Coincidentally, Colorado College hosts Trinity a week from today in a battle between the titans of the SCAC that should be must-see TV.
Trinity 3 - Austin 0
Trinity scored two goals about 45 seconds apart in the 26th and 27th minutes and then added another in the 89th minute to complete the scoring, but the score doesn't really tell the tale of Trinity's dominance. It didn't just out-shoot Austin 23-3, but as with Colorado College against Texas Lutheran, Trinity's GK didn't have to make a single save. Trinity has now won 12 in a row and shares the top spot in the SCAC with Colorado College as both teams have perfect 7-0 conference records in advance of their showdown in the mountains next Sunday.
St. Thomas 0 - Southwestern 0
Lots of shots in this game (15 for Southwestern to 11 for UST), but the four each that were on goal were all saved. Southwestern (and Texas Lutheran) have fallen behind in the SCAC standings to 6th and 7th, respectively, with all of their ties. They do have a somewhat favorable schedule ahead of them, but right now they are at risk of missing out on the SCAC tournament altogether.
Concordia 3 - Ozarks 0
Concordia scored two goals in the first 16 minutes and added a third in the 58th to win a game they largely dominated from start to finish. Jose Aguirre continues his impressive form scoring a goal and two assists after getting a hat trick in Concordia's win over Centenary on Friday. At 4-3 in the SCAC, Concordia is now in third place in the standings. As a team that has shown the ability to frustrate both Trinity and Colorado College, they might be the one team who could act as a dark horse in the conference tournament.
Schreiner 3 - University of Dallas 0
Schreiner gets only its second conference win after going up 2-0 in the 22nd minute and adding a third in the 56th.
Centenary 2 - McMurry 1
Upset-minded McMurry took a 1-0 lead into halftime on a goal in the 34th minute, but Centenary equalized right at the start of the second half in the 47th minute and got the winner in the 87th minute. The results puts them in a tie on points with Southwestern Texas Lutheran, and Ozarks.
NWC Sunday results
Pacific Lutheran 1 - Willamette 1
There are some games where you just throw out the records because rivalries can bring out an extra gear in players and give struggling teams something to play for when the season is otherwise over. This is one of those games. The Lutes came into this game 9-1-3 and 7-0-2 in the NWC, while Willamette was 3-7-4 and 3-4-3. Willamette has played better of late, beating Lewis & Clark in a mid-week game and Puget Sound on Saturday, so it had the feeling of a potential trap game for PLU. The Lutes may have anticipated that too and came out firing early, getting a goal in the 10th minute on a nice through ball to their leading scorer Trevor Thompson for his 14th goal of the season. Willamette tightened up after that and then came out on the attack in the 2nd half, outshooting the Lutes and eventually getting the equalizer in the 75th minute. Pacific Lutheran remains in first place in the NWC, but gives up ground to George Fox, which is now only two points behind.
George Fox 5 - Whitworth 0
It's Whitworth's turn to fall in a hole, suffering its third loss in a row in a thrashing by George Fox, which beat Whitman 5-1 and Whitworth 5-0 on consecutive days. This is a huge turnaround from earlier in the season when GF lost to Whitworth 1-0 and tied Whitman 2-2 on its away trip to the eastern part of the state. This game was relatively tight in the first half, with GF taking almost all the shots, but only scoring one in the 42nd minute. They broke the game open in the second half though, scoring 4 goals by 4 different players.
Pacific 1 - Whitman 0
Pacific only took 5 shots all game, but they scored on two of them - 1 in each half - while Pacific's GK saved all 5 shots on goal by Whitman. Right now, Pacific is 4th in the NWC standings, one point behind Whitman. This was Pacific's first weekend sweep over Whitman and Whitworth since at least 2010, which is as far back as it goes in their website.
Puget Sound 1 - Linfield 1
I wasn't able to watch this game, but it looks like there seemed to be some issues, possibly with the ref. Puget Sound was down to 9 men by the end of the game on one straight red card and a double yellow and there were 4 more yellows to go along with those reds, only one of which went to a Linfield player. Linfield scored first in the 4th minute and UPS equalized in the 35th minute. Then, Puget Sound's Rhys Foote got a straight red in the 41nd minute and a Puget Sound player got a second yellow in the 79th minute, which was accompanied by two yellows against people on the UPS bench, suggesting that they had concerns with the call (and perhaps the previous call). With the one man advantage most of the half, and a 2 man advantage for the last 11-12 minutes, Linfield outshot UPS 23-3 in the game, but Linfield seemed to have a lot of the ball even before that, out-shooting UPS 10-3 in the first half even when the teams were even on numbers most of the game.
Top Region X teams in NPI Rankings as of 10/20/24. I'm guessing two of the top 4 will win the SCAC/SCIAC AQs, plus the ASC and NWC winners, and then maybe 1-2 more are in the running for Pool C bids. Not that different from a normal year. All of the top 4 will get SoS bumps from playing each other one more time in the regular season, plus possibly the conference tournament.
10. Colorado College 57.502
15. Trinity (TX) 56.583
23. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 56.017
37. Redlands 55.231
67. Hardin-Simmons 53.868
73. Texas Lutheran 53.715
86. UC Santa Cruz 53.314
88. Occidental 53.301
94. Southwestern 53.148
106. St. Thomas 52.824
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Region X - Poll 7 - October 22, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 12-1-2
2 Trinity University (Texas) 2 12-0-2
3 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 4 11-2-1
4 Pacific Lutheran University 7 9-1-4
5 Occidental College 3 8-2-4
6 University of Redlands 6 9-2-3
7 Southwestern University 5 7-2-4
8 Texas Lutheran University 8 6-2-4
I did 10 for the NPI regional rankings, but note that Hardin-Simmons is highly ranked in NPI despite losing to UMHB and Texas Lutheran, but absent completely for USC coaches rankings. One difference is that Hardin-Simmons played Covenant. Although it lost, Covenant is pretty highly ranked in the latest NPI (#42), which gives them a bit of a non-conference boost.
Games to watch in Region X on Wednesday 10/23
CMS @ Occidental 7 pm Pacific
CMS is on a 5 game winning streak and just beat Oxy 3-2 at home in a game where Oxy's Andrew Notter scored very very early (1 minute in) and late (75th minute), but CMS won it in the middle of the game with goals in the 27th, 33rd, and 48th minutes by passing around and pressing Oxy. It was clearly up for the game, more so than in the La Verne game it won 1-0 on Saturday. That was better than Oxy did in the Saturday game against Caltech, though, when it salvaged a tie on a penalty kick in the 86th minute. Other than against weak NAIA side Bethesda, Oxy hasn't had a full game of dominance in a long time (probably the 3-0 win over Cal Lu on 10/2 and that was a game where they were only leading 1-0 for most of the game and then scored 2 quick goals in the last 10 minutes that were marred by three red cards during a tussle after the third goal). This is a chance for Oxy to re-establish itself as a contender for the SCIAC title and for CMS to stay ahead of Redlands, which has a bit easier game against Caltech.
Whitman @ Whitworth @ 3 pm Pacific
The Battle of the Whits is always worth watching even though both teams are coming in on losing streaks. Neither are really out of contention, but Whitman has a better chance to catch Pacific Lutheran if it can use this game to jumpstart its season. Its final game of the year is hosting Pacific Lutheran and if it wants to make that meaningful it needs to start by taking this rivalry game.
Pacific Lutheran @ Puget Sound 1:30 pm Pacific
Both teams are coming off of bad ties (Willamette and Linfield, respectively). PLU has only a 2 point cushion over George Fox and it arguably has the tougher schedule down the stretch. It should want to have a bigger cushion before the final weekend when it travels to Whitman and Whitworth because those long road trips are always tricky.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 22, 2024, 01:18:28 PMGames to watch in Region X on Wednesday 10/23
CMS @ Occidental 7 pm Pacific
CMS is on a 5 game winning streak and just beat Oxy 3-2 at home in a game where Oxy's Andrew Notter scored very very early (1 minute in) and late (75th minute), but CMS won it in the middle of the game with goals in the 27th, 33rd, and 48th minutes by passing around and pressing Oxy. It was clearly up for the game, more so than in the La Verne game it won 1-0 on Saturday. That was better than Oxy did in the Saturday game against Caltech, though, when it salvaged a tie on a penalty kick in the 86th minute. Other than against weak NAIA side Bethesda, Oxy hasn't had a full game of dominance in a long time (probably the 3-0 win over Cal Lu on 10/2 and that was a game where they were only leading 1-0 for most of the game and then scored 2 quick goals in the last 10 minutes that were marred by three red cards during a tussle after the third goal). This is a chance for Oxy to re-establish itself as a contender for the SCIAC title and for CMS to stay ahead of Redlands, which has a bit easier game against Caltech.
Whitman @ Whitworth @ 3 pm Pacific
The Battle of the Whits is always worth watching even though both teams are coming in on losing streaks. Neither are really out of contention, but Whitman has a better chance to catch Pacific Lutheran if it can use this game to jumpstart its season. Its final game of the year is hosting Pacific Lutheran and if it wants to make that meaningful it needs to start by taking this rivalry game.
Pacific Lutheran @ Puget Sound 1:30 pm Pacific
Both teams are coming off of bad ties (Willamette and Linfield, respectively). PLU has only a 2 point cushion over George Fox and it arguably has the tougher schedule down the stretch. It should want to have a bigger cushion before the final weekend when it travels to Whitman and Whitworth because those long road trips are always tricky.
Anyone who as watched Oxy this year knows all goals run through a dubious striker and/or specious front line- not quality. Their midfield should start shooting and making runs. Their coach is an impassionate full throated idiot as well. CMS will dominate this season, next and next. BTW important note and I hope all the NESCAC fools are listening. The bottom half of all SCIAC and all Cali teams could and will destroy most of the garbage (yak, yak) Northeast teams that includes Centennial, NEWMAC and the rest of the Northeast disposal. The stats belie that absolute fact and it will continue into the near future. Enjoy playing futsal in a january cold gym and keep weightlifting!
Over/under on this guy making it to 10 posts? I'll go with 6.
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 23, 2024, 08:31:07 AMOver/under on this guy making it to 10 posts? I'll go with 6.
They took away the "smite" button.
Quote from: Gray Fox on October 23, 2024, 12:36:39 PMQuote from: PaulNewman on October 23, 2024, 08:31:07 AMOver/under on this guy making it to 10 posts? I'll go with 6.
They took away the "smite" button.
Lol...they did that as a favor to me. Who doesn't get nostalgic about a bygone era when Mr.Right and I "smited" each other for 78 straight days? Thank goodness we were only allowed one "smite" per day per customer.
Well, this is unprecedented. I don't think there has ever been anything close to rivalry smack talk on the GO WEST thread. Frankly, I don't know that we have enough supporters of SCIAC teams on the board to even engage in harmless banter, let alone anything more.
So, I'll just add to my preview by saying that it will be interesting to see how Oxy coach Rod Lafaurie and CMS coach Edward Cartee adjust their approaches to the game tonight, if at all, after just playing each other 7 days ago. Cartee did pull out a press right after halftime last week that was pretty successful and I expect that Oxy will need to work on dealing with that. Cartee will also probably emphasize tightening up the defense on Andrew Notter during crosses and set pieces. Notter was the most dangerous Oxy player in the game last week, scoring twice on CMS.
One wild card is player availability. Oxy seems like it has players with knocks based on its rotations and that may help explain its inconsistency. Oxy's Notter didn't play at all against Caltech in the game on Saturday, while Oxy's Oury Diane sat out the CMS game, but played 56 minutes against Caltech and was Oxy's leading shooter and scored its only goal. Oxy's freshman forward Devin Benning, who used his speed to be a pest in 74 minutes starting against CMS, only played 34 minutes off the bench against Caltech. CMS, by contrast, used the same starting lineup against La Verne that it used against Oxy, but Nico Del Villar, who played 88 minutes against Oxy, only played the first 31 minutes against La Verne and was then substituted off and never came back on in the game. That could have simply been to rest him since they didn't think they needed him, but the CMS-La Verne game was tied 0-0 until the 75th minute, so it's not like they had the game well in hand. So, it's possible it was a knock or illness.
Quote from: seanie67 on October 23, 2024, 12:27:50 AMAnyone who as watched Oxy this year knows all goals run through a dubious striker and/or specious front line- not quality. Their midfield should start shooting and making runs. Their coach is an impassionate full throated idiot as well. CMS will dominate this season, next and next. BTW important note and I hope all the NESCAC fools are listening. The bottom half of all SCIAC and all Cali teams could and will destroy most of the garbage (yak, yak) Northeast teams that includes Centennial, NEWMAC and the rest of the Northeast disposal. The stats belie that absolute fact and it will continue into the near future. Enjoy playing futsal in a january cold gym and keep weightlifting!
I don't typically engage with nonsense, but "all Cali teams"?? That out of the gate is disqualifying statement.
But to be specific, an average Swarthmore team flew out that way and beat Oxy (3-1) and Caltech (1-0) and Chapman came out east and lost to Stevens (2-1) and Montclair St (3-0). Cal Lutheran also traveled east and lost to an (at the time) floundering Messiah (4-0) and tied Gettysburg. (1-1).
So, I'm not great at math but 0-5-1 for the SCIAC teams... What are you actually talking about?
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 23, 2024, 01:30:29 PMLol...they did that as a favor to me. Who doesn't get nostalgic about a bygone era when Mr.Right and I "smited" each other for 78 straight days? Thank goodness we were only allowed one "smite" per day per customer.
Ha this made me laugh. But you and someone named Mr. Right seem like a match made in Heaven? ;D
Quote from: Freddyfud on October 23, 2024, 02:36:49 PMQuote from: PaulNewman on October 23, 2024, 01:30:29 PMLol...they did that as a favor to me. Who doesn't get nostalgic about a bygone era when Mr.Right and I "smited" each other for 78 straight days? Thank goodness we were only allowed one "smite" per day per customer.
Ha this made me laugh. But you and someone named Mr. Right seem like a match made in Heaven? ;D
I loved Mr.Right (and still do) even when I hated him. Mr.Right without question is a first ballot D3 Boards (soccer) HOFer...and certainly is in the convo for GOAT. See that NESCAC thread? Mr.Right started it.
Rivalry day in the NWC
Pacific Lutheran 1 - Puget Sound 1
Here is what I wrote about this matchup in my preview:
Pacific Lutheran @ Puget Sound 1:30 pm Pacific
QuoteBoth teams are coming off of bad ties (Willamette and Linfield, respectively). PLU has only a 2 point cushion over George Fox and it arguably has the tougher schedule down the stretch. It should want to have a bigger cushion before the final weekend when it travels to Whitman and Whitworth because those long road trips are always tricky.
This is the battle of Tacoma, WA. First game at PLU ended 1-1 and this one ends the same way. PLU dominated possession and outshot Puget Sound 17-5, while Puget Sound sat back and played the counter attack game. PLU didn't break through until the 82nd minute on a great cross from maybe 35 yards out into the box that looped over the defenders onto the head of Lutes' Owen Bliskis who put it over the GK into the far post. PLU had trouble seeing the game out though and a foul in the middle of its defensive half gave Puget Sound a chance with about 1:30 to go. The Puget Sound free kick was a teasing ball to the left side of the goal that a diving Jackson Smith was able to head into the far post for the equalizer. PLU is 9-1-5, but it has left the door open to George Fox to close the gap.
Whitworth 3 - Whitman 1
As I said in my preview, throw out the records with this one. Whitworth was nominally the team with the worse record coming into this game, coming in with a 4 game winless streak and a 5-0 loss to George Fox on Sunday. Of course, Whitman really was no better, coming in with its own 4 game winless streak that included a 7-0 loss to PLU and a 5-1 loss to George Fox. Whitworth, however, was the one to exert itself early. It scored three in a row before Whitman got a consolation goal in the 85th minute.
SCIAC action on Wednesday
Occidental 3 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3
This game lived up to the billing. Oxy came out flying, scoring goals in the 3rd and 7th minute, but CMS came roaring back itself with a goal in the 9th minute. With a 2-1 score at the 8:48 mark, I figured Oxy was going to need a bigger scoreboard, but the teams settled in and it ended 2-1 at the half. CMS came hard out of the gate in the second and equalized in the 49th. They took the lead in the 60th on an error by Oxy GK Riley Nyhan that was almost identical to the one he made at CMS a week earlier. He came sprinting out of his box on a breakaway ball, but somehow hesitated I think because he realized it wasn't going to make it to the box before the attacker. I have no idea why he didn't just kick it, but it feels like he has the yips on balls like these now. So, he instead kind of waited for it to come into the box and then went down to smother it, but Rafael Otero was already there and stole it from him and slotted it into the net for the 3-2 lead. At this point, CMS sat back while Oxy hunted for the equalizer. What they couldn't find in Claremont they found at home, though, as Andrew Notter equalized in the 88th minute. The result is that Redlands (with its win over Caltech this afternoon) passes both teams to take over first place in the SCIAC. That sets up another spicy matchup this Saturday afternoon as CMS travels to Redlands.
UPDATE: Here's video (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBg7vFXSL_-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)of Oxy striker Andrew Notter's goal with two minutes to go to get the tie. I now realize that this was a well-worked throw-in play and it appears either no one from CMS defended Notter up top or couldn't stay with him. Pretty athletic play to hit it one time while flying in and then still get his feet under himself enough to nail home the rebound. Hard luck for the CMS keeper who blocked the first try.
Redlands 3 - Caltech 1
Redlands carried a 2-0 lead for more than 2/3 of the game, adding a 3rd in the 76th (for Phillip Kostenko's 10th of the year), before Caltech got a consolation goal in the 89th.
La Verne 2 - Chapman 0
Just when Chapman looks like it had gotten its act together in a 7 game unbeaten streak, it loses to La Verne, a team that had only 2 wins all season coming into tonight. ULV's goals were scored right before and about 12 minutes after halftime and Chapman spent the second half trying to make up for its slow start, but it never threatened. Chapman is still in the 4th and final conference tourney playoff spot, but it's tied with Cal Lutheran, who it plays on Saturday.
Cal Lutheran 3 - Pomona-Pitzer 2
After losing to Pomona-Pitzer 5-0 a week ago, Cal Lu was out for redemption tonight at home. It got it, but it almost lost the plot and let P-P back in it. Cal Lu scored the first three goals, one about 10 minutes before halftime and 2 after half, with the second in the 75th minute. At that point, it seemed to relax, while P-P kept pushing. The Sagehens scored goals in the 80th and 89th minutes, but couldn't find the equalizer.
A couple of games Thursday night in the ASC
Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 - Howard Payne 0
UMHB takes care of business against winless HP, scoring 1 goal in the first half in the 13th minute, but it was a little more difficult than you would expect considering HP had a player sent off with a straight red card in the 38th minute. As sometimes happens, the undermanned team ends up playing very compactly and making things difficult for the team with the extra man. As a result, despite outshooting HP 26-6 over the game, and 12-3 in the first half, it took until the 70th minute to get a second and then they tacked on a 3rd in the 76th minute on a PK.
UT Dallas 2 - Hardin-Simmons 0
A few weeks ago, H-S tied UTD 2-2. In this game, H-S was never really threatening even though they went into halftime 0-0. H-S had only 3 shots in the whole game, all during the first half, and was outshot 22-3 overall, but it held off UTD until the 69th minute. UTD then added an insurance goal in the 84th minute. Hardin-Simmons travels to Mary Hardin-Baylor for a big game on Saturday that likely will determine the top seed for the ASC tournament.
One game today of note in the SCAC
Trinity @ St. Thomas 4 pm central
Trinity is 12-0-2, 7-0 in the SCAC, and on a 12 game winning streak. St. Thomas is 7-4-2 and 3-2-2 in the SCAC and is on a three game unbeaten streak that includes two straight 0-0 ties against Southwestern and Texas Lutheran. Put all those numbers aside though. Trinity v. St. Thomas might not have the infamy of the St. Thomas-Texas Lutheran matchup because of their game from last year, but these two teams had some epic games in 2023 and in previous years and arguably they have been the bigger rivalry in the SCAC over the last few years. Before last season, UST had won 3 games in a row over Trinity, including two straight SCAC championship games.
During the regular season in 2023, Trinity beat St. Thomas 4-2 at home with Trinity scoring three straight goals in the second half to overcome a 2-1 UST lead in the 53rd minute. Trinity's last goal was a PK where UST GK Rodrigo Lazo brought down Trinity's Michael Meese and both players received yellow cards for some scuffling after the foul. 10 days later in the SCAC Championship game, the two teams met again in Houston at UST's home field. St. Thomas' Dany Ramirez received a straight red card for a foul in the 6th minute and UST had to adjust its tactics and play a man down. UST actually outshot Trinity 8-6 in regulation despite playing with 10 men, but neither team could find a goal. After staggering through two OT periods, St. Thomas ended up winning the SCAC bid in PKs (with UST stopping Trinity's Chen Adjei's effort on the 5th PK to seal the win).
Since last season, Trinity has gotten better and St. Thomas has gotten worse. It's a little odd since Trinity arguably had more departures of significant players than St. Thomas (losing Adjei to graduation and Meese to injury, as well as their starting GK Wileman), but I think UST's offense has suffered without Taty Aleman and with a new coaching staff that doesn't seem to know how to utilize the talents of the players that remain. Nevertheless, I expect this will be another interesting matchup, especially since St. Thomas' backs are to the wall as they try to hold onto the fourth and final SCAC playoff spot in their quest to win a 4th straight SCAC championship and knock Trinity out for the 5th year in a row (they beat them in the semis of the SCAC tournament in 2020).
St. Thomas is fast and tough and individually very technically proficient. However, they appear to be unable to collectively harness the talent as you said above.
Trinity, on the other hand, is playing as a true team and dominated the contest today.
If you'd tuned in for a couple of minutes at any point you might have assumed St. Thomas had the advantage.
Trinity continues to impress.
Friday Night Lights in the SCAC (except most of the games were in the late afternoon)
Trinity 4 - St. Thomas 0
As D3Navy already mentioned, this game didn't look like a blowout in real time. St. Thomas has some players with technical skill and fight and it seemed like a defensive battle most of the time. Heck, St. Thomas limited Trinity, a team that was averaging something like 20 shots per game coming into today, to only 7 shots this game. The difference is that when St. Thomas went forward, they were waiting for someone to have a moment of brilliance, whereas Trinity was downright clinical in its offensive forays, converting its 7 shots and 5 shots on goal into 4 goals. St. Thomas did go down to 10 men in the 63rd minute on a straight red card, but that was after Trinity was already up 3-0. Trinity now has won 13 straight games and is 8-0 in the SCAC, setting up a massive battle for the regular season title in the SCAC on Sunday at Colorado College.
Colorado College 5 - Schreiner 0
Schreiner isn't a very good team, only barely above the bottom of the SCAC and ASC with 3 wins total this year, but Colorado College showed them no mercy. Five different CC players scored and they scored 3 goals in the first half and 2 in the second. If anything, CC should have scored a ton more considering they outshot Schreiner 35-1 and had 11 corners to Schreiner's 0. I kind of wonder if Colorado's coach had a rule going into the game that they were not allowed to take a shot inside the box, because that's what it looks like in the CC shot chart (https://cctigers.com/sidearmstats/msoc/shot-chart). Schreiner didn't even have a shot on goal this game. They probably wish it was Colorado College leaving the SCAC next year and not Trinity and Southwestern because at least the trip home would be a lot shorter after getting trampled by those teams. As for Colorado College, my only puzzle was why they left Curtis Hale in the game for all 90 minutes. I get that they wanted to be extend their shutout streak to 8 games, but I'm pretty sure one of the fine young men on the bench could have gotten the job done against a team that didn't have a single shot on goal in the second half. It's not like he has an ironman streak going in terms of minutes played either.
Texas Lutheran 2 - Ozarks 0
TLU gets back on track after going winless last weekend against UST and Colorado College. It took them awhile to get going offensively as they went into the half tied 0-0, but TLU finally broke through in the 53rd minute and added an insurance goal in the 71st. Texas Lutheran now jumps into a tie with Southwestern for fourth place in the SCAC.
Southwestern 1 - Centenary 0
After being shutout by Colorado College and St. Thomas last weekend, Southwestern finally gets on the board in the 64th minute to pull out the win. Scoring is still a problem for the team, though, as they outshot outshot Centenary 20-9, but had trouble finding the net.
Concordia 3 - Austin 2
Austin has proven to be a pesky team this year. This game was tied 1-1 until the 61st minute and Concordia was only up 2-1 in the 77th minute when Austin went down a man on a straight red card. Concordia appeared to bury any comeback hopes, however, when it took a 3-1 lead in the 80th minute, but Austin made the last few minutes tight by scoring in the 83rd minute. Concordia holds on the 3rd place in the SCAC.
McMurry 2 - University of Dallas 0
Dallas goes to 0-8 in the SCAC and McMurry avoids the cellar scoring one goal in the 47th minute and another as time expired in the 90th minute.
Cross-posting from the Games to Watch thread
Two games of note today in Region X
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Redlands 7 pm Pacific
As a result of the CMS-Occidental tie, Redlands has passed both of them and taken over first place in the SCIAC. Redlands is on an 8 game unbeaten streak and over that streak it has scored 27 goals and given up only 5. Its last loss was a 2-0 defeat at CMS. Redlands is 8-0-1 at home and 2-2-2 away. CMS is on a six game unbeaten streak, last losing 2-0 to Whittier. It is 7-0-1 at home, but only 3-2-1 away. With Redlands at home tonight, they should be favored, but CMS will be eager to make up for failing to retain the lead in the midweek game at Oxy.
Hardin-Simmons @ Mary Hardin-Baylor 7:30 pm Central
The battle of the Hardin schools is like a sibling rivalry to decide who is their mom's favorite (in this case, the "mom" is Mary Hardin, a philanthropist who supported both schools). UMHB is 4-0-1 in the ASC and H-S is 5-1. Hardin-Simmons' only loss in the ASC was home to UMHB in a game where one of their top offensive threats was sent-off on a straight red in the 33rd minute and then another player was sent off in the 63rd minute, dropping them to 9 players for the last 27 minutes. Both Mary Hardin-Baylor goals were scored when it had a two-man advantage (and even then they didn't break through until the 76th minute). Hardin-Simmons will be eager for revenge at UMHB's home in Belton while at full-strength.
A bunch of early games in Region X today:
Willamette 4 - George Fox 2
After only getting 2 wins in the first 13 games (both against winless Lewis & Clark), Willamette is 2-0-1 in the last three games (actually 3-0-1 counting the second L&C game) and has tied and beaten the top two teams in the NWC standings. It feels like new Coach Corti-Young has slowly but surely coached the boys up and found the right combinations to make it work for the team. George Fox slips behind Pacific Lutheran for the NWC title.
Whitworth 2 - Linfield 0
Whitworth has had a disappointing season in a lot of ways, but they beat Whitman last weekend and with this win they are in third in the NWC.
Puget Sound 5 - Lewis & Clark 0
Will L&C ever win? After improving in recent games in the sense of keeping games close (e.g., a 2-1 loss to George Fox), L&C seems like they are starting to lose hope altogether, getting crushed by Willamette and Puget Sound in successive games. Puget Sound has now quietly put itself only 7 points off the NWC lead with 4 games to go. Coaches have used less than that to motivate a team to finish a season strong and it looks like PS is motivated.
Caltech 3 - La Verne 1
Caltech beats ULV a second time this season and climbs out of the SCIAC basement. They are now 7-7-3 on the season, which I think is a program record! Caltech actually dominated this game, leading 3-0 until La Verne got a consolation goal in the 89th minute. I don't think any opponent has ever scored what could be called a "consolation goal" against Caltech before! At 2-6-3 in the SCIAC, Caltech has a chance to equalize it's program record 3rd conference win from last season if they can beat Cal Lutheran next Saturday.
Chapman 1 - Cal Lutheran 1
Chapman scored in the 13th minute and Cal Lu equalized in the 22nd minute and that was it for the scoring in this game. The two teams almost seemed to be playing for the tie, taking only four shots between them in the second half. The two teams remain tied on points for the 4th and final conference tournament spot, but Cal Lu still has a game in hand. They both have tough games left, though, with Chapman playing Occidental and Cal Lu playing Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. It may be that, in its mind, Cal Lu has already booked 3 points in the Cal Tech game it has to end the season, but Cal Lu doesn't play well when it overlooks a team. Plus, Chapman played Oxy really tight in a draw and Cal Lu has beaten CMS, so both teams really missed an opportunity by not taking all three points in this game.
Here are the remaining games from Region X on Saturday
Redlands 4 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2
After a tight defensive battle in the first half, the two teams broke out to make this a barnburner in the second half, scoring 6 goals between them. By the 58th minute, CMS was up 2-1, but Redlands equalized in the 66th and for awhile it looked like it was going to end in a tie like the CMS-Oxy game at mid-week. Instead, CMS broke down defensively late in the game again and gave up goals in the 86th and 89th minutes to run away with the game. Anders Beckton and Phil Kostenko each scored a brace in the game. This was the 6th game in the last 8 in which Redlands scored at least 4 goals and the 7th in the last 8 where they scored at least 3. Redlands is definitely firing on all cylinders offensively right now. With the win, which avenges its one SCIAC loss this year to CMS earlier, Redlands clinches the regular season championship and top seed in the SCIAC tournament. CMS can grab the second seed if it beats Cal Lutheran on Wednesday even if Oxy wins its last two games since CMS holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with Oxy.
Pomona-Pitzer 3 - Whittier 2
Pomona-Pitzer scored goals in the 69th and 77th minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit (and a 2-0 halftime deficit) into a 3-2 defeat. If they can win their last game against Oxy, they can climb as high as 6th in the SCIAC.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 2 - Hardin-Simmons 0
UMHB proved that it could beat H-S (by an identical 2-0 score) even when both teams were at full-strength. The game was fairly even on stats, but one stats stands out for me. Hardin-Simmons reportedly had 0 fouls I say reportedly because they had 2 yellow cards. You can get a yellow without a foul, but it's not as common. UMHB didn't get whistled that often relatively speaking (7), but it was dramatically more than H-S. I certainly admire a team that can win without committing any fouls (Messiah comes to mind as a team that historically has been successful without being whistled for many fouls), but considering H-S lost the last game against UMHB while going down to 9 men because two players received straight red cards, I think they may have over-corrected on toning down the physicality in this game. UMHB has created some separation in the question for the regular season ASC championship, but it still has work to do with games left against East Texas Baptist, which it beat 1-0 in the first game, and LeTourneau, which it tied 1-1 in the first game. Hardin-Simmons' remaining ASC game is against Howard Payne, which it beat 6-0 last game. So, I wouldn't call the race over, although UMHB has the tie-breaker.
East Texas Baptist 5 - LeTourneau 1
Big turnaround for ETBU, which tied LeTourneau 2-2 in the first game. East Texas Baptist just dominated, scoring 2 in the first half and 3 in the second half before LeTourneau got a consolation goal in the 86th minute. The win ensures that ETBU will claim the 3rd seed in the ASC tournament, while LeTourneau has the 4th seed. Both teams have tough remaining games against UMHB.
UT Dallas 6 - Howard Payne 0
Howard Payne's winless streak stretches to 17 this season (can we schedule a game against Lewis & Clark for next season in the hopes that one of these teams can win a game?). UTD scored wire to wire, starting in the 2nd minute and finishing in the 86th minute. They outshot HP 24-7 and 15-2 in the 2d half. On the bright side, HP will be in the play-in game in the ASC tournament regardless of whether they can beat Hardin-Simmons next Saturday since all 5 teams make the tournament and the bottom two teams have a play-in game.
15 minutes in: Trinity 1 - Colorado College 0
CC concedes its first goal against in SCAC play. Trinity scores on a PK that was well earned by a striker who collected and spun the CC defender to get it to a teammate on the left side who passed it to the right and the shot was apparently deflected by a defender's hand or forearm. Interestingly, the last goal CC conceded in SCAC regular season play was against Trinity last season in a 3-2 CC win. This is only the 5th time this season in all games that CC has conceded a goal.
One notable absence today for CC is Alexander Ward, who was apparently held out because of an injury. Ward is CC's leading scorer, although CC has a lot of goal contributors and Ward's total is 6 goals and 3 assists. Still, they are down one of their weapons and one with senior experience.
UPDATE: Trinity 1 - Colorado College 1 in the 43rd minute
CC had a free kick from outside the box that the GK deflected right back to the run of play and Curtis Hale heads it in off the rebound
Also, Trinity's Luke Chandler ejected with a second yellow card during the goal celebration. Not clear why.
HALF: Trinity 1 - Colorado College 1
Collision at almost the end of the half between CC's Owen Lewis and Trinity defender JonConnor Rule, with Rule having to depart because he was bleeding. He's a pretty important part of the Trinity defense, especially if they are going to have to sit back to try to preserve the tie down a man at altitude, so that's something to keep an eye on.
Although coming back to win this game down a man seems like a big mountain to climb, I looked it up while they were up 1-0 (and looking dangerous) and the last time CC lost at home was to Pacific Lutheran in September of 2023. Before that, the last time they lost at home was in 2021 to Trinity. That's it. Two losses at home in the last 4 years. The AP Stylebook should be changed to only use the word "fortress" in connection with a school's home field advantage when referring to Colorado College's Stewart Field.
UPDATE Still Trinity 1 - Colorado College 1 in the 71st minute
Colorado College put one in the net, but the ref called an infraction (hand ball?) and disallowed the goal
FINAL: Trinity 1 - Colorado College 1
Despite the man advantage for all of the second half, CC can't capitalize and the teams split the points. CC outshot Trinity 15-8 and had some good chances, including in the dying moments where the CC shooter put the ball over the cross bar, but they couldn't find the net. My guess is these two teams will play again in the SCAC championship game in Houston.
That defender seemed pretty adamant that it shouldn't have been a PK, and I believe he earned a yellow for arguing his case. Tough to tell from the video angle we get.
Non Colorado College-Trinity SCAC games in Region X today (see up thread for my real time updates on that game):
Texas Lutheran 1 - Centenary 0
TLU reverts to its normal form of doing just enough to win a game, but no more. Jack Manke scores in the 69th minute and TLU survives in Shreveport. TLU's GK, Noel Pena records his 27th shutout in his career to set the school record. Tough luck for Centenary, which has been an improved team this season, but can't seem to breakthrough against the upper echelon of the SCAC. They lost to Southwestern Friday by the same 1-0 score. TLU is in a tie with Southwestern for the fourth and final SCAC playoff spot, with both teams hosting McMurry and Concordia next weekend in the final regular season games.
Austin 5 - McMurry 3
Austin defeats McMurry in a match that featured a wild first half, with the teams combining for 7 goals. McMurry opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, but Austin countered with goals in the 3rd and 6th minutes. McMurry answered right back with a goal in the 7th minute. I'm not sure I've seen 4 goals in the first 7 minutes since U8 soccer. Austin then broke the 2-2 tie with goals in the 19th and 20th minutes and looked like it was going to runaway with it. Not so fast, said McMurry, which scored its third goal in the 38th minute to make it 4-3 at half. Even crazier fact was that the goals were scored on very few shots. At the half, Austin had 5 and McMurry had 4. Every shot on goal was scored. Needless to say, neither GK made a save in the first half. The second half was far more sedate. It seems that McMurry had shot its wad, so-to-speak, registering 0 shots in the second half to 5 for Austin, which added an insurance goal in the 89th minute. At 4-4-1, Austin is just two points behind 4th place in the SCAC, but with its last two games at Colorado College and at St. Thomas, that's a tall order. Putting aside the quality of the opponents, it's a hell of a road trip traveling from Sherman, TX to Colorado Springs for a game on Friday and then down to Houston for a game on Sunday, including going from 686' elevation, to 6,000 feet elevation, and back to 79' of elevation. My ears are popping just thinking about it.
Southwestern 4 - Ozarks 0
Southwestern finally gets a game where they pour on goals like they were earlier in the season. They scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of each half to put this one away and to keep pace with Texas Lutheran in the race for the last SCAC playoff spot.
St. Thomas 2 - Schreiner 0
UST Freshman Hani Amhadi (from Glendale, CA I might add) scored a goal in the 20th minute and assisted on a second goal in the 86th minute to pace UST to victory. This was a physical game, with 8 yellow cards, plus UST's Fernando Lazo got a red card in the 87th minute. St. Thomas now has 43 yellow cards and 6 red cards in 2024 with two games to go, compared with 45 yellow cards and 7 red cards all of last season. I'm not going to say that the new regime has done nothing to clean up behavior, because it's possible the UST reputation leads the refs to hand out cards to them more frequently, but I'm not sure they are doing anything to improve their reputation either. They remain a point behind Southwestern and Texas Lutheran for the last SCAC tournament spot, so they are going to have to win against University of Dallas and Austin College next weekend and hope both of those teams lose or tie at least one of their games next weekend and/or Concordia loses both of their games next weekend or loses won and does no more than tie the other.
Concordia TX 6 - University of Dallas 0
After a somewhat frustrating first half when Concordia was only up 1-0 on a PK in the 7th minute despite outshooting UD 15-1, Concordia picked it up in the second half, reeling off five straight goals while outshooting UD 18-2. Concordia is in third in the SCAC, but it could drop out of a playoff position altogether if it loses both its games next weekend. This is a real possibility because it has to play Southwestern and Texas Lutheran away. UD remains winless in the SCAC.
Quote from: Ejay on October 27, 2024, 01:49:14 PMThat defender seemed pretty adamant that it shouldn't have been a PK, and I believe he earned a yellow for arguing his case. Tough to tell from the video angle we get.
The FloFC feed froze basically right at the moment of the foul and the goal, but here's what happened: CC free kick, Trinity GK unable to control, CC#6 header on goal batted away by TU#30 (with his hand), and CC#4 scores off the rebound. This was YC #2 for #30, thus the ejection. If you FF and rewind a bit, you'll be able to see the full play.
Quote from: wihsuafs24 on October 27, 2024, 09:06:55 PMQuote from: Ejay on October 27, 2024, 01:49:14 PMThat defender seemed pretty adamant that it shouldn't have been a PK, and I believe he earned a yellow for arguing his case. Tough to tell from the video angle we get.
The FloFC feed froze basically right at the moment of the foul and the goal, but here's what happened: CC free kick, Trinity GK unable to control, CC#6 header on goal batted away by TU#30 (with his hand), and CC#4 scores off the rebound. This was YC #2 for #30, thus the ejection. If you FF and rewind a bit, you'll be able to see the full play.
Thanks! I was definitely wondering about his ejection. That wasn't the play Ejay was talking about though that you quoted. He was talking about the CC hand ball that led to a PK for Trinity (I know because he posted this right after my original post about the Trinity penalty kick that scored the opening goal).
A few games in the Northwest Conference today
George Fox 1 - Pacific 0
The most competitive game of the day between two teams desperate for a victory. Pacific had followed up a 5 game winless streak with a 4 game winning streak, including a sweep of the Whits, to give them some hope that they might climb back into the NWC championship race. Beating a team that was ahead of them like GF would be critical to moving up. George Fox, however, had followed up a 5 game winning streak had put them a couple of points behind 1st place Pacific Lutheran, by losing to Willamette. Another loss would have really hurt their chances. In this game, though, Pacific bunkered in and played for the counter, frustrating GF. It wasn't until the 78th minute that GF broke through with a goal and that was all they could muster despite outshooting Pacific 10-2 and limiting Pacific to one shot on goal.
Whitman 4 - Linfield 1
Whitman needed this one to keep its hope alive of being close enough by the last game of the season against Pacific Lutheran to be playing for de facto championship. They played like it. On the backs of a hat trick by Kevin Serrano, Whitman dominated, outshooting 2 win Linfield 31-11.
Pacific Lutheran 8 - Lewis & Clark 0
After tying Willamette and Puget Sound 1-1 each last weekend, the Lutes were in no mood to show any mercy to winless L&C. Trevor Thompson and Craig Johnson each scored a hat trick in this one in limited minutes (58 and 50, respectively) and Pacific Lutheran gave minutes to 36 players, including 3 GKs in the win. The Lutes are three points clear of second place George Fox with a challenging remaining schedule that's basically a mini-Northwest Conference tournament. Pacific Lutheran has to play the next four highest teams in the standings - George Fox, Pacific, Whitworth, and Whitman - and it might need to sweep them to ensure it of the auto bid.
While neither team was happy with the result, if you're Trinity and you go into Colorado and get a point despite being a man down for over half the game, you have to feel decent about it.
I somehow missed that the SCIAC expanded its postseason tournaments for this season and men's soccer is increasing from 4 to 5 teams, with the 4 and 5 teams competing in a mid-week "play-in" game to decide who is the #4 seed in the semifinals. (hat tip to @GrayFox).
https://thesciac.org/news/2024/10/22/baseball-sciac-expands-tournaments-beginning-in-2024-25-fall-seasons.aspx
That probably means Cal Lutheran and Chapman (currently #4 and #5 in the standings) would both make the post-season. Whittier still has a long shot chance to enter the conversation, but they would have to beat both La Verne and Redlands and hope only one of Chapman and Cal Lutheran picks up any points in their remaining game(s).
Quote from: Kuiper on October 21, 2024, 03:40:05 PMTop Region X teams in NPI Rankings as of 10/20/24. I'm guessing two of the top 4 will win the SCAC/SCIAC AQs, plus the ASC and NWC winners, and then maybe 1-2 more are in the running for Pool C bids. Not that different from a normal year. All of the top 4 will get SoS bumps from playing each other one more time in the regular season, plus possibly the conference tournament.
10. Colorado College 57.502
15. Trinity (TX) 56.583
23. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 56.017
37. Redlands 55.231
67. Hardin-Simmons 53.868
73. Texas Lutheran 53.715
86. UC Santa Cruz 53.314
88. Occidental 53.301
94. Southwestern 53.148
106. St. Thomas 52.824
Here's the Region X NPI rankings as of 10/27
10. Colorado College 58.028
13. Trinity TX 57.632
24. Redlands 56.161
33. CMS 55.709
63. Texas Lutheran 54.293
69. Southwestern 54.149
79. Occidental 53.730
87. Mary Hardin-Baylor 53.514
88. Hardin-Simmons 53.497
The top four teams seem solidly in contention for Pool C bids if they don't get the AQ from their respective two conference, and one of Mary Hardin-Baylor or Hardin-Simmons will get the ASC AQ, while Pacific Lutheran or maybe George Fox will probably get the NWC AQ (but with 4 games to go in their regular season, it's a little early to make predictions). TLU, Southwestern, and Oxy probably will need to bump off one of the higher NPI teams in their conference tournaments to improve their odds if they don't win the AQs.
For some reason, USC left off the records in this week's Region X rankings, but the schools and order seem about right after Redlands beat CMS
Region X - Poll 8 - October 29, 2024
Rank School Prev W-L-T
1 Colorado College 1 0-0-0
2 Trinity University (Texas) 2 0-0-0
3 University of Redlands 6 0-0-0
4 Pacific Lutheran University 4 0-0-0
5 Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges 3 0-0-0
6 Occidental College 5 0-0-0
7 Southwestern University 7 0-0-0
8 Texas Lutheran University 8 0-0-0
Fireworks during the late SCIAC games tonight (some on the field, but mostly of the real variety from happy Dodgers fans)
CMS 1 - Cal Lutheran 0
CMS seems to have trouble with Cal Lu this season. After losing to them 4-2 earlier, this game was tight at 0-0 for a long time before John Laidlaw put in a ball off a rebound in the 86th minute to give them the victory. CMS dominated possession for most of the game and outshot Cal Lu 19-8, but the referee was pretty lax with the whistle (he only called 3 fouls the entire game), which gave Cal Lu the freedom to play physically and disrupt CMS' attacks. With the win, CMS clinches 2nd place and home field advantage in the first round (after the 4/5 game) of the SCIAC playoffs because it has the tiebreaker in head-to-head over Oxy.
Occidental 4 - Chapman 0
Oxy gets revenge for the tie against Chapman at home earlier this month. It was aggressive from the start, earning a PK in the 13th minute and then scoring two more before halftime. Unfortunately for Chapman, this was Senior Night, which meant a few players started who aren't regulars, including a backup GK who let in the first two goals before being substituted off after only 25 minutes. Chapman could have leaped ahead of Cal Lu for 4th place in the 4/5 game, but it was always going to be somewhat of a long shot because Cal Lu still has a game against Caltech left.
La Verne 4 - Whittier 1
After losing badly to Caltech over the weekend, they come back and crush Whittier, which is ostensibly the stronger team. Typical La Verne, which seems to give certain teams a good game, but gets beat easily by others and it never seems to be function of where the team ranks. In this game, they took a 2-0 lead into halftime and then Whittier cut the lead in half in the 66th minute, which served to wake ULV up as they scored goals in the 75th and 86th minutes to put the game out of reach. For Whittier, it was one of those games where they were the stronger team for parts of it, but it was only because ULV scored so early that they let Whittier kind of chase the game. Even with the win, La Verne might still finish last in the SCIAC if either Cal Tech or Pomona-Pitzer can win this weekend or if Caltech can tie.
One game in the NWC tonight.
Linfield 3 - Lewis & Clark 0
Probably L&C's last chance for a win this year, but it was not to be, despite playing a man up for the last 10 minutes of the game as a Linfield defender was sent off for a second yellow. Linfield outshot L&C 20-4 and scored all three goals in the first half to sweep L&C and likely assure themselves of not finishing last this season.
I only have time to go over one game tonight from the ASC, but it was a humdinger of a game.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 5 - East Texas Baptist 4
To give some context, it was raining and the field was quite wet (although playable). Plus, the announcers, who I assume were ETBU students, had really thick Texas accents and some colorful sayings. It was kind of hilarious watching some fast-paced action with some slow-paced talking.
Now, you would assume from the high score that this was a humdinger because of all the goals and the action must have been end-to-end with the teams trading goals. Yes to the first part, but no to the second. Mary Hardin-Baylor scored 5 straight goals in the first half, all between the 12th and 39th minutes, scored by five different players. In the first half, UMHB outshot ETBU 19-7. Going into halftime up 5-0 on a rainy night, you can excuse UMHB's coach and players if they felt pretty comfortable in their lead and were looking forward to a hot shower and a cold beverage after the game.
Turns out, this was a tale of two halves. I don't know what the ETBU coach said to his boys at halftime, but I'm guessing it wasn't PG because they came out flying. East Texas Baptist scored in the 53rd on a PK, 55th, and 62nd minutes and suddenly it was 5-3. They were pressing constantly, almost scoring on a far post header from a cross that was saved off the line by a UMHB defender before finally scoring a 4th in the 85th on a fantastic shot from outside the box. Now it was 5-4, and to use a phrase that would probably get you side-eyed looks at best in Marshall, Texas, and maybe worse, it was squeaky bum time. ETBU had a couple more good scoring opportunities and got off a strong shot that went to the goalkeeper, but that's how it ended. This game was going to have no effect on the standings or qualification for the ASC tournament (since everyone makes it this year), so ETBU was just playing hard for pride, which was kind of impressive.
Don't think I've ever seen a game where one teams scores 5 goals in the first half and the other team scores 4 in the second half.
Quote from: Kuiper on October 31, 2024, 11:04:14 PMI only have time to go over one game tonight from the ASC, but it was a humdinger of a game.
Mary Hardin-Baylor 5 - East Texas Baptist 4
To give some context, it was raining and the field was quite wet (although playable). Plus, the announcers, who I assume were ETBU students, had really thick Texas accents and some colorful sayings. It was kind of hilarious watching some fast-paced action with some slow-paced talking.
Now, you would assume from the high score that this was a humdinger because of all the goals and the action must have been end-to-end with the teams trading goals. Yes to the first part, but no to the second. Mary Hardin-Baylor scored 5 straight goals in the first half, all between the 12th and 39th minutes, scored by five different players. In the first half, UMHB outshot ETBU 19-7. Going into halftime up 5-0, you can excuse UMHB's coach and players if they felt pretty comfortable in their lead and were looking forward to a hot shower and a cold beverage after the game.
Turns out, this was a tale of two halves. I don't know what the ETBU coach said to his boys at halftime, but I'm guessing it wasn't PG because they came out flying. East Texas Baptist scored in the 53rd on a PK, 55th, and 62nd minutes and suddenly it was 5-3. They were pressing constantly, almost scoring on a far post header from a cross that was saved off the line by a UMHB defender before finally scoring a 4th in the 85th on a fantastic shot from outside the box. Now it was 5-4, and to use a phrase that would probably get you side-eyed looks at best in Marshall, Texas, and maybe worse, it was squeaky bum time. ETBU had a couple more good scoring opportunities and got off a strong shot that went to the goalkeeper, but that's how it ended. This game was going to have no effect on the standings or qualification for the ASC tournament (since everyone makes it this year), so ETBU was just playing hard for pride, which was kind of impressive.
Don't think I've ever seen a game where one teams scores 5 goals in the first half and the other team scores 4 in the second half.
Well, geez... glad that 2nd half is over. Exciting game for certain. The Cru officially clinch the top seed and their 4th straight regular season title.
A bunch of blowouts in the SCAC yesterday
Colorado College 6 - Austin 1
This might be the most surprising because Austin has been improved this year and has had some close games against better teams, but CC, especially at home, was much too much for them. Louis Catchpole, Austin's leading scorer received a straight red late, but after all of the goals were scored.
Trinity 7 - Ozarks 0
As with Austin, Ozarks has been a bit better this year, but Trinity just steamrolled them.
St. Thomas 4 - University of Dallas 0
UST takes care of business against a winless Dallas team
Texas Lutheran 4 - McMurry 1
Not sure what was more surprising - TLU scoring lots of goals or giving up a goal to McMurry. The McMurry goal was in the 75th minute after TLU had scored 4, though, so it was probably due to rotation on defense.
Southwestern 3 - Concordia TX 1
Only competitive game of the night that mattered for SCAC standings. Game was fairly even on stats, but Southwestern was more clinical with its shots. Southwestern is now tied with Concordia on points, but is in third with the head-to-head tiebreaker while Concordia falls to 5th. Southwestern has a fairly easy last game at McMurry, but Concordia has to travel to Texas Lutheran to battle it out for 4th place in the SCAC.
Centenary 3 - Schreiner 3
It was a game of swings. Centenary scored goals right before and after halftime to take a 2-0 lead, but Schreiner reeled off three straight goals between the 54th and 66th minutes to take the lead. Centenary managed to get an equalizing goal in the 86th minute to walk away with a point that puts them just below Austin for the top of the bottom of the SCAC.
A few afternoon games of note in Region X
Occidental 1 - Pomona-Pitzer 1
With Oxy locked into 3rd place in the SCIAC, this game didn't have much meaning for it and it kind of played like it. With it being Senior Day at Pomona-Pitzer and the teams playing an afternoon game on the P-P grass that favored their passing game over the speed of Oxy, it's therefore not surprising that the game was close. Oxy scored in the 78th minute, but P-P tied it up in the 86th. It probably won't prevent P-P from finishing last in the SCIAC, but it ends the season on a brighter note. For Oxy, it's not a great way to enter the the conference tournament for a team has gone without a loss in the last 4 games, but only has one win during that run (against Chapman) and ties against both Caltech and P-P.
Pacific Lutheran 3 - Pacific 1
Pacific Lutheran scored three straight goals, including a brace for Trevor Thompson that gives him 19 on the season, in a dominating performance ahead of its clash against second place George Fox.
Puget Sound 1 - George Fox
Puget Sound scores in the 2nd minute, allowing the Loggers to focus on defense and George Fox couldn't even muster a single shot on goal all game to equalize. GF loses ground on Pacific Lutheran, although it still has a chance at catching them if they beat the Lutes on their visit to play them this Sunday, especially with more winnable games waiting for them next week against Lewis & Clark and Linfield. Pacific Lutheran has the tougher remaining schedule away at Whitman and Whitworth.
Evening games in the SCIAC
Caltech 5 - Cal Lutheran 0
WOW! Caltech crushes Cal Lutheran and finishes 8-7-3 for its first winning season ever (or at least as far back as I can find records). Etienne Casanova scores a brace and two assists for Caltech, which was up 4-0 at halftime and then added another goal in the 86th minute. With Cal Lu already clinching 4th and home field in the playoff game, and not being able to catch Oxy for 3rd, it's not surprising that it would rotate some players, but I'm sure it didn't intend to lay an egg this big at home.
Whittier 1 - Redlands 0
Much like with Cal Lu, Redlands is locked into the top seed in the SCIAC tournament and didn't need this game, while Whittier was trying to finish strong and avoid finishing behind Caltech. On the other hand, Redlands probably didn't want to hurt its chance at a Pool C bid if it didn't win the SCIAC automatic bid. So, Redlands didn't rotate as much as Cal Lu and mostly used its starters. Didn't matter. Whittier scored in the 13th minute and held on, almost scoring an insurance goal late to ice the game on a counter, and held on to win the game. Redlands can't drop this game since all losses count, so it's going to hurt its NPI. Oxy, Cal Lu, and Redlands all limp into the SCIAC tournament.
SCAC final matchday of the regular season
Colorado College 6 - University of Dallas 0
Trinity 4 - Centenary 0
With Colorado College and Trinity TX both winning, the two teams finish as co-regular season champions. Since they had identical 10-0-1 conference records, they tied 1-1 in their own meeting, and they have identical records against conference opponents, the SCAC had to go to the third tiebreaker, which was fewest goals allowed in conference games. Colorado College only gave up 2 goals and Trinity gave up 5 goals. Therefore, CC takes the top seed in the SCAC tournament and Trinity is second seed.
Southwestern 2 - McMurry 1
Southwestern finishes third in the SCAC, but it took a late rally against second-to-last place McMurry to avoid missing out on the conference tournament altogether. McMurry scored right before halftime to take a 1-0 lead and was a little over 5 minutes from claiming their third SCAC win of the season, but Southwestern managed to equalize in the 86th minute and get the winner in the 87th minute.
St. Thomas 4 - Austin 1
UST came into the match one point behind Southwestern, Concordia, and Texas Lutheran for the fourth and final spot in the SCAC tournament. They needed to win this game and hope Concordia and Texas Lutheran would tie and that's exactly what they got. Austin scored first in the 9th minute, but UST equalized right before halftime. That 1-1 tie held up until St. Thomas exploded for three goals in the 77th, 79th, and 86th minutes to give it a chance to defend its conference tournament title.
Concordia TX 1 - Texas Lutheran 1
St. Thomas would have been on the outside looking in on the four tournament finalists if Texas Lutheran hadn't scored in the 84th minute, despite playing down a man because of a double yellow in the 81st minute, to equalize the game and thwart Concordia from securing the three points to stay ahead of St. Thomas.
SCAC Tournament Friday Nov. 8th (Semifinals)
Colorado College v. St. Thomas 5 pm CST
Trinity v. Southwestern 8 pm CST
Both games are at Sabercats Stadium in Houston, Texas, which is where University of St. Thomas plays its home games.
NWC de facto championship game
Pacific Lutheran 4 - George Fox 0
PLU dominates this game, scoring 2 in each half, including Trevor Thompson's 20th of the year, and outshooting GF 18-6, to take an 8 point lead in the NWC with two games to go in the regular season and clinch the Northwest Conference championship and the NCAA AQ. George Fox lost both games this weekend and 3 out of the last 4 to fade out of contention after a hot start to the NWC season. They fall to third with Whitworth's victory over Lewis & Clark.
It will be interesting how the Lutes approach the last two games of the season at Whitworth and Whitman. The games are meaningless for qualification and they might want to rest some players and avoid injury, but they also might want to go into the NCAA tournament on a roll. Plus, the additional victories could marginally help with PLU's seeding, even though PLU is already higher ranked than both teams in the NPI.
ASC conference tournament starts tomorrow. Not as much drama as other conferences since everyone makes the tournament. Nevertheless, that sets up the opportunity for a team to come out of nowhere and take the ASC automatic bid, and the two teams playing tomorrow would be coming out of absolutely nowhere if they did so.
https://ascsports.org/tournaments/?id=159
Quarterfinals: Tuesday Nov 5 2 pm central
#4 LeTourneau hosts #5 Howard Payne
During the regular season, LeTourneau beat Howard Payne 4-0 on 9/28 at home and the teams tied 1-1 on 10/17 at Howard Payne. LeTourneau (4-8-5 and 1-4-3) gets the benefit of hosting this game and should be heavily favored as Howard Payne is on an 18 game winless streak this season (0-14-4 and 0-7-1). Howard Payne did only lose to Hardin-Simmons 1-0 on Saturday, though, so perhaps they will be full of confidence, if you can draw confidence from a close loss. LeTourneau, by contrast, comes in struggling, having gone winless in the last 8 games and is on a 4 game losing streak. They have been outscored 17-3 in the last 4 games, so this is definitely a weakened LeTourneau team from the one that beat Austin College and tied Mary Hardin-Baylor and East Texas Baptist. Realistically, neither team deserves to be in a conference tournament, but the ASC has only five teams, which isn't enough for a full non-conference schedule, so this is a way for them to get some extra games.
The SCIAC tournament starts tomorrow. They have a play-in game for the first time this season.
Play-In Game: Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 pm Pacific
#5 Chapman @ #4 Cal Lutheran
Both teams come off really bad performances in their last games of the regular season. Chapman lost 4-0 to Occidental and Cal Lutheran lost to Caltech 5-0. During the regular season, Cal Lu won 2-0 at Chapman on 9/25 and the teams tied 1-1 at Cal Lu on 10/26. Neither team is coming in on a high. Cal Lu has gone winless in 6 of its last 7 games, while Chapman has been winless in 6 of its last 8 games. On the other hand, both teams have had lots of ties. The teams are the bottom two teams in the SCIAC in all offensive stats (shots, goals, assists), so expect a low scoring affair that could end in OT or PKs.
I fear that with the SCAC tournament being held at a participating FloSports member school that the tournament broadcasts will only be available via that outlet.
I think the conference trumps the host. If the conference staff has any skill.
The SCAC is pushing Flo - they don't have independent production capability. In the past they have leveraged whatever broadcast facilities the host school provides (sometimes with invited announcing talent).
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 04, 2024, 06:51:27 PMThe SCAC is pushing Flo - they don't have independent production capability. In the past they have leveraged whatever broadcast facilities the host school provides (sometimes with invited announcing talent).
Last year, SCAC used Cooper Sports Media as their broadcasters for the SCAC Championships held at SaberCats Stadium in Houston. I expect they will use them again. They are also the regular home broadcasters for University of St. Thomas and this is where UST plays its home games. Whether they are on FloSports for the championships is unclear from the press release (https://scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/champs_website)
Quote from: Kuiper on November 04, 2024, 03:58:59 PMASC conference tournament starts tomorrow. Not as much drama as other conferences since everyone makes the tournament. Nevertheless, that sets up the opportunity for a team to come out of nowhere and take the ASC automatic bid, and the two teams playing tomorrow would be coming out of absolutely nowhere if they did so.
https://ascsports.org/tournaments/?id=159
Quarterfinals: Tuesday Nov 5 2 pm central
#4 LeTourneau hosts #5 Howard Payne
During the regular season, LeTourneau beat Howard Payne 4-0 on 9/28 at home and the teams tied 1-1 on 10/17 at Howard Payne. LeTourneau (4-8-5 and 1-4-3) gets the benefit of hosting this game and should be heavily favored as Howard Payne is on an 18 game winless streak this season (0-14-4 and 0-7-1). Howard Payne did only lose to Hardin-Simmons 1-0 on Saturday, though, so perhaps they will be full of confidence, if you can draw confidence from a close loss. LeTourneau, by contrast, comes in struggling, having gone winless in the last 8 games and is on a 4 game losing streak. They have been outscored 17-3 in the last 4 games, so this is definitely a weakened LeTourneau team from the one that beat Austin College and tied Mary Hardin-Baylor and East Texas Baptist. Realistically, neither team deserves to be in a conference tournament, but the ASC has only five teams, which isn't enough for a full non-conference schedule, so this is a way for them to get some extra games.
Changed to 7:30 CST and at a local high school on turf due to weather.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 05, 2024, 03:45:18 PMQuote from: Kuiper on November 04, 2024, 03:58:59 PMASC conference tournament starts tomorrow. Not as much drama as other conferences since everyone makes the tournament. Nevertheless, that sets up the opportunity for a team to come out of nowhere and take the ASC automatic bid, and the two teams playing tomorrow would be coming out of absolutely nowhere if they did so.
https://ascsports.org/tournaments/?id=159
Quarterfinals: Tuesday Nov 5 2 pm central
#4 LeTourneau hosts #5 Howard Payne
During the regular season, LeTourneau beat Howard Payne 4-0 on 9/28 at home and the teams tied 1-1 on 10/17 at Howard Payne. LeTourneau (4-8-5 and 1-4-3) gets the benefit of hosting this game and should be heavily favored as Howard Payne is on an 18 game winless streak this season (0-14-4 and 0-7-1). Howard Payne did only lose to Hardin-Simmons 1-0 on Saturday, though, so perhaps they will be full of confidence, if you can draw confidence from a close loss. LeTourneau, by contrast, comes in struggling, having gone winless in the last 8 games and is on a 4 game losing streak. They have been outscored 17-3 in the last 4 games, so this is definitely a weakened LeTourneau team from the one that beat Austin College and tied Mary Hardin-Baylor and East Texas Baptist. Realistically, neither team deserves to be in a conference tournament, but the ASC has only five teams, which isn't enough for a full non-conference schedule, so this is a way for them to get some extra games.
Changed to 7:30 CST and at a local high school on turf due to weather.
Thanks! I see that the game was moved to Spring Hill High School, whose artificial turf football field doubles as a soccer field. In Texas, when you move from a college soccer field to a high school football stadium, it's more than likely a step up. Spring Hill has probably around a 5,000 seat stadium, which is pretty big for a school whose enrollment is only about 1,000.
https://www.shisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3761276&type=d&pREC_ID=2440203
I bet the locker rooms are pretty nice too.
Thanks! I see that the game was moved to Spring Hill High School, whose artificial turf football field doubles as a soccer field. In Texas, when you move from a college soccer field to a high school football stadium, it's more than likely a step up. Spring Hill has probably around a 5,000 seat stadium, which is pretty big for a school whose enrollment is only about 1,000.
https://www.shisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3761276&type=d&pREC_ID=2440203
I bet the locker rooms are pretty nice too.
Halftime shows with bands, etc are big in Texas. The parents and community all attend.
ASC 4v5 game
LeTourneau 1 - Howard Payne 0
LeTourneau scored on a PK in the 29th minute as part of a dominant first half in which they had 10 shots to HP's 1 to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. Howard Payne, however, came back strong in the second half, outshooting LeTourneau 14-7. Despite going down a man in the 90th minute on a second yellow, HP almost tied the game on a shot with 3 seconds left that the LeTourneau goalkeeper appeared to save off the line. It was so close that the refs actually conferred to review the play, but decided the original call of no goal stood. Howard Payne finishes the season winless and LeTourneau advances to face #1 Mary Hardin-Baylor on Thursday at 1 pm central
SCIAC 4v5 game
Chapman 2 - Cal Lutheran 1
Very evenly matched game. Cal Lu struck first with a goal in the 40th minute that gave them a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Chapman came out of halftime and equalized less than 30 seconds into the second half. About 10 minutes later, Chapman took the lead on a great turn by the striker inside the box and quick left-footed shot back toward the near post. The game got chippy at the end, with yellow cards being handed out twice to Cal Lu players in rough plays that brought the teams together in what might have expanded to all out fights, but cooler heads prevailed. Chapman travels to Redlands on Thursday for the semifinals at 7 pm in a rematch of a game Redlands won 1-0 back in mid-September.
I'm sure this might have been mentioned in the NPI or national threads, but with Colorado College having such a high ranking but no proximity to hardly any school, what will happen to their hosting priority?
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2024, 02:38:07 PMI'm sure this might have been mentioned in the NPI or national threads, but with Colorado College having such a high ranking but no proximity to hardly any school, what will happen to their hosting priority?
Hosting priority has never been exclusively based on seed, but this regulation waived the requirement that geographic proximity take priority. So, Colorado College could host a pod of teams from the NWC, ASC and one from the SCIAC, with Trinity hosting a second team from the SCIAC, the winner of the SAA, and the winner of maybe the SLIAC or USA South or perhaps even UAA since it's Emory I believe. Colorado Springs would be closer for the NWC and SCIAC teams, which normally have to travel to Texas.
QuoteNCAA Bylaw 31.3.5.1 (b) – Executive Regulations – Selection of
Teams and Individuals for Championships Participation –
Selection Decisions of Sport Committees – Pairings and Site
Selection – Protecting Top-Seeded Teams.
Management Council. The council approved a waiver of Bylaw 31.3.5.1 (b) that requires geographic proximity (i.e., the competition site is within 500 miles of the institution) to take precedent over seeding when constructing a championship bracket. The waiver allows flexibility for sport committees to ensure that top seeded teams do not face each other in the early rounds of championships. The waiver applies for up to two years to allow time for the impact of the change to be implemented and assessed.
SCIAC has handed out its All-Conference Awards
I might quibble with some of these. I thought Glynn at GK did more with less at Chapman, while Brachman benefited from a better team and defense. I also might have switched Notter and Mantripragadan at F, considering the latter was injured and on and off for much of the season and Notter scored more clutch goals. Rowan Slater might have been a stretch too. Nevertheless, I don't think any of these were major errors. All were deserving. Oury Diane is probably the most influential player left off.
https://thesciac.org/news/2024/11/5/mens-soccer-all-conference-awards-redlands-kostenko-jamieson-sweep-athlete-of-the-year-recognition.aspx
First Team All-SCIAC
Name Institution Year Position Hometown
Phillip Kostenko Redlands Sr. F Redmond, Wash.
Owen Jamieson Redlands Sr. D Danville, Calif.
Brady Bachman Redlands Jr. GK San Diego, Calif.
Jackson Busby Chapman Sr. D Lake Stevens, Wash.
Shaan Malik CMS Jr. D New York, N.Y.
Max Stanley Occidental Sr. D Savannah, Ga.
Bo Robertson Redlands So. D Portland, Ore.
Cody Bell Redlands Sr. M Highland, Calif.
Etienne Casanova Caltech Jr. M San Jose, Calif.
Rafael Otero CMS Sr. M Seattle, Wash.
Vicente Navarro Occidental Sr. M Pacoima, Calif.
Anders Beckton Redlands So. F Seattle, Wash.
James Gomez CMS So. F Pasadena, Calif.
Ishaan Mantripragada Caltech Jr. F Saratoga, Calif.
Adan Villarreal La Verne Sr. F Pico Rivera, Calif.
Second Team All-SCIAC
Name Institution Year Position Hometown
Alex Glynn Chapman Jr. GK San Diego, Calif.
Jack Gominiak Cal Lutheran Jr. D Chula Vista, Calif.
Jack Hindmarsh Whittier Fy. D Kristianstad, Sweden
Oscar Mendoza La Verne Gr. D Los Angeles, Calif.
Niclas Ulrich Pomona-Pitzer Jr. D Chevy Chase, Md.
Aiden Aley Occidental Jr. M Ross, Calif.
Connor Claborn Redlands Jr. M Santa Clarita, Calif.
JP Melgoza Cal Lutheran Sr. M Oxnard, Calif.
Rowan Slater Whittier Jr. M Fort Collins, Colo.
John Laidlaw CMS Jr. F Encinitas, Calif.
Matthew Luk Caltech Fy. F Bel Air, Md.
Keyon Namdar Pomona-Pitzer So. F Irvine, Calif.
Andrew Notter Occidental Sr. F Truckee, Calif.
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2024, 02:38:07 PMI'm sure this might have been mentioned in the NPI or national threads, but with Colorado College having such a high ranking but no proximity to hardly any school, what will happen to their hosting priority?
In the past the NCAA would have happily flown them out even if they were the top seed in the country. There is supposedly more flexibility this year but it's hard to say that there will be enough to fly three squads to the Springs. We'll just have to see.
This year, both Colorado College and Trinity (TX) will have the seed to host. The difference is Trinity will have another Texas team within 500 miles to drive to them. To make a CC pod, you would fly the two California schools to them as 3rd and 4th seeds in the pod, then fly out a midwest team as a #2 for the pod. However, that would then also mean flying two into Texas or two out of Texas so that's 5 flights already.
If you fly two teams into Texas and fly Colorado to another pod (I think it's in the South where no teams seed is high enough to be a top seed in a pod), then it may take only one more flight to complete the bracket. 4 flights total.
pretty sure the NCAA will choose 4 flights over 5 in first/second round brackets. Thus, I think Trinity hosts and Colorado College flys out but is top seed of a pod.
ASC semifinals today:
Mary Hardin-Baylor v. LeTourneau at 1 pm central UPDATE: Game pushed back to 2:45 pm because of weather delays
UMHB's reward for finishing first in the ASC is to play LeTourneau, which won the 4/5 game against Howard Payne on Tuesday. Lest you think this is an easy game considering LeTourneau is 5-8-5 and UMHB is 10-6-2 and has beaten the likes of St. Olaf away early in the season, UMHB and LeTourneau tied 1-1 on 10/10 at UMHB in a game UMHB outshot LeTourneau 22-7. On the other hand, in the rematch on 11/2, UMHB won 4-1. I expect LeTourneau to try to replicate the first result by parking the bus and picking their spots to go forward.
Hardin-Simmons v. East Texas Baptist at 5 pm central UPDATE: Game pushed back to 8:45 pm central
UPDATE: Moved to Friday at 7 pm central because of the weather
H-S has beaten ETBU 5-0 on 9/28 and 2-1 on 10/17. I like H-S playing at home, but ETBU has heart and they won't roll over in this game.
This should be the more competitive of the two semifinals
SCIAC Tournament Semifinals Preview
Occidental v. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 pm Pacific
If there's one thing we've come to expect when these two teams match up this season, it's goals. CMS beat Oxy at home 3-2 and the two teams tied at Oxy 3-3. In both games, CMS scored by pressing Oxy's GK at the top of the box into giveaways and Oxy scored on Andrew Notter's late runs into the box on set plays. These also haven't been games where you could safely arrive/turn on your stream late. Both games involved early Oxy goals, with Notter scoring in the 1st minute in the first game and Max Stanley scored in the 3rd minute at Occidental. You can't step away too long at halftime either. CMS' Heiko Schultz scored in the 48th minute in Game 1 and CMS' Collin Ross scored in the 49th minute in Game 2. For this third game, I expect more of the same. CMS needs to get Rafael Otero more involved and Oxy needs to get Oury Diane more involved. Otero had zero shots in Game 1, but scored a goal on 4 shots (3 SOG) in Game 2. Diane didn't play in Game 1, but scored a goal on 3 shots (all on goal) in Game 2. Oxy also needs a better game out of GK Riley Nyhan, who has been shaky in some big games.
Chapman at Redlands 7 pm Pacific
These two teams only played each other once this season in the SCIAC's unbalanced schedule and Redlands won 1-0 at home back on 9/18. Redlands outshot Chapman 16-6 in that game, but Chapman made things difficult for Redlands by committing 17 fouls. Too much has probably happened since to read much into that result though. Redlands is coming off of a bad 1-0 loss to Whittier in which it seems like they were still hungover from the excitement of beating CMS 4-2. Chapman lost badly to Oxy, 4-0, before beating Cal Lu 2-1 in the play-in game. I think Chapman's difficulty is that while they can play teams tightly and make things difficult for them, they have trouble scoring and the closest they have to a signature win is a 0-0 tie against Oxy. It would be a major upset if they were to do so here, but the longer they can keep Redlands off the board, the more likely they test Redlands' patience, which could leave gaps open in the back.
Big upset in the ASC semifinals
LeTourneau 0 - Mary Hardin-Baylor 0 (LeTourneau advances on PKs)
UMHB outshot LeTourneau 22-9 and probably had a huge advantage on time of possession, but you have to put the ball in the net. Lots of UMHB's passes were sloppy and intercepted and LeTourneau always had a ton of players behind the ball. When UMHB had a really dangerous ball, like in the second half when an attacker somehow rounded his defender on the right side of the box and delivered a ball across the goal that went untouched, no UMHB player had attacked the far post to put it in. LeTourneau hung around and made all of their kicks while their keeper made one strong save in PKs and UMHB's opening kicker missed after sending the keeper the other way. UMHB is surely out even though it was the highest ranked ASC team in the NPI rankings at #75 (which means there won't be a bid "stealer" out of the ASC even with the upset).
SCIAC Semifinals Results
CMS 2 - Occidental 1
This was a very even, hard fought, game before what sounded like a partisan Oxy crowd (complete with vuvuzelas) until half the CMS football team apparently showed up after practice ended. In the first half, both goalkeepers made some fantastic saves as well as interventions on 1v1s and the teams went into the half tied 0-0. CMS, however, came out aggressively in the second half and scored two goals within four minutes of each other, first in the 63rd minute on a great near-post run and flick off a cross by John Laidlaw into the near post and again in the 67th minute on a shot from Rafael Otero from the right side of the box to the far post. Oxy was on the ropes, but they've been there before and Andrew Notter scored on a scramble in the box in the 76th minute. To make things even more interesting, in the stoppage when the Oxy goal was scored, CMS replaced its goalkeeper, which I assume was because of injury and not because their starter let in the goal since the backup GK was already ready to go immediately. Nevertheless, Oxy couldn't take advantage and CMS was able to secure the win.
Chapman 1 - Redlands 1 (Chapman advances on PKs)
This was the big shocker of the evening, although it played out the way I suggested it might in my preview. Chapman had little offense, but fouled Redlands enough (16 to 8 for Redlands) to prevent them from getting into a flow offensively. Chapman's lone goal came right before halftime on a free kick by Cormac Galvin. Once they got that goal, Chapman parked the bus (or, since they are from the OC, it's probably apt to say they parked a couple of Cybertrucks) and ceded possession almost completely to Redlands. It looked like the winning strategy as they repeatedly blocked Redlands' shots, intercepted their crosses, and frustrated their attempts to pass slip balls into the box. With 7 seconds left on the clock, though, Redlands launched a hopeful ball into the far post area that wasn't cleared and Zach Darmanyan hit a seeing-eye ball from close range that made it through several defenders and went past the diving Chapman GK who had shifted over and dove in an attempt to make himself big. Neither team could score in OT (to be fair, Chapman didn't even try as they took 0 shots in both OT periods and just played for PKs). It ended up working as Chapman's keeper and some errant shots by Redlands won them the shootout. My guess is that this knocks Redlands out, but I'm not positive how the tie will affect them.
The Finals will be Saturday night with Chapman traveling to CMS. The last time the two teams played in mid-September, CMS won 3-0.
Quote from: Hopkins92 on October 23, 2024, 02:29:30 PMQuote from: seanie67 on October 23, 2024, 12:27:50 AMAnyone who as watched Oxy this year knows all goals run through a dubious striker and/or specious front line- not quality. Their midfield should start shooting and making runs. Their coach is an impassionate full throated idiot as well. CMS will dominate this season, next and next. BTW important note and I hope all the NESCAC fools are listening. The bottom half of all SCIAC and all Cali teams could and will destroy most of the garbage (yak, yak) Northeast teams that includes Centennial, NEWMAC and the rest of the Northeast disposal. The stats belie that absolute fact and it will continue into the near future. Enjoy playing futsal in a january cold gym and keep weightlifting!
I don't typically engage with nonsense, but "all Cali teams"?? That out of the gate is disqualifying statement.
But to be specific, an average Swarthmore team flew out that way and beat Oxy (3-1) and Caltech (1-0) and Chapman came out east and lost to Stevens (2-1) and Montclair St (3-0). Cal Lutheran also traveled east and lost to an (at the time) floundering Messiah (4-0) and tied Gettysburg. (1-1).
So, I'm not great at math but 0-5-1 for the SCIAC teams... What are you actually talking about?
Edited by moderator.
Cmon Kuip- I
Quote from: Kuiper on November 08, 2024, 01:22:23 AMSCIAC Semifinals Results
CMS 2 - Occidental 1
This was a very even, hard fought, game before what sounded like a partisan Oxy crowd (complete with vuvuzelas) until half the CMS football team apparently showed up after practice ended. In the first half, both goalkeepers made some fantastic saves as well as interventions on 1v1s and the teams went into the half tied 0-0. CMS, however, came out aggressively in the second half and scored two goals within four minutes of each other, first in the 63rd minute on a great near-post run and flick off a cross by John Laidlaw into the near post and again in the 67th minute on a shot from Rafael Otero from the right side of the box to the far post. Oxy was on the ropes, but they've been there before and Andrew Notter scored on a scramble in the box in the 76th minute. To make things even more interesting, in the stoppage when the Oxy goal was scored, CMS replaced its goalkeeper, which I assume was because of injury and not because their starter let in the goal since the backup GK was already ready to go immediately. Nevertheless, Oxy couldn't take advantage and CMS was able to secure the win.
Chapman 1 - Redlands 1 (Chapman advances on PKs)
This was the big shocker of the evening, although it played out the way I suggested it might in my preview. Chapman had little offense, but fouled Redlands enough (16 to 8 for Redlands) to prevent them from getting into a flow offensively. Chapman's lone goal came right before halftime on a free kick by Cormac Galvin. Once they got that goal, Chapman parked the bus (or, since they are from the OC, it's probably apt to say they parked a couple of Cybertrucks) and ceded possession almost completely to Redlands. It looked like the winning strategy as they repeatedly blocked Redlands' shots, intercepted their crosses, and frustrated their attempts to pass slip balls into the box. With 7 seconds left on the clock, though, Redlands launched a hopeful ball into the far post area that wasn't cleared and Zach Darmanyan hit a seeing-eye ball from close range that made it through several defenders and went past the diving Chapman GK who had shifted over and dove in an attempt to make himself big. Neither team could score in OT (to be fair, Chapman didn't even try as they took 0 shots in both OT periods and just played for PKs). It ended up working as Chapman's keeper and some errant shots by Redlands won them the shootout. My guess is that this knocks Redlands out, but I'm not positive how the tie will affect them.
The Finals will be Saturday night with Chapman traveling to CMS. The last time the two teams played in mid-September, CMS won 3-0.
[/
Cmon Kuip it was at CMS field -- there was no Oxy crowd there-be honest
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 23, 2024, 01:30:29 PMQuote from: Gray Fox on October 23, 2024, 12:36:39 PMQuote from: PaulNewman on October 23, 2024, 08:31:07 AMOver/under on this guy making it to 10 posts? I'll go with 6.
They took away the "smite" button.
Can you imagine being on a D3 board - where folks like Ejay with his adorable lisp set up a game where they watch at least half of all D3 soccer games and then opine on them. All in good fun. No harm. Then imagine coming up with an inimitable 70's movie stars name and taking the time to post his image along with your name. Then imagine talking about smite which is a traditional biblical term. But you turn it into smitten, which is all about jesus love and you are trying to find out if the NESCAC is really the greatest ball in the world and Salem state, Wesleyan, OWU (wtf), Denison (lol) are in your posts and you continue posting every other day or so- cuz ya know- well yer committed and a gamer. And you feel strongly about it and have a worthwhile objective say in it all. And continue with it cuz it is just the D3 board and I'm Newman and all that. It's my 3 rd post - who is the best in the nation 1-7?
Lol...they did that as a favor to me. Who doesn't get nostalgic about a bygone era when Mr.Right and I "smited" each other for 78 straight days? Thank goodness we were only allowed one "smite" per day per customer.
Quote from: seanie67 on November 08, 2024, 01:32:19 AMCmon Kuip- IQuote from: Kuiper on November 08, 2024, 01:22:23 AMSCIAC Semifinals Results
CMS 2 - Occidental 1
This was a very even, hard fought, game before what sounded like a partisan Oxy crowd (complete with vuvuzelas) until half the CMS football team apparently showed up after practice ended. In the first half, both goalkeepers made some fantastic saves as well as interventions on 1v1s and the teams went into the half tied 0-0. CMS, however, came out aggressively in the second half and scored two goals within four minutes of each other, first in the 63rd minute on a great near-post run and flick off a cross by John Laidlaw into the near post and again in the 67th minute on a shot from Rafael Otero from the right side of the box to the far post. Oxy was on the ropes, but they've been there before and Andrew Notter scored on a scramble in the box in the 76th minute. To make things even more interesting, in the stoppage when the Oxy goal was scored, CMS replaced its goalkeeper, which I assume was because of injury and not because their starter let in the goal since the backup GK was already ready to go immediately. Nevertheless, Oxy couldn't take advantage and CMS was able to secure the win.
Chapman 1 - Redlands 1 (Chapman advances on PKs)
This was the big shocker of the evening, although it played out the way I suggested it might in my preview. Chapman had little offense, but fouled Redlands enough (16 to 8 for Redlands) to prevent them from getting into a flow offensively. Chapman's lone goal came right before halftime on a free kick by Cormac Galvin. Once they got that goal, Chapman parked the bus (or, since they are from the OC, it's probably apt to say they parked a couple of Cybertrucks) and ceded possession almost completely to Redlands. It looked like the winning strategy as they repeatedly blocked Redlands' shots, intercepted their crosses, and frustrated their attempts to pass slip balls into the box. With 7 seconds left on the clock, though, Redlands launched a hopeful ball into the far post area that wasn't cleared and Zach Darmanyan hit a seeing-eye ball from close range that made it through several defenders and went past the diving Chapman GK who had shifted over and dove in an attempt to make himself big. Neither team could score in OT (to be fair, Chapman didn't even try as they took 0 shots in both OT periods and just played for PKs). It ended up working as Chapman's keeper and some errant shots by Redlands won them the shootout. My guess is that this knocks Redlands out, but I'm not positive how the tie will affect them.
The Finals will be Saturday night with Chapman traveling to CMS. The last time the two teams played in mid-September, CMS won 3-0.
[/
Cmon Kuip it was at CMS field -- there was no Oxy crowd there-be honest
Quote from: seanie67 on November 08, 2024, 01:28:45 AMQuote from: Hopkins92 on October 23, 2024, 02:29:30 PMQuote from: seanie67 on October 23, 2024, 12:27:50 AMAnyone who as watched Oxy this year knows all goals run through a dubious striker and/or specious front line- not quality. Their midfield should start shooting and making runs. Their coach is an impassionate full throated idiot as well. CMS will dominate this season, next and next. BTW important note and I hope all the NESCAC fools are listening. The bottom half of all SCIAC and all Cali teams could and will destroy most of the garbage (yak, yak) Northeast teams that includes Centennial, NEWMAC and the rest of the Northeast disposal. The stats belie that absolute fact and it will continue into the near future. Enjoy playing futsal in a january cold gym and keep weightlifting!
I don't typically engage with nonsense, but "all Cali teams"?? That out of the gate is disqualifying statement.
But to be specific, an average Swarthmore team flew out that way and beat Oxy (3-1) and Caltech (1-0) and Chapman came out east and lost to Stevens (2-1) and Montclair St (3-0). Cal Lutheran also traveled east and lost to an (at the time) floundering Messiah (4-0) and tied Gettysburg. (1-1).
So, I'm not great at math but 0-5-1 for the SCIAC teams... What are you actually talking about?
Yo bitch school i am talking about the CMS win over st olaf and mary wtfc (That is who the **** cares) early in the season. Cal tech, Cal Luth and Oxy are obvious garbage. See the recent standings. Can you compare Swathmore and CMS standings recently and still argue? See ya in the tourney! Let me know which east coast you'll be rooting for...T H E W E S T I S The BEST
Are you 12? And drunk? Jesus.
Handy feature at times like this:
- Click your profile icon at the very top left
- Click "Ignore List"
- Enter name of troll in the box under "Add to ignore list" and click "add".
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 08, 2024, 09:31:39 AMHandy feature at times like this:
- Click your profile icon at the very top left
- Click "Ignore List"
- Enter name of troll in the box under "Add to ignore list" and click "add".
Thank you. Never had to even contemplate that feature before now.
Kuip, for what it's worth, I appreciate what you do. I know many others who do as well. Keep it up.
Re: the NCAA championship and the West, I'm no expert in D3 Soccer bracketology, but based on past brackets, I predict CMS will be sent to Trinity (Texas) for the first round. Trinity will have the #1 seed and will probably play someone like Pacific Lutheran. CMS will play the winner of the ACS, probably Hardin Simmons, but that is not a certainty. Assuming Trinity and CMS win their first games they will play each other in the second round. That will be a game to watch because both teams are skilled and have crafty players on the ball. But more importantly, Ed Cartee was a long time assistant coach at Trinity before taking the job at CMS.
Quote from: CC United on November 08, 2024, 10:00:39 AMKuip, for what it's worth, I appreciate what you do. I know many others who do as well. Keep it up.
Re: the NCAA championship and the West, I'm no expert in D3 Soccer bracketology, but based on past brackets, I predict CMS will be sent to Trinity (Texas) for the first round. Trinity will have the #1 seed and will probably play someone like Pacific Lutheran. CMS will play the winner of the ACS, probably Hardin Simmons, but that is not a certainty. Assuming Trinity and CMS win their first games they will play each other in the second round. That will be a game to watch because both teams are skilled and have crafty players on the ball. But more importantly, Ed Cartee was a long time assistant coach at Trinity before taking the job at CMS.
Thanks CC United. Appreciate the kind words.
As for the pod/brackets, who comes out ahead between Colorado College and Trinity in the SCAC (assuming no upsets) will raise the question of whether top seed should host or whether geography comes first. I'll have a SCAC preview out later this morning in time for the St. Thomas-Colorado College game (which has its own interesting storylines), but I agree that a CMS-Trinity game in San Antonio would be a great story.
Per a SCAC Xitter post this morning, the conference championships stream will only be available with a FloSports subscription.
SCAC Semi-Finals today
St. Thomas v. Colorado College 5 pm Central
Colorado College is 15-1-3, with its only loss to Mary Washington, and 10-0-1 in the SCAC with its only blemish a 1-1 tie to Trinity. St. Thomas has had a more up and down season, but it has a decent 10-5-2 record and a 6-3-2 record in the SCAC, which includes a victory over Concordia TX and 0-0 ties to Southwestern and Texas Lutheran. Nevertheless, UST only made the conference tournament by the skin of its teeth after Concordia TX and Texas Lutheran tied on the last game of the regular season and UST leapfrogged them both for the fourth spot. Colorado College is fantastic on defense, allowing only two goals in conference games - one to Trinity and one to Austin College in a 6-1 win when they were already up 5-0, and only 6 goals overall. St. Thomas has been a prolific scorer in past seasons, but less so this season (it only scored 33 all season). Colorado College has been far more potent offensively, scoring 55 goals, but it generated a lot of those goals in 5 games against weaker opponents where it scored 5 goals or more (Fontbonne, Concordia MN, Austin, Schreiner, and Dallas), all of which were played at altitude in Colorado Springs. Against stronger opponents, it tended to win by shutting out the opponent rather than by outscoring them in a goalfest.
Head-to-head, Colorado College beat St. Thomas on 9/28, but it was only by a 1-0 score and it was played at Colorado Springs. CC dominated possession and shots in that game (28-4 and 16-3 on goal), but didn't score until the 67th minute. So, UST has shown that they can play a bunker style and withstand pressure reasonably well when it wants to do so. One factor that could help UST engineer the upset is that although CC is the nominal home team as the higher seed, the game is being played on UST's home field in Houston. Last year, CC lost to UST in the SCAC semifinals on the very same field in Houston by a 2-1 score. Daniel Castro scored a brace for UST in that game, including the winner in the 73rd minute, after Colorado College won 1-0 in the regular season against St. Thomas. Therefore, if you believe history repeats itself, UST has a chance. This is a very different UST team with a different coaching staff and tactical approach, but Daniel Castro continues to be the focal point for the team on offense, and if it's not Daniel, it's his younger brother Tony Castro. Colorado College is more dangerous offensively precisely because they don't have one or two players who the defense can focus on shutting down.
Southwestern v. Trinity 8 pm central
Trinity is 15-0-3 and 10-0-1 in the SCAC, while Southwestern is 11-2-4 and 6-2-3 in the SCAC. Trinity has been almost as good as Colorado College defensively - only conceding 8 goals all season (5 in SCAC play) - but it has been even more potent offensively, scoring 64 goals. After a shaky opening weekend in which it had consecutive 1-1 ties to Methodist and Hendrix, Trinity has scored 2 or more goals every game except one the rest of the season. Of course, the one team that held them to only 1 goal was Colorado College in the 1-1 tie game held in Colorado Springs. Southwestern is no slouch defensively, holding opponents to 14 goals (10 in SCAC play), but it has only scored 31 goals all season.
Although Southwestern has only scored 1 goal against the other top 5 SCAC finishers combined this season (Colorado College, Trinity, St. Thomas, and Texas Lutheran), that goal was against Trinity in a 2-1 loss on 10/13. Raghav Sharma, who is one of their top players, scored first in the 12th minute, before Trinity scored two more goals to win the game. Southwestern won't take much solace in looking at past results, though, because just as the UST-CC semifinal is a repeat of last season on the same field, the Southwestern-Trinity semifinal is also a repeat of last year's semifinal on the same field -- a semifinal game in which Trinity won 3-0. Southwestern will have to try to contain Adam Knutson (14 goals) and Hunter Cain (11 goals), while Trinity will want to keep an eye on Michael Grimm (especially on free kicks, where he can shoot or put it on a platter for a teammate, given the size disadvantage for Trinity's goalkeeper) in addition to Sharma.
A development to note in the St. Thomas - Colorado College game is that neither Daniel nor Tony Castro is in the starting lineup. Not sure if they are hurt or they just want to start with a more defensive lineup, but those two account for 19 of the team's 33 goals this year. It would hurt if they were not available.
UPDATE: Daniel Castro just came in in the 29th minute, so it must have been a tactical decision to start the game more defensively and allow him to use his speed against legs that are a little less fresh than his.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 1 - Colorado College 0
The Castro sub worked well because he came right on and scored a beautiful free kick over the wall and into the near post to give the Celts the lead. Only the third goal Colorado College has given up all season in SCAC play. It resulted from a CC foul outside the box, one of 8 in the first half. Colorado College has had the more dangerous chances thus far, but hasn't been able to put them away (in part because of strong GK play by St. Thomas) and St. Thomas capitalizes on their first real opportunity.
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - Colorado College 0
Whether it was to keep Castro fresher so he could pick his spots or for some other reason, UST certainly benefited from bringing him on as an impact sub in the game as he was able to use his speed to menace the defense and his skill to score on the free kick in his 16 minutes in the first half. Now, Colorado College is in the unfamiliar position of having to chase the game in the second half, which could leave them susceptible to UST's pretty strong counter attack. I expect CC to come out aggressively to negate that advantage as quickly as possible. The longer UST has the lead, the more likely they will start to engage in the dark arts to slow down the game and keep the clock moving. One thing they won't get away with is a ton of hard fouls. The ref has already handed out three yellows (2 to UST and 1 to CC) in the first half. Plus, he stopped play to have a conversation with the UST coach at one point and called UST for a simulation offense near the box. He seems determined to keep control of this one, having already called 9 fouls on each team.
UPDATE: At the 54 minute mark, the dark arts have begun as the UST GK has appointed himself groundskeeper and is trying to stomp down grass and replace divots before taking goalkicks. The ref appeared to caution him about delay.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Colorado College 0 in the 88th minute
As I surmised, CC left itself open to the counter as it it got more desperate and Daniel Castro and his brother Tony worked it really well with two switches. Even then, CC had two guys on Daniel Castro, who split them in the box and was taken down in the box for the PK. Daniel Castro finished the PK for his second goal of the game and this one is just about done.
FINAL: St. Thomas 2 - Colorado College 0
For the second year in a row, St. Thomas beats Colorado College in the semifinals of the SCAC tournament. It was a well-earned victory and one where I have to tip my hat to UST Coach Ramirez, who sat the Castro brothers at the start and brought them in later where they could do more damage. Most of the rest of the team isn't as creative, but they play with a lot of hustle and fight, which is better suited to the kind of slide tackle/emergency defending necessary to beat Colorado College. It wasn't a game where UST was just fouling though. The livestats went down during the game, so I'll have to check the box score later, but CC may have committed at least as many if not more fouls and was shown probably just as many cards, including a yellow on the last play that probably should have been a straight red since it came from behind on a breakaway.
This sets up the possibility that UST will be a bid stealer. There was always going to be at least two teams from the SCAC qualifying (Trinity and Colorado College), but UST certainly has the experience to win the championship. Moreover, although they were ranked 111 coming into this game, I wonder how many QWB points and strength-of-schedule boost you get when you beat the team ranked #9. Plus, the SoS will increase if they play Trinity in the finals. It will be interesting to see how much they move up with this victory. Not sure if UST could qualify even if it doesn't win in the finals, but they certainly increased their chances.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 08, 2024, 06:20:18 PMA development to note in the St. Thomas - Colorado College game is that neither Daniel nor Tony Castro is in the starting lineup. Not sure if they are hurt or they just want to start with a more defensive lineup, but those two account for 19 of the team's 33 goals this year. It would hurt if they were not available.
UPDATE: Daniel Castro just came in in the 29th minute, so it must have been a tactical decision to start the game more defensively and allow him to use his speed against legs that are a little less fresh than his.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 1 - Colorado College 0
The Castro sub worked well because he came right on and scored a beautiful free kick over the wall and into the near post to give the Celts the lead. Only the third goal Colorado College has given up all season in SCAC play. It resulted from a CC foul outside the box, one of 8 in the first half. Colorado College has had the more dangerous chances thus far, but hasn't been able to put them away (in part because of strong GK play by St. Thomas) and St. Thomas capitalizes on their first real opportunity.
HALF: St. Thomas 1 - Colorado College 0
Whether it was to keep Castro fresher so he could pick his spots or for some other reason, UST certainly benefited from bringing him on as an impact sub in the game as he was able to use his speed to menace the defense and his skill to score on the free kick in his 16 minutes in the first half. Now, Colorado College is in the unfamiliar position of having to chase the game in the second half, which could leave them susceptible to UST's pretty strong counter attack. I expect CC to come out aggressively to negate that advantage as quickly as possible. The longer UST has the lead, the more likely they will start to engage in the dark arts to slow down the game and keep the clock moving. One thing they won't get away with is a ton of hard fouls. The ref has already handed out three yellows (2 to UST and 1 to CC) in the first half. Plus, he stopped play to have a conversation with the UST coach at one point and called UST for a simulation offense near the box. He seems determined to keep control of this one, having already called 9 fouls on each team.
UPDATE: At the 54 minute mark, the dark arts have begun as the UST GK has appointed himself groundskeeper and is trying to stomp down grass and replace divots before taking goalkicks. The ref appeared to caution him about delay.
UPDATE: St. Thomas 2 - Colorado College 0 in the 88th minute
As I surmised, CC left itself open to the counter as it it got more desperate and Daniel Castro and his brother Tony worked it really well with two switches. Even then, CC had two guys on Daniel Castro, who split them in the box and was taken down in the box for the PK. Daniel Castro finished the PK for his second goal of the game and this one is just about done.
Did the SID staff abandon the press box again? Live stats stuck at 65:25.
Thanks for the updates - the live stats froze in the 66th (as noted). What a shock to see CC give up more goals in the semi to the fourth seed than they did in conference play combined.
Now, can Trinity stay focused in the nightcap in order to have one final chance to exorcise the Celt daemon that has haunted them these last few seasons?
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 08, 2024, 08:17:55 PMThanks for the updates - the live stats froze in the 66th (as noted). What a shock to see CC give up more goals in the semi to the fourth seed than they did in conference play combined.
Now, can Trinity stay focused in the nightcap in order to have one final chance to exorcise the Celt daemon that has haunted them these last few seasons?
Something must have happened with the press box feed at the stadium because not only did LiveStats go down in the 66th, but the NCAA box score stopped there too. I was trying to check on fouls and cards, because they were coming out fast and furious. In fact, a few plays before Castro's PK to ice the game with his second goal, he went down in the box after beating his man on the end line and was given a yellow for embellishment/simulation. Castro was for sure the difference in this game. He has that little bit of swagger and "try stuff" attitude that CC's defenders couldn't handle when they were left on an island with him. I haven't seen it as much this year (perhaps because he was fatigued or carrying a knock), but he was motivated tonight.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 08, 2024, 08:17:55 PMThanks for the updates - the live stats froze in the 66th (as noted). What a shock to see CC give up more goals in the semi to the fourth seed than they did in conference play combined.
Now, can Trinity stay focused in the nightcap in order to have one final chance to exorcise the Celt daemon that has haunted them these last few seasons?
Southwestern won't be an easy match for Trinity, but assuming they aren't looking ahead and take care of business it definitely would be fun to see that rematch with St. Thomas in the championship game. I said it during the game thread, but you don't want to let St. Thomas get ahead because they are the kind of kids who just play with a lot of heart on defense. Colorado College had one shot in the second half during a scramble in the box that seemed like it was for sure going in until a St. Thomas player came out of nowhere (seemingly from inside the goal) to clear it off the line.
Live stats are still dead in Houston. According to a SCAC tweet Trinity leads Southwestern 1-0 at half.
HALF: Trinity 1 - Southwestern 0
I missed the first half, but kind of a hilarious discussion between the broadcasters at halftime. Southwestern was really late getting to the field and the announcers speculated they hopped on the bus back to Georgetown considering how little they've had of the ball. So, that's my only recap of the first half.
They did note, by the way, that this is the sixth year in a row that St. Thomas has made the SCAC championship game
UPDATE: The announcers said the Trinity goal was scored with 2:43 left in the first half, so a defensive battle (although it sounds like Trinity had a lot of possession, but Southwestern were defending well until Trinity finally broke through).
UPDATE: Still Trinity 1 - Southwestern 0 with about 16 minutes to go, but Southwestern just missed their best goal scoring chance of the period. A great pass led the Southwestern striker into the box, but a risky slide tackle from behind by the Trinity defender was called a corner despite calls for a PK because of the contact. On the ensuring corner, Southwestern got the ball to the far post, but the attacker shot it over the open goal.
Another dangerous attack by Southwestern in the 14th minute (the Southwestern attacker on the left is clearly faster than the Trinity right back), but the shot that was eventually taken went over the bar. Trinity needs to get ahold of the ball and take the air out of the game. Even with this offensive outburst, though, Southwestern still doesn't have a shot on goal in the game.
In the 11th minute, Southwestern is now bringing in 7 subs in an attempt to find some offense and energy. That's a lot of subs!
UPDATE: Still Trinity up 1-0 with 6:30 left. Southwestern just put another ball over the cross bar, but it was much closer.
UDPATE: Grimm with a dangerous free kick for Southwestern with a little under 2 minutes to go, but Trinity's Satpathy smothers it.
FINAL: Trinity 1 - Southwestern 0
The rematch with St. Thomas was destined to happen. Sunday at 2 pm Central
Yep, 1-0 TU. About 4 minutes before the half, a 20-yard cannon shot on goal by Knutson that the goalie couldn't quite handle. Thiess then tapped it just across the goal opening for the score.
Trinity seems composed and confident. Good broadcast on FloSports.
The ASC live stats and stream had difficulty tonight as well. They use different platforms, but odd nonetheless.
HSU tops ETBU 4-1 to advance to their first ASC championship match since the 2021 season.
ASC Semi-Finals
Hardin-Simmons 4 - East Texas Baptist 1
After being delayed a day because of weather, H-S broke open a tight 0-0 game at halftime to score 4 unanswered goals in the second half, including a brace by Daniel Villagomez, before ETBU scored a consolation goal in the 84th minute.
Hardin-Simmons will play LeTourneau in the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2 pm central (the ASC site says it is on Saturday, but the date is Sunday and the H-S site says it's Sunday).
Apropos of nothing, as a result of yesterday's results in the Massey ratings (https://masseyratings.com/csoc/ncaa-d3/ratings):
- Trinity moves from 6th to 5th
- Colorado College drops from 8th to 14th
- St. Thomas moves from 63rd to 47th
- HSU moves from 107th to 96th
- LeTourneau (who defeated UMHB in PKs) somehow drops from 241 to 247
In terms of NPIs (https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_rankings/nitty_gritties/40091?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Submit):
- Trinity - 11 (was 13)
- Colorado - 14 (was 9)
- St. Thomas - 74 (was 111)
- HSU - 78 (was 87)
- LeTourneau - 204 (was 206)
The answer to my question about the NPI effects of St. Thomas beating Colorado College are now known.
It went from #111 to #74. That's the power of not only beating a team ranked #9 at the time, which is a SoS boost, but also of gaining QWB points, which St. Thomas did not have before. Obviously, if St. Thomas wins against now #11 Trinity (which jumped ahead of now #14 Colorado College), it will gain the AQ and NPI rank won't matter for anything but seeding, but I wonder what the effect of a tie and a loss in PKs would do for St. Thomas' NPI rank. Perhaps they get close enough for a Pool C bid.
On the other hand, the SCAC team that is creeping into contention for a Pool C bid ahead of St. Thomas is actually Texas Lutheran, which didn't even qualify for the SCAC tournament. It moved from #52 to #46 partly because its QWB points increased. I'm not exactly sure why based just on yesterday's results, but it did beat Otterbein and Hardin-Simmons this season and tied St. Thomas, all teams that have done well while Texas Lutheran was sitting at home.
Mathematically a tie won't get them there. The farther down the rankings you are, the more a big win helps. Beating CC moved them up 35 from 111, it will move them less than 35 to win again as the "competition" is better. Plus a tie won't get them anywhere near as much as a win.
I suspect a tie would push them in to the 50s at best, and I think the high 50s at that, well below what would be necessary for an at-large. But I'm sure Hansen could do the math.
Quote from: jknezek on November 09, 2024, 10:38:34 AMMathematically a tie won't get them there. The farther down the rankings you are, the more a big win helps. Beating CC moved them up 35 from 111, it will move them less than 35 to win again as the "competition" is better. Plus a tie won't get them anywhere near as much as a win.
I suspect a tie would push them in to the 50s at best, and I think the high 50s at that, well below what would be necessary for an at-large. But I'm sure Hansen could do the math.
I haven't even attempted to model all this, but I'm interested in why you say a tie won't get them anywhere near as much as a win. Isn't a tie considered half a win under the NPI? I mean, that is a lot less than a full win, but are you factoring in some further discount than that? Plus, if it is a half win, couldn't they get half the QWB points even if it is a loss in PKs? In this case, it would be #74 getting half a win against #11, so that's still a fairly big difference.
Regardless, I still agree it's likely St. Thomas needs to get the AQ, as does Hardin-Simmons in the ASC. I'm a bit more curious about Texas Lutheran, which is #46 now. It's interesting to see how much they could move up without playing games at all.
Haven't done the math but have been watching NPI each day. TX Lutheran did move up today, but they still have enough teams ahead of them that I can't see them making it all the way in to at-large. St. Thomas and Hardin-Simmons needs the AQ, no doubt in that for me.
There's been clear differences in Wins and PK wins in terms of NPI movement during conference tournaments. PK wins count as ties which decreases the gain a good bit.
St. Thomas winning the final would cause a good bit of bracket chaos in terms of travel so it would be fun to see as it would give us three Texas teams instead of two.
QuoteSt. Thomas winning the final would cause a good bit of bracket chaos in terms of travel so it would be fun to see as it would give us three Texas teams instead of two.
Region X is always a bit of travel chaos.
Another complicating factor this year is that with Trinity men hosting last year and Trinity women also in the finals on Sunday, Trinity men may not be available to host if they win the SCAC (or qualify as an at-large) and the women win since it would be the women's turn. St. Thomas might also have difficulty because they rent SaberCat Stadium and may not be able to get it at the last minute. That could make Hardin-Simmons and Abilene, Texas the host if they win the ASC, but they would still have to ship two Region X teams elsewhere in the country and they are very spread out in SoCal, Tacoma, WA, and Colorado Springs. And if Redlands somehow sneaks back into the picture because of other teams losing, or Chapman beats CMS in the SCIAC final, then you could have two SCIAC teams qualify and form a SoCal pod with Colorado College and Pacific Lutheran. Some team would then get shipped to Texas from elsewhere to make a Texas pod.
St. Thomas winning would be the NCAA's best scenario. STT plays the ASC winner, Trinity plays whomever they fly in, and Colorado flies somewhere else. I don't think they'd have any problem getting that stadium, though I've heard the turf is getting pretty rough.
Pretty sure men have hosting priority in the first couple of rounds this year.
Schools have to apply to be a host site, it's not just awarded. In years past, UST hasn't even submitted a bid. Probably would incur some sort of deposit to reserve the venue for the weekend on the off chance they are selected, so I imagine that is the main factor in not bidding.
The grass was definitely torn up yesterday at SaberCats stadium. Players were slipping and tearing up the grass on Hardin-Simmons' field yesterday and Thursday because of the heavy rain as well, though, so I'm not sure it's much better. In SoCal, CMS's grass field is in bad shape. It's probably worse than the Texas fields because I think they use it as their practice field for both teams as well and it's gotten really worn and bumpy with the lack of rain, especially near the goals. It's hard to maintain grass fields in California and Texas given the vagaries of the weather, but Trinity or Redlands have some of the best.
Of course, if LeTourneau beats Hardin-Simmons, maybe LETU will host for once. They certainly are committed to their athletics facilities. In fact, on Thursday, they just announced (https://letuathletics.com/news/2024/11/7/general-letourneau-breaks-ground-on-athletic-human-performance-air-dome.aspx#:~:text=LONGVIEW%2C%20Texas%20%2D%2D%20LeTourneau%20University,7%2C%202024.)they have broken ground on a 120,000 square foot Athletic and Human Performance Air Dome to house an indoor track and field facility and other athletics spaces.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 09, 2024, 03:06:18 PMThe grass was definitely torn up yesterday at SaberCats stadium. Players were slipping and tearing up the grass on Hardin-Simmons' field yesterday and Thursday because of the heavy rain as well, though, so I'm not sure it's much better. In SoCal, CMS's grass field is in bad shape. It's probably worse than the Texas fields because I think they use it as their practice field for both teams as well and it's gotten really worn and bumpy with the lack of rain, especially near the goals. It's hard to maintain grass fields in California and Texas given the vagaries of the weather, but Trinity or Redlands have some of the best.
Of course, if LeTourneau beats Hardin-Simmons, maybe LETU will host for once. They certainly are committed to their athletics facilities. In fact, on Thursday, they just announced (https://letuathletics.com/news/2024/11/7/general-letourneau-breaks-ground-on-athletic-human-performance-air-dome.aspx#:~:text=LONGVIEW%2C%20Texas%20%2D%2D%20LeTourneau%20University,7%2C%202024.)they have broken ground on a 120,000 square foot Athletic and Human Performance Air Dome to house an indoor track and field facility and other athletics spaces.
IMO, Trinity has to be the favorite to host given their history. The only times in recent memory they didn't host was 2021 when their women had priority and 2022 when they didn't even make the tournament.
One game of note today in the Northwest Conference:
Pacific Lutheran 2 - Whitworth 1
I say of "note" not because it affects whether PLU wins the NWC. They have already clinched the regular season championship and the NWC doesn't play a tournament because they use a round robin format where every team plays each other twice. That ensures everyone gets enough DIII games since there are no other DIII teams for almost one thousand miles, but the downside is that some of these late season games where a school has already clinched the title can feel like scrimmages. PLU, however, is prepping for the tournament and likely wants to make sure it's in good form, assuming it doesn't have players who need to rest or recover from injury. With the games this weekend away at the Whits, it creates a travel schedule and atmosphere that promoted that tournament feel and the game lived up to that. In the first half, PLU outshot Whitworth 8-2, but it was Whitworth that struck first, scoring on a Cole Friesen shot in the 38th minute (his 15th goal of the season) and Whitworth took a 1-0 lead into halftime. That gave PLU a chance to see what could do playing from behind against a team trying to preserve the lead rather than build on it. Although PLU outshot them 16-5 in the 2nd half, they didn't equalize until the 72nd minute. The two teams battled it out from there and Trevor Thompson saved the day on a counter-press where he recovered the ball and drove to the goal for a shot to the right corner in the 87th minute to take the lead. Thompson, who assisted on the first goal, now has 21 goals and 12 assists on the season, adding to his case for All-American honors. Here is a link to a video of Thompson's goal, which is really a strong advertisement for how good this guy is for people who never see him because he plays in the NWC
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCLV8wix0IB/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
St Olaf wins the MIAC auto bid for the 3rd year in a row with an entertaining 3-2 win over Gustavus. The Oles took a one goal lead on three different occasions, and the Gusties answered back twice. Both of these teams were locks for the NCAA tournament regardless of the outcome.
Will be curious how the NCAA handles seeding/hosting for Region IX teams. Likely 3, if not 4 (if UW Platteville beats UW Eau Claire tomorrow), will be in the top 16. I don't think there is any way that all 4 would host 1st/2nd round games, but we'll see. The only other teams to make it in Region IX wil be the ARC champ (Wartburg vs Neb Wesleyan) and the UMAC champ (UW Superior vs Bethany Lutheran), and I don't think enough other bids will go to teams that would not have to fly in if all 4 hosted.
Quote from: mngopher on November 09, 2024, 04:45:14 PMSt Olaf wins the MIAC auto bid for the 3rd year in a row with an entertaining 3-2 win over Gustavus. The Oles took a one goal lead on three different occasions, and the Gusties answered back twice. Both of these teams were locks for the NCAA tournament regardless of the outcome.
Will be curious how the NCAA handles seeding/hosting for Region IX teams. Likely 3, if not 4 (if UW Platteville beats UW Eau Claire tomorrow), will be in the top 16. I don't think there is any way that all 4 would host 1st/2nd round games, but we'll see. The only other teams to make it in Region IX wil be the ARC champ (Wartburg vs Neb Wesleyan) and the UMAC champ (UW Superior vs Bethany Lutheran), and I don't think enough other bids will go to teams that would not have to fly in if all 4 hosted.
If they need to fly in a team from outside Region IX to Minnesota or Wisconsin, Pacific Lutheran would be a possibility. They did it last year at St. Olaf
There will be enough teams in the tourney to do a Midwest quadrant with four pods and may even have to fly a team out of the midwest. So far, Gustavous Adolphus and UW Eau Claire were the seeds high enough to anchor the quadrant, but losses have changed that a bit. First thing NCAA does is put the top 8 seeds apart from each other, it's important to be in that top 8.
HALF: CMS 4 - Chapman 0
After watching Redlands lose on Thursday, I think CMS' Coach Cartee realized CMS needed to get on the board first so that Chapman couldn't sit back and absorb pressure and he had the Stags come out aggressively. And boy did they ever. CMS scored the first goal in the 2nd minute and then added goals in the 11th, 21st, and 23rd minutes. With a 4-0 lead only halfway through the first half against a strong possession-based team in CMS, Chapman has been chasing the game ever since. It's no surprise that Chapman is clearly tired after the play-in game on Tuesday at Cal Lutheran, the Semifinals on Thursday with double OT and PKs at Redlands on Thursday in a game where Chapman ceded possession and defended virtually the entire game after scoring at the end of the second half, and then traveling to Claremont tonight against CMS. Late in the first half, Chapman was visibly frustrated and two studs up challenges by Chapman players trying to get back possession almost cleared the benches. They arguably could have been reds, but the ref only handed out yellows and ended up stopping the game to let the players cool down while they warned both benches. I fear the second half will either get uglier or the coaches will sub liberally and make it a bench half. Either way, I doubt Chapman will be doing any bid stealing tonight.
UPDATE: Chapman comes out the second half with mostly starters, but CMS brings in a line change, including a GK change.
UPDATE: CMS scores a fifth goal on a monster shot from way outside after dribbling through a couple of Chapman defenders. The scorer is a senior who doesn't get a lot of playing time, so nice for him to score at home.
UPDATE: The announcers mentioned that CMS put in a bid to host in the first round, but unless they don't have enough schools willing to host, it seems unlikely they would fly three teams out to LA.
UPDATE: CMS 5 - Chapman 1
Chapman scores a nice goal from the top of the box with about 7:30 left in the game. I kind of feel bad for the CMS keeper, a senior who was brought in as the 3rd CMS keeper only three minutes earlier for only the fifth game of his college career.
FINAL: CMS 5 - Chapman 1
A dominating performance against a team that over-performed just to get into the finals.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 09, 2024, 11:05:25 PMHALF: CMS 4 - Chapman 0
After watching Redlands lose on Thursday, I think CMS' Coach Cartee realized CMS needed to get on the board first so that Chapman couldn't sit back and absorb pressure and he had the Stags come out aggressively. And boy did they ever. CMS scored the first goal in the 2nd minute and then added goals in the 11th, 21st, and 23rd minutes. With a 4-0 lead only halfway through the first half against a strong possession-based team in CMS, Chapman has been chasing the game ever since. It's no surprise that Chapman is clearly tired after the play-in game on Tuesday at Cal Lutheran, the Semifinals on Thursday with double OT and PKs at Redlands on Thursday in a game where Chapman ceded possession and defended virtually the entire game after scoring at the end of the second half, and then traveling to Claremont tonight against CMS. Late in the first half, Chapman was visibly frustrated and two studs up challenges by Chapman players trying to get back possession almost cleared the benches. They arguably could have been reds, but the ref only handed out yellows and ended up stopping the game to let the players cool down while they warned both benches. I fear the second half will either get uglier or the coaches will sub liberally and make it a bench half. Either way, I doubt Chapman will be doing any bid stealing tonight.
UPDATE: Chapman comes out the second half with mostly starters, but CMS brings in a line change, including a GK change.
UPDATE: CMS scores a fifth goal on a monster shot from way outside after dribbling through a couple of Chapman defenders. The scorer is a senior who doesn't get a lot of playing time, so nice for him to score at home.
UPDATE: The announcers mentioned that CMS put in a bid to host in the first round, but unless they don't have enough schools willing to host, it seems unlikely they would fly three teams out to LA.
UPDATE: CMS 5 - Chapman 1
Chapman scores a nice goal from the top of the box with about 7:30 left in the game. I kind of feel bad for the CMS keeper, a senior who was brought in as the 3rd CMS keeper only three minutes earlier for only the fifth game of his college career.
FINAL: CMS 5 - Chapman 1
A dominating performance against a team that over-performed just to get into the finals.
CMS looked real solid. I knew they were good but they just dominated.
SC.
HSU field looks great after all the rain, but we'll see how it plays today. Fortunately a sunny day to continue drying it out. Women's final kicking off right now, men at 2 o'clock.
Re: looking ahead to women's 1st & 2nd round host possibility.
UW Eau Claire up 1-0 on UW Platteville near the end of the first half, but the Blugolds took a red card with about ten minutes to go in the half. It's always hard to tell on the low quality video feed, but I didnt think it should have been a red card. High boot that caught a UW-P player in the face. There was no intent as far as I could see, but I'm not a referee myself.
Any referees on here able to watch it back? Does the fact that there was contact with the opposing player's head raise it to a red?
What I am seeing from the camera is exactly why this should never be a NCAA host facility. 12 lanes of track and football lines.
No school with a football lined field should ever host a game.
ASC Championship - #2 Hardin-Simmons vs. #4 LeTourneau
LeTu down to 10 men in the 12' for a DOGSO offense. Still 0-0. HSU leading with 4 shots, 2 on frame to LeTu's 3 shots, 0 on frame.
28' Update: HSU take the lead 1-0. Nick Ocasio finishes from about 10 yards out after LeTu fails to clear a cross. Ball falls straight to Ocasio for the first-time finish.
37' Update: HSU extends their lead 2-0. Jakob Fiol rounds the goalkeeper on a long through ball from Jordan Garcia and slots the ball past the lone defender.
In their final SCAC championship match, Trinity gets on the board early against St. Thomas with Hunter Cain scoring his 12th goal of the season off a Adam Knutson assist, his sixth, in the eighth minute.
HALF: Trinity 2 - St. Thomas 1
Trinity got off to a quick start, scoring in the 8th and 19th minutes, but St. Thomas got one back in the 20th minute. Daniel Castro had a chance to tie the game on a PK in the 36th minute, but it was not very well taken and Trinity's Omar Satpathy saved it.
HALF: Hardin-Simmons 2 - LeTourneau 0
Doesn't look like there will be an upset in the ASC Championship game. LeTourneau picked up a straight red card in the 12th minute and H-S' Nick Ocasio scored in the 28th minute and Jakob Fiol doubled H-S' lead in the 37th minute. Le Tourneau hasn't completely retreated into a shell, but it's going to be a tall order for them to mount much offense playing down a man for 78 minutes in their third game of the week after the play-in game on Tuesday and the semifinals on Thursday.
[I see that BTXCru18 has this covered, so I'll circle back after the game]
UPDATE: Trinity 3 - St. Thomas 1 with 25 minutes to go in the second half
After surviving several dangerous interplays in the box between Daniel and Tony Castro, Trinity uses a lob across the box that Trinity's Will Powell heads home for the insurance goal
[and LiveStats looks to have gone down again in the 65th minute]
UPDATE: Trinity 3 - St. Thomas 2 with 17 minutes to go
St. Thomas scores in a scramble in the box after a corner kick to make this a ballgame
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 10, 2024, 03:24:11 PMASC Championship - #2 Hardin-Simmons vs. #4 LeTourneau
LeTu down to 10 men in the 12' for a DOGSO offense. Still 0-0. HSU leading with 4 shots, 2 on frame to LeTu's 3 shots, 0 on frame.
28' Update: HSU take the lead 1-0. Nick Ocasio finishes from about 10 yards out after LeTu fails to clear a cross. Ball falls straight to Ocasio for the first-time finish.
37' Update: HSU extends their lead 2-0. Jakob Fiol rounds the goalkeeper on a long through ball from Jordan Garcia and slots the ball past the lone defender.
75' Update: Still 2-0. HSU leading by a large margin in shots(27-12) and shots on goal(14-4). A lot of Cowboys getting minutes, 8 players off the bench so far.
FINAL: HSU cruises to a 2-0 win in this one, up a man for 78 minutes. They claim their first ASC championship since 2014 and Brad Bankhead's 3rd as a coach and 1st at HSU.
Quote from: Kuiper on November 10, 2024, 04:47:30 PMUPDATE: Trinity 3 - St. Thomas 1 with 25 minutes to go in the second half
After surviving several dangerous interplays in the box between Daniel and Tony Castro, Trinity uses a lob across the box that Trinity's Will Powell heads home for the insurance goal
[and LiveStats looks to have gone down again in the 65th minute]
UPDATE: Trinity 3 - St. Thomas 2 with 17 minutes to go
St. Thomas scores in a scramble in the box after a corner kick to make this a ballgame
UPDATE: St. Thomas' Ian Alvarez picks up a second yellow and is thrown out of the game. If UST is going to come back from 3-2 down, they will have to do it from a man down. Of course, this is not an unfamiliar position for St. Thomas.
UPDATE: Trinity 4 - St. Thomas 2
UST brings up the keeper on a corner kick with about 45 seconds left and Trinity clears the corner for a counter attack of 2 on 0 that leads to another goal. This one is done and dusted.
FINAL: Trinity 4 - St. Thomas 2
Trinity breaks the streak (or curse, if you prefer).
In fine UST fashion, though, there were 10 yellow cards in the game, including a double yellow, with 7 to UST. Otherwise a pretty calm game, relatively speaking
7 YCs against STT today. Can't leave these dirty clowns behind soon enough.
A final insurance goal in the 90th for Trinity marks this long nightmare over.
FYI - the 2nd yellow on Alvarez was completely warranted. He threw his body at the Trinity player; he was not going for the ball.
Impressive win for Trinity.
I know this isn't as exciting as conference championship games, but there were a few regular season games of note in the NWC
Whitman 2 - Pacific Lutheran 1
PLU had already clinched the NWC, but I'm sure they wanted to get a sweep on its tour east to the Whits this weekend and preserve their undefeated NWC season. T'was not to be and they finish 13-2-5 and 11-1-4. It was their first loss since the season opener at UC Santa Cruz. Whitman got on the board first in the 20th minute, but PLU tied it up 5 minutes before halftime. Whitman, however, got the winning goal in the 54th minute and PLU could not equalize a second time. I tend to think they over-relied upon Trevor Thompson in this game. He took 6 of the team's 13 shots and PLU is a lot easier to shut down when they are that undiversified in attack. A nice consolation prize for Whitman, which finished 12-6-2 and 9-5-2 in the NWC in a very up-and-down season.
Pacific 1 - Lewis & Clark 0
This was the last chance for Lewis & Clark to go for a win to avoid a third straight winless season. They fell short, but it was their finest defensive performance all season, which is a testament to the team's resilience considering they could have packed it up a long time ago. Pacific, at 8-8-3 and 6-6-3 coming into the game, is a decent NWC team that had beaten L&C 3-0 the previous meeting. They had 12 shots, including 4 on goal, against L&C, but only scored 1 goal in the 30th minute. That's the first time all season that L&C has limited an opponent to only one goal. Lewis & Clark didn't put up much of a fight offensively, managing only 1 shot all game, but when you only score 7 goals all season and give up 70, you probably need to work on one thing at a time. It's easier to organize and motivate your team to play defense than it is to create a semi-competent striker from scratch in the middle of the season.
Sugar-coating aside, Lewis & Clark is now 0-46-1 since they restarted the program in 2022. If the College administrators want to actually have a soccer team, they need to stop the money-saving maneuver of having one coaching staff for both the men's and women's teams and hire dedicated men's coaches who can actually recruit and devote themselves to this team. They had a few halfway decent players last season (leading them to their only tie) and they all transferred or left the team. They need to have coaches who travel around the country to recruit. Lewis & Clark is a decent academic school and Portland is an attractive place for kids from other areas of the country. It will only get worse if they don't start investing in the program and the result will be cutting it again and damaging relationships with the players who are giving their all for the team.
The NPI numbers have been updated (https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_rankings/nitty_gritties/40157) and Trinity ends up 8th, which after starting the season 0-0-2 is pretty amazing. With that there is seemingly no way the NCAA could keep them from hosting, so let's send Claremont and PLU along with Hardin-Simmons to San Antonio this weekend to play on that lovely pitch.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 10, 2024, 07:00:16 PMThe NPI numbers have been updated (https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_rankings/nitty_gritties/40157) and Trinity ends up 8th, which after starting the season 0-0-2 is pretty amazing. With that there is seemingly no way the NCAA could keep them from hosting, so let's send Claremont and PLU along with Hardin-Simmons to San Antonio this weekend to play on that lovely pitch.
That would be a pretty traditional bracketing situation, with Colorado College flying north or to the south again most likely.
Well, that's a surprise with both Colorado and Trinity hosting, and the NCAA sending Belhaven and Bowdoin to San Antonio. Happy for CC who deserved the chance to host.
Here's the bracket: https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/soccer-men/d3/2024
Colorado gets PLU; CMS and Oglethorpe in the other half there.
If they both win out, Trinity and Colorado would face off again in the fourth round. Middlebury is the top seed in the quadrant and likely hosts if they get through their first two games.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 11, 2024, 01:41:09 PMWell, that's a surprise with both Colorado and Trinity hosting, and the NCAA sending Belhaven and Bowdoin to San Antonio. Happy for CC who deserved the chance to host.
Agreed. CMS and Pacific Lutheran were going to have get on a plane anyway. Colorado Springs is actually closer for both of them, although higher elevation obviously. The Committee probably considered sending Oglethorpe to Colorado College to be fair considering Oglethorpe got to stay home and play at Emory last season against Colorado College in the first round (a game CC won).
For Belhaven, once they put the South bracket host at Lynchburg, San Antonio was the closer host anyway. Bowdoin is the one that is traveling the farthest of just about any school, which perhaps suggests that there were members of the Committee who, like some on these boards, questioned their credentials. Unless Bowdoin has to play a really late game, I frankly think going from the cold climate of Maine west to San Antonio is a much easier trip weather and jet lag-wise than getting sent from LA to Amherst, for example, as happened to Occidental when they got out of the first couple of rounds. No way do they send Bowdoin that far, though, if the NCAA hadn't allocated extra money for travel this year and NESCAC hadn't qualified so many teams for the tournament.
Apropos of nothing, but of interest to those remembering the St. Thomas - TLU donnybrook of last season which resulted in his resignation, former STT HC Ian Clerihew has re-associated with the sport. He is now "CAP Director / Assistant DOC (https://idahosurfsoccerclub.com/about/camps-clinics/)" (feel free to fill me in on what those acronyms might mean) for Idaho Surf Soccer Club (https://idahosurfsoccerclub.com/), "the finest club soccer experience in the Treasure Valley" (Boise ID area). He joined Surf in March of this year according to his LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-clerihew-0211b512/).
At one point said profile stated he was trying to get into tech recruiting, but that industry has seen its share of struggles with many firms laying off tech staff and reducing salaries/benefits offered to tech workers. His profile now says he is "looking to apply my passion and skills in the sales / recruiting" [sic].
I could be wrong but:
CAP - College Advisory Program
DOC - Director of Coaching
Quote from: BTXCru18 on November 06, 2024, 02:38:07 PMI'm sure this might have been mentioned in the NPI or national threads, but with Colorado College having such a high ranking but no proximity to hardly any school, what will happen to their hosting priority?
FWIW, all but Wesleyan(CT) are hosting 1st/2nd rounds of the top 16 seeds. CC was a convenient coincidence, but makes you think if that was the intention all along. Lynchburg(#20) is the only non top-16 host site.
^ not sure I understand? Wesleyan is NOT a top 16.
Quote from: SKUD on November 12, 2024, 03:01:58 PM^ not sure I understand? Wesleyan is NOT a top 16.
Am I reading something wrong? 11/10 NPI has them #16.
https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_rankings/nitty_gritties/40157?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Submit
^ oops I was reading that from the previous day. 16 is correct.
Shout out to UW Superior! They knocked off my Oles, and it was no fluke. I think it is easy to forget about the UMAC, I often do even being based in MN. The Yellowjackets dominated the conference this season. 16-0 in the conference including the conference tournament. 13 of those 16 wins were by 3 or more goals. Only gave up 5 goals in 16 conference games. Close games against very high quality opponents during the regular season, and a couple of big wins to start off the NCAA tournament. Heck of a season so far, and they've earned themselves a trip to the Sweet 16. Congrats, and best of luck!
The Northwest Conference announced (https://nwcsports.com/news/2024/11/21/2024-all-conference-mens-soccer-team-announced-lutes-thompson-dobson-yorke-and-blues-serrano-earn-top-honors.aspx)their all conference selections.
First Team
Pos / Name Class Hometown / High School
GK – Nicholas Gaston, Pacific Lutheran * ...................................... Sr Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani
D – Cole Dobson, Pacific Lutheran * .............................................. Sr Spokane, Wash. / University
D – Alvin Kamau, Pacific Lutheran# .............................................. So Nairobi, Kenya / High Mowing School (N.H.)
D – Dominic Gusman, Whitworth%................................................ Gr Aiea, Hawaii / Punahou
D – Liam Elliott, Puget Sound#....................................................... Gr Tacoma, Wash. / Stadium
M – Craig Johnson, Pacific Lutheran *............................................ Sr Puyallup, Wash. / Puyallup
M – Clayton Crockett, Whitworth# ................................................. Sr Liberty Lake, Wash. / Central Valley
M – Lucas McAllister, Whitman# .................................................... Jr Brier, Wash. / Bishop Blanchet
F – Trevor Thompson, Pacific Lutheran* ........................................ Sr Olympia, Wash. / River Ridge
F – Jacob Burrill, Whitman............................................................... Sr Redwood City, Calif. / Sequoia
F – Cole Friesen, Whitworth* .......................................................... Jr Chula Vista, Calif. / Eastlake
F – Krisna LaFrance, Willamette ..................................................... Sr Seattle, Wash. / Ballard
Second Team
Pos / Name Class Hometown / High School
GK – Ryan Saunders, Puget Sound #............................................. Sr Colleyville, Tex. / Lawrence D Bell
D – Landon Sexton, Pacific Lutheran ............................................. So Olympia, Wash. / North Thurston
D – Garrett Heuett, Pacific (Ore.).................................................... Jr Spokane, Wash. / Cheney
D – Kilinahe Waring, George Fox ................................................... Jr Honolulu, Hawaii / Kamehameha
M – Christian Pineda, Pacific Lutheran#......................................... Sr Puyallup, Wash. / Emerald Ridge
M – Keegan Davis, Whitworth% ..................................................... Jr Albuquerque, N.M. / Eldorado
M – Rhys Foote, Puget Sound........................................................ So Mountain View, Calif. / Palo Alto
M – E.J. Sablan, Linfield.................................................................. So Puyallup, Wash. / River Ridge
F – Beckett Arthur, Whitworth% ...................................................... Sr Missoula, Mont. / Hellgate
F – Connor Kong, George Fox......................................................... Sr Kahului, Hawaii / Maui
F- Sean Kim, Willamette ................................................................. Gr Sunnyvale, Calif. / Homestead
F- Sawyer Valero, Whitman* ........................................................... Sr Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Tech
Honorable Mention
Pos / Name Class Hometown / High School
GK- Zach Aderinto, Pacific (Ore.) % ............................................. Sr Kailua-Kona, Hawaii / Kealakehe
GK- Justin Huttinger , George Fox, .............................................. Jr Mill Creek, Wash. / Henry M. Jackson
D – Jossue Tobar, Whitman ......................................................... Sr Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador / Colegio ANAN
D – Kody Carmel, Puget Sound ................................................... So Federal Way, Wash.
D – Camden Wyatt, Pacific (Ore.) ................................................ Jr Seattle, Wash. / Seattle Preparatory
M – Pema Globus, Puget Sound................................................... Sr San Francisco, Calif. / Drew School
M – Andrew Reed, Willamette% ................................................... Sr Portland, Ore. / Franklin
M – Joshua Chang, George Fox ................................................... Sr Mercer Island, Wash. / Mercer Island
F – Kevin Serrano, Whitman ......................................................... Fr Portland, Ore. / La Salle Catholic College Prep
F – Jackson Smith, Puget Sound. ................................................. Fr Shoreline, Wash. / Shorewood
This occurred before the tournament started, but I never got to posting it. The SCAC announced (https://scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/all_scac)the all conference selections
2024 All-SCAC Men's Soccer First Team
Curtis Hale Colorado College Sr. D Richmond, Va.
JonConnor Rule Trinity University Gr. D San Antonio, Texas
Raghav Sharma Southwestern Univ. Jr. D Austin, Texas
Hunter Cain Trinity University Sr. F Houston, Texas
Daniel Castro Univ. of St. Thomas Sr. F Houston, Texas
Jose Aguirre Concordia (Texas) Sr. F Oceanside, Calif.
Louis Catchpole Austin College Sr. F Kent, England
Adam Knutson Trinity University Jr. M Dripping Springs, Texas
Michael Grimm Southwestern Univ. Sr. M Dallas, Texas
Alexander Ward Colorado College Sr. M Portland, Ore.
Louis Instrall Trinity University Jr. M London, England
Alex Wolter Colorado College So. GK New Canaan, Conn.
2024 All-SCAC Men's Soccer Second Team
Will Powell Trinity University Sr. D London, England
Rex Karjian Colorado College Jr. D Seattle, Wash.
Cameron Burleson Concordia (Texas) Sr. D San Antonio, Texas
Oliver Ramirez Colorado College Jr. F Fort Collins, Colo.
Wyatt Linggi Colorado College So. F San Diego, Calif.
Louis Hart Texas Lutheran Univ. Sr. F Missouri City, Texas
Jack Manke Texas Lutheran Univ. Sr. M Houston, Texas
Pierce Wear Austin College Jr. M North Richland, Texas
Will Bavier Colorado College Sr. M Cambridge, Mass.
Jack Hilliard Colorado College So. M San Antonio, Texas
Omkar Satpathy Trinity University Jr. GK Pleasanton, Calif.
2024 All-SCAC Men's Soccer Honorable Mention
Ian Alvarez Univ. of St. Thomas Sr. D Bellville, Texas
Diego Roman Texas Lutheran Univ. Sr. D Houston, Texas
Noah Harris Texas Lutheran Univ. Sr. D Missouri City, Texas
Brock Bernard Univ. of the Ozarks Sr. D Rockwall, Texas
Luke Mayfield Trinity University So. D Dallas, Texas
Dylan Stapley Colorado College So. D San Diego, Calif.
Sam Spencer Austin College Jr. D Heath, Texas
Luke Chandler Trinity University Jr. D Glasgow, Scotland
Carson Alldredge Texas Lutheran Univ. So. D Spring, Texas
Cooper Pero Southwestern Univ. So. D Tulsa, Okla.
Ahmad Alhendi Concordia (Texas) Jr. D Dallas, Texas
Anthony Licea McMurry University So. D Lake Highlands, Texas
Theo Givens Concordia (Texas) Sr. F Austin, Texas
Tony Castro Univ. of St. Thomas So. F Queens, N.Y.
Nathan Uduojie Centenary College Fy. F Houston, Texas
Vincent Luglio Colorado College Sr. F Wilmette, Ill.
Greyson Pinto Southwestern Univ. Jr. F Plano, Texas
Who's the 1 starter from CC that didn't earn all conference? They have 10 on the three teams. Like HS all over again.
Reposting from the Coaching Carousel thread. Ralph Perez is an institution in SoCal soccer and one of the few coaches who has had success at every level of the game, up to and including the international game. There will be big shoes to fill at Redlands (I suspect Cody Carlson will be a top candidate internally, but we'll see).
2025 will be the last season for legendary Redlands Men's Soccer HC Ralph Perez (https://goredlands.com/news/2024/11/25/mens-soccer-head-mens-soccer-coach-ralph-perez-announces-2025-as-his-final-season-at-redlands.aspx)
QuoteWith more than 445 collegiate wins, Head Men's Soccer Coach Ralph Perez has announced that the 2025 season will be his final season at the University of Redlands.
"This has been the most enjoyable experience I have had in collegiate coaching. I have had the privilege of working with outstanding people like Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez, former Head Athletic Trainer Janelle Kratz, and Head Women's Soccer and Lacrosse Coach Suzette Soboti," Perez stated. "I am grateful for my assistant coaches, who have been instrumental in continuing the high-caliber experience in Bulldog men's soccer. I inherited a great program and hope to provide one for the next coach."
A familiar face to the U.S. soccer scene, Perez has accumulated 50 years of experience dating back to his first coaching position at Whittier College in 1974. He has enjoyed several collegiate coaching stints, including those at Old Dominion University (VA), Santa Clara University, Cal State Fullerton, and the University of Redlands. Furthermore, he founded the Cal State San Bernardino women's program and the Cal State Los Angeles men's team, which made an NCAA Championship appearance in its fourth season.
Highlighting his collegiate success, Perez has led each of his former institutions to one or more conference titles while also securing the respective coach-of-the-year honor.
Perez's longest tenure has come at the University of Redlands, where he has amassed an 18-year winning percentage of .736 with 255 wins, including 190 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Under his leadership, the Bulldogs have won 10 regular-season championships, qualified for the conference tournament every year since its inception (excluding a COVID-impacted 2020 season), and advanced to the NCAA Championships on seven occasions. His team earned a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals in 2007 and 2016 and made appearances in the round of 16 in 2011 and 2021.
"From the moment I stepped on campus in 2021, I knew we had a special coach in Ralph Perez," stated Krista Newkirk, University President. "I have witnessed his leadership, passion, and knowledge from inside the huddle on more than one occasion. We have been incredibly fortunate to have him as our coach, and I expect nothing but a phenomenal final season from him and his team."
The four-time United Soccer Coaches (formerly National Soccer Coaches Association of America) West Region Coach of the Year (2011, 2015, 2016, 2021) has coached nine All-America selections, eleven SCIAC Athletes of the Year, and numerous All-Region honorees during his time with the University of Redlands men's soccer program.
I was waiting for an official announcement to post this, but in light of the Ralph Perez announcement that 2025 is his last season, I thought it was only fitting that I mentioned that Bill Swartz of Pomona-Pitzer is retiring this season as well. Hard to believe that this quote from the game recap of the last game of the year is all he gets, but that may have been his wish to go out quietly.
https://sagehens.com/news/2024/11/2/mens-soccer-sagehens-tie-with-occidental-in-swartz-final-match.aspx
QuoteToday's match marks Bill Swartz's final game as the head coach of the Sagehens. Swartz is retiring after 37 seasons at Pomona-Pitzer. His career coaching record is 414-278-41.
Two big shoes to fill in the SCIAC
He had taken medical leave of absence for 1.5 seasons and came back last season for one more go at it. 37 years at the school and 414 wins seems to deserve more mention than a single sentence.
EDIT: I should have added that he deserved more than a single sentence in a story about his retirement. It looks like the team had him walk with the seniors for the last game alongside his family, which was a nice touch.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DB7WGmAyP4x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Ah... the fiercest bird of all... The mighty Sagehen!
Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 26, 2024, 11:59:13 AMAh... the fiercest bird of all... The mighty Sagehen!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIEPp81J3Dw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
QuoteThe athletic nickname "Sage Hen" first appeared in a Nov. 29, 1913, issue of The Student Life: "Once again the Oxy Tiger wanders from his lair and comes to peaceful, peaceful Claremont with intent to murder. The Sage Hen will fight—on the field. On the campus she is entirely amicable".
The USC All Region teams are out for Region X
https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-NCAA-D3-Men-All-Region-Teams-112623.pdf
First Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Alex Wolter So. Colorado College New Canaan, Conn.
D Curtis Hale Sr. Colorado College Richmond, Va.
D Rex Karjian Jr. Colorado College Seattle, Wash.
D JonConnor Rule Sr. Trinity University (Texas) San Antonio, Texas
M Will Bavier Sr. Colorado College Cambridge, Mass.
M Louis Instrall GR-5 Trinity University (Texas) London, England
M Jack Manke Sr. Texas Lutheran University Houston, Texas
M Rafael Otero Sr. Claremont-McKenna-Scripps Colleges Seattle, Wash.
M Alexander Ward Sr. Colorado College Portland, Ore.
F Hunter Cain Sr. Trinity University (Texas) Katy, Texas
F Adam Knutson Jr. Trinity University (Texas) Dripping Springs, Texas
F Phillip Kostenko Sr. University of Redlands Redmond, Wash.
Second Team
Pos Name Class School Hometown
K Brady Bachman Jr. University of Redlands San Diego, Calif.
D Owen Jamieson Sr. University of Redlands Danville, Calif.
D Diego Roman Sr. Texas Lutheran University Houston, Texas
D Raghav Sharma Jr. Southwestern University Austin, Texas
D Maxwell Winneker GR-5 Hardin-Simmons University Coppell, Texas
M Cody Bell Sr. University of Redlands Highland, Calif.
M Etienne Casanova Jr. California Institute of Technology San Jose, Calif.
M Michael Grimm Sr. Southwestern University Southlake, Texas
M Erick Lopez Sr. Texas Lutheran University Humble, Texas
F Jakob Fiol GR-5 Hardin-Simmons University Frisco, Texas
F Trevor Thompson Sr. Pacific Lutheran University Olympia, Wash.
F Adan Villarreal Sr. University of La Verne Pico Rivera, Calif.
I'm not ready to do a first iteration of my Region X recruiting classes yet, but this one caught my eye for several reasons.
Whitworth announced (https://www.instagram.com/p/DFdbc2gSalr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)that Noah Whitman a defender from Central Valley HS in Spokane WA who last played at the University of Washington, has enrolled in Whitworth and is joining them for the spring.
1. A D1 transfer from UW to Whitworth is a big deal, but I wasn't familiar with his play at Washington and had to look him up. Turns out he is a 2017 HS grad, who redshirt his freshman year in F'17, played six games (including three starts) his redshirt freshman year in F'18 before rupturing his achilles and then missed his redshirt sophomore year in F'2019 due to that injury. Not sure what happened to him after that, but I assume he wasn't able to or decided not to try to make it back. Maybe he enrolled in a grad program at Whitworth and decided he has healed from his injuries and wants to take one last try on the pitch as a grad transfer at the ripe old age of 25 or 26. People sometimes criticize colleges recruiting older players, but I'm rooting for him. He's playing for all the players who had to quit before they were ready because of injuries and later fantasized about what would happen if they were given one more chance to walk out onto the pitch.
2. The guy's last name is WHITMAN?! Whitworth's most hated rival? I think Whitworth's coach recruited him just to mess with that team from Walla Walla.
An article about the future of the American Southwest Conference from a football perspective. (https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2025/02/18/future-of-asc-football-will-the-baptist-4-find-a-new-home)
It's pay walled, but the bottom line is it doesn't see any hope for the ASC to survive unless they pay millions to a couple of the schools that left the ASC for the SCAC recently. Barring that, it thinks Howard Payne and East Texas Baptist might go to the SCAC eventually, but Mary-Hardin Baylor and Hardin-Simmons would likely go DI or DII.
For soccer purposes, I think where the ASC schools end up might depend upon whether the NCAA lets schools split sports between DI/DII and DIII. If they do, I could see the non-revenue sports going to something like the C2C or perhaps another DIII conference, while football goes elsewhere. Otherwise, DIII will likely lose those teams.
It would also be possible for at least some of the Baptist 4, once the ASC folds, to do something like join the C2C for all sports but football and find a conference that would let them play football as an affiliate, though given the difficulties HSU and UMHB are having finding opponents that could be a tall ask for them. It might be an option for HPU and ETBU. The SCAC (and soon to be SAA) schools play all of the ASC in other sports so finding in-season games shouldn't be as much of a problem.
What I heard through some fairly reputable sources is that the ASC to C2C deal was basically done until the ASC leadership insisted on dictating some terms that were non-starters for the C2C (one supposedly being that the C2C would change its name to the ASC).
Cross-posting from the Coaching Carousel thread
I'll add that I think this is a hire in which La Verne is fully acknowledging where there recruits are coming from these days. Rea has been coaching in the junior college ranks at Norco for the last 5 years and fully 1/3 (10 of the 30 players) of their roster last season consisted of juco transfers, including 3 from Norco, most of whom were regular contributors. Their best player - Adan Villarreal - was a juco transfer. Plus, as director of soccer for Legends FC, a top local club, Rea's likely to mine that area for possible recruits.
La Verne hires Drew Rea as its new head coach (https://leopardathletics.com/news/2025/3/3/general-drea-rea-tabbed-as-la-verne-mens-soccer-head-coach.aspx)
Quote"We are excited to welcome Drew to the Leopard family. He brings a wealth of coaching knowledge and has deep connections to Southern California. We are confident he can build on the positive momentum of the men's soccer program and accelerate its success on and off the field," said Panatier.
Rea joins the Leopards after most recently serving as the head coach at Norco College. At Norco, he led the Mustangs to two Inland Empire Athletic Conference titles, made the playoffs five times, and went from ranked 130th in the state to top five in Rea's six years in charge.
"I am thrilled to take on this role at the University of La Verne. I want to thank Dr. Panatier and the search committee for giving me this opportunity. I believe the future is bright at La Verne and I can't wait to get started," said Rea.
He spent 11 years at Cal State Dominguez Hills assisting both the men's and women's soccer teams and one year at UC Riverside as men's soccer's assistant head coach. With the Toro's, he claimed the 2008 Men's NCAA DII National Championship, the women's 2009 NCAA Division II runner up, six California Collegiate Athletic Association titles, and eleven total playoff berths. At UCR, he helped the Highlanders capture a Big West Championship.
Outside of collegiate athletics, Rea has served as the Director of Soccer for Legends FC since 2016. With Legends, he is the Boys Elite Club National League Director and acts as a college advisor for the boys. Under his supervision, the boys' program rose from 89th in the country to the top five in under three years.
Rea moved to the United States with his family in the 1980s from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and played soccer at Aquinas High School in San Bernardino where he won a CIF Title. He began his college career at Western Michigan University before transferring to Cal State Bakersfield where he was a two-time All-American. After his collegiate career ended, Rea returned to Ireland to play professionally for Glentoran before transitioning into coaching.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps announced that they will be playing @ DII Cal State San Marcos on Sat 3/29 at 10 am for their Spring game
https://www.instagram.com/p/DG6GFE2vWAm/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Redlands announced (https://www.instagram.com/p/DG65nbWv8Zs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)its opponents for the Spring Match day on Saturday March 8th at the SoCal Sports Complex in Oceanside
9:30 am v. D1 University of San Diego
3:20 pm v. D2 Cal State San Bernardino
Occidental is playing its spring match day today against D1 UC Irvine and Juco Irvine Valley College 9 am and 12 pm
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFyMgF-TRRU/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
https://www.instagram.com/p/DG8VnUeJd3o/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
UPDATE: Oxy tied UC Irvine 0-0 and beat Irvine Valley College 1-0
Wow that is early.
Quote from: SKUD on March 10, 2025, 07:40:32 AMWow that is early.
Part of the reason for playing games so early is that there are no non-SCIAC D3 teams to play locally in the Spring. DI or DII teams are willing to play some of the stronger D3 SCIAC teams, but only as their first match of the spring season when they are just getting going (which is why you see Claremont, Redlands, and Occidental all playing DI or DII teams on these dates), which started this weekend for those teams. So, the Spring match date isn't necessarily the end of spring practices for these teams, but just when they schedule the matches.
The SoCal weather also allows you to start practice right when school resumes after the New Year and wind up before mid-terms and spring break, which is what some teams used to do before the number of spring practice days increased or still do in some cases.
Makes sense, thank you!
Massive news for the SCIAC and protection against any of the current, less financially stable, schools in the league dropping sports or closing altogether.
Azusa Pacific is reclassifying from DII to DIII and joining the SCIAC (https://thesciac.org/news/2025/3/14/general-sciac-approves-dii-azusa-pacific-for-full-membership-reclassification-to-diii.aspx)
QuoteThe SCIAC will add Azusa Pacific University as a 10th full-time member, the conference announced through President Strom Thacker of Pitzer College, Athletic Administrators chair Erica Perkins Jasper of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and Commissioner Jenn Dubow.
The Presidents Council unanimously supported the addition of APU, currently an NCAA Division II member, to the SCIAC following the conference's established vetting procedures. With the Division III reclassification process now able to be completed within as few as two years, APU is expected to become a full-fledged member for the 2028-29 academic year but will be integrated into conference scheduling as soon as 2026-27.
"We were pleased to invite Azusa Pacific University to become a member of the SCIAC," President Thacker said. "President Morris and the leadership at APU are eager to become partners in our shared vision for the Division III student-athlete experience. We look forward to continuing to provide unparalleled opportunities for our students to succeed academically and athletically in a respectful environment."
As part of the move, APU also has announced the return of its football program discontinued in 2020. They plan to field a team in Fall 2026 when Whittier College also reinstates its football program, bringing the conference back to eight teams.
"Azusa Pacific will make a fantastic addition to the SCIAC and further position us as a leading conference in Division III," Commissioner Dubow said. "Their rising academic profile, competitive excellence and commitment to the true student-athlete experience all fit well within our regularly assessed membership criteria and we were thrilled to be able to welcome them to DIII."
APU, whose mascot is the Cougar, has finished in the Top 20 of the DII Learfield Directors Cup standings in seven of the past eight years after winning a record eight consecutive trophies as an NAIA member until 2012. Founded in 1899, Azusa Pacific University, a top Christian higher education institution, is located 20+ miles northeast of Los Angeles and offers more than 100 degree options from bachelor's to doctorate in liberal arts and professional programs. APU currently offers 18 varsity sports with a traditional undergraduate enrollment of 2,266 students. With the addition of football, APU will expand to 19 varsity sports beginning in Fall 2026 and will consider other additions that fit the SCIAC sport sponsorship portfolio, currently at 21 sports.
"As a proud member of SCIAC, APU is thrilled to join other top Southern California universities that share our commitment to providing a well-rounded educational experience, where students can excel in the classroom and in athletics," President Adam J. Morris, PhD, said. "We are confident that our transition to Division III will allow us to maintain this balance while continuing our athletic excellence in all sports."
"The move to the SCIAC will extend APU Athletics' culture of excellence, where student-athletes are empowered to reach their given potential academically, athletically and spiritually," Gary Pine, APU Director of Athletics, said. "In the days we all competed in the NAIA, some of the most memorable games in Cougar sports history were played against longtime SCIAC foes and we are excited to be a part of those renewed rivalries again."
The addition of APU will mark the third expansion of the SCIAC in the past 35 years. The conference most recently expanded from eight to nine members with the addition of former DIII independent Chapman University in 2011. The Panthers had reclassified from DII in 1994 and committed to add four sports with their move to the SCIAC. California Lutheran University joined the conference in 1991, reclassifying directly from DII.
"We are excited to welcome APU into the SCIAC as our 10th member," Erica Perkins Jasper, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Director of Athletics and current chair of the SCIAC Athletic Administrators, said. "They are committed to the holistic student-athlete model and will further elevate the conference competitively. It also allows us to keep our tight footprint which is a significant drawing point for recruits as they do not have to spend a single night away from campus for conference competition."
The SCIAC continues to be a leader in Division III in the classroom and in competition. Academically, the SCIAC garnered College Sports Communicators All-America honors with two team members of the year, seven First Team, eight Second Team and six Third team recipients in 2023-24 in addition to 363 student-athletes receiving Academic All-District honors. Member institutions captured five team and four individual national titles in 2023-24. Overall, the conference has won national titles in 11 team sports across six different institutions and eight of nine SCIAC institutions have won an NCAA team or individual title since 2013.
Founded in 1915, the SCIAC still retains its five original members in Caltech, Occidental College, Pomona College, University of Redlands and Whittier College. The University of La Verne first joined in 1926 before departing with UCSB in 1938, but then rejoined in 1971. Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd Colleges combined to form the remaining athletic program, now also associated with Scripps College, in 1958. The rich tradition of the conference also includes three current DI institutions among its former members: San Diego State (Teachers College at the time), the University of California Santa Barbara and UCLA (then known as the Southern Branch of the University of California).
For SCIAC members, a few potential byproducts of Azusa Pacific joining the conference:
1. It probably keeps UC Santa Cruz on the outside looking in. There was always a chance if a school folded or dropped one or more sports that the members would relent and decide to invite the Banana Slugs despite the significant differences in size and state funding, not to mention the added travel expense. This might keep those forces at bay for awhile.
2. It could mean that SCIAC men's soccer teams can schedule one fewer weak non-conference opponents, which will help everyone's NPI score. Playing DII Soka (which Oxy beat 5-1 last season) or NAIA Bethesda (which La Verne beat 9-1 and CMS beat 6-0), wasn't good for anyone.
3. It could alter SCIAC's unbalanced schedule. They currently play 12 conference games, meaning that schools play 4 teams twice home-and-away and 4 teams only once. On the one hand, they could ditch the home-and-away altogether and move to playing only 9 conference games. That would increase the number of non-conference games. On the other hand, in an NPI-era where you don't need to play a lot of regionally ranked opponents and only need to have a couple of good non-conference games, they could do something like have everyone play 7-8 teams twice and decrease the non-conference games, basically leaving room for only a few non-conference games a season.
More conference realignment in Region X
McMurry and Schreiner expected to leave the SCAC for the ASC (https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2025/03/17/mcmurry-schreiner-join-asc-securing-conferences-ncaa-playoff-bid)
Announcement is supposed to be tomorrow morning.
That means Trinity, Southwestern, McMurry, and Schreiner are leaving the SCAC, but LeTourneau and Hendrix are joining the SCAC. So, when the dust settles, the SCAC will have 10 teams in men's soccer.
Quote from: Kuiper on March 17, 2025, 07:39:32 PMMore conference realignment in Region X
McMurry and Schreiner expected to leave the SCAC for the ASC (https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2025/03/17/mcmurry-schreiner-join-asc-securing-conferences-ncaa-playoff-bid)
Announcement is supposed to be tomorrow morning.
That means Trinity, Southwestern, McMurry, and Schreiner are leaving the SCAC, but LeTourneau and Hendrix are joining the SCAC. So, when the dust settles, the SCAC will have 10 teams in men's soccer.
If Dwayne Hanberry doesn't pull a rabbit out of his hat and find someone else to play American football, Hendrix will head back to the SAA, and unfortunately this train of events - where a conference is actually paying schools to join them, something unheard of in Division III - could result in some of the other recent SCAC schools that left the ASC rejoining their former conference.
I can't tell you how despicable and non-D3 I find a conference bribing schools to join them. Because that's exactly what it is if the allegations of million dollar payments by Hogue are true, and I've heard it from multiple sources.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on March 17, 2025, 07:54:11 PMQuote from: Kuiper on March 17, 2025, 07:39:32 PMMore conference realignment in Region X
McMurry and Schreiner expected to leave the SCAC for the ASC (https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2025/03/17/mcmurry-schreiner-join-asc-securing-conferences-ncaa-playoff-bid)
Announcement is supposed to be tomorrow morning.
That means Trinity, Southwestern, McMurry, and Schreiner are leaving the SCAC, but LeTourneau and Hendrix are joining the SCAC. So, when the dust settles, the SCAC will have 10 teams in men's soccer.
If Dwayne Hanberry doesn't pull a rabbit out of his hat and find someone else to play American football, Hendrix will head back to the SAA, and unfortunately this train of events - where a conference is actually paying schools to join them, something unheard of in Division III - could result in some of the other recent SCAC schools that left the ASC rejoining their former conference.
I can't tell you how despicable and non-D3 I find a conference bribing schools to join them. Because that's exactly what it is if the allegations of million dollar payments by Hogue are true, and I've heard it from multiple sources.
I wondered about what McMurry and Schreiner are getting. It's crazy if the rumored numbers are true ($1 million apiece?), but maybe cheaper than Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons moving up to DII. I expect it will be donor-funded, much like the NIL collectives have been in D1. Forget about taxing endowments. We should deny deductions for these kinds of donations. No reason the government should subsidize conference realignment.
As for Hendrix, if they were only coming for football, then I suppose they could return to the SAA. Perhaps LeTourneau would return to the ASC too, but with the precedent set, they would surely demand cash payment to do so. That would leave the SCAC with 8 schools in soccer and not much room for error.
I don't think HX was only coming for (American) football, but they were certainly coming to a conference where they could compete for an automatic bid in the sport. They were willing to wait until 2026 - now that's off the table, absent a SCAC hail mary.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on March 17, 2025, 08:19:03 PMI don't think HX was only coming for (American) football, but they were certainly coming to a conference where they could compete for an automatic bid in the sport. They were willing to wait until 2026 - now that's off the table, absent a SCAC hail mary.
If I were one of the remaining ASC schools that did not help pay the fee and saw what McMurry and Schreiner were getting, I might be willing to at least flirt with the SCAC to see what the ASC would pay me to stay. The ASC has put itself in a position to get held up in the future (and regularly) if the rumors are true.
Pretty sure at least a couple of them tried and were rebuffed (one reason the ASC went to this extent), though now with the situation as it is they might receive a different answer from the SCAC. But agree that it's a horrid precedent (if true).
ASC announcement dropped; ten year agreement for all six schools to remain. At least they got good value for their money. https://ascsports.org/news/2025/3/18/general-american-southwest-conference-celebrates-10-year-agreement-and-membership-expansion.aspx
Here is a link (https://d3sports.com/notables/2025/03/two-schools-return-to-asc)to the D3Sports story with quotes from the two schools moving to the ASC
QuoteThe 10-year commitment, with details that were not specified, will solidify a churning conference membership shuffle that has seen schools move back and forth between the ASC and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, assuming all six schools remain open. It was widely reported that a significant financial incentive was provided to bring Schreiner and McMurry back into the field.
"We are excited to continue fostering a dynamic and supportive environment for our student-athletes," said Cory Hines, president of Howard Payne University and chair of the ASC Council of Presidents. "This partnership will ensure the ASC remains a competitive and thriving conference, with a focus on academic achievement, character development, sportsmanship, and athletic excellence. We look forward to building upon the foundation of our united ASC institutions for years to come."
"In a world in which college athletics seems mired in uncertainty, Schreiner University is honored to join our colleagues in constituting a renewed American Southwest Conference that will provide stability and certainty - as well as a commitment to excellence - for our student-athletes and coaches for years to come," said Charlie McCormick, president, Schreiner University.
"I'm proud of the faithful leadership of our member institution presidents for their commitment to focus on the long-term future of the Conference," said David Flores, Commissioner of the ASC. "The addition of these two respected institutions, located squarely in the membership footprint, will ensure continuity and enhanced success of the American Southwest Conference."
"After careful consideration, McMurry University has determined that rejoining the American Southwest Conference best serves our scholar-athletes and the future of our athletics program," said newly appointed McMurry University President Lynne Murray.
According to a post (https://www.instagram.com/p/DHzExhnRT0e/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)on their Instagram account, Concordia (TX) played two games in their spring match day today:
Concordia 2 - Southwestern 0
Concordia 0 - Huston Tillotson (NAIA) 0
Trinity is scheduled (https://www.instagram.com/p/DH9mulAsgDO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)to play its spring match day on Saturday April 5th
v. Texas A&M San Antonio (NAIA) @ 10 am
v. St. Mary's (DII) @ 5 pm