Messiah....Super Duper Excited Bro!

[Falconer]

You simply don't know, MrRight, why Danny transferred to a D2 school. Therefore, you don't know that the reason I suggested was not the actual reason. Students transfer in and out of D2 or D3 all the time. Last year, e.g., Indiana had a transfer from a D2 school (Bellarmine University) who played some significant minutes in the B1G. Likewise, Messiah has had a few D1 transfers.

You're just looking for something that might not be there. Speculate away, but a dogmatic denial of a real possibility won't fly.

[wchandy22]

This will be an exciting year for Messiah and I am eager to see how Brad works all these younger players into various roles.  I expect quite of bit of shuffling until he finds a combination that clicks.  In some ways, I am reminded of the 2008 season after the departure of one of the best classes in Messiah history.  Plenty of opportunity for the first years and sophomores.

It's also nice to be posting once again.  I believe this was my last post (the morning of the game against Tufts at Muhlenberg).  Darn my powers of prognostication.

Field conditions at Muhlenberg were a factor after the pitch froze overnight and had only slightly melted before play started today.

http://www.gotuftsjumbos.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/releases/20141122gjae9v

I don't think we will see many goals today. A very small field with two of the better defensive teams in the country. 1-0?

[wchandy22]

Messiah over Allegheny 5-0 but all five goals came in the last 25 minutes. It was a very slow start for both teams with Allegheny outshooting Messiah 2-1 after 30 minutes. Fatigue certainly was a factor as Messiah began to dominate in the 2nd half. Goals by (and in order) Nick West, Robby Johnson, Nathan Eagan, Danny Rowe and Colby Thomas. Nathan also picked up two assists. Oddly enough, the 3rd and 5th goals were set pieces from nearly identical positions on the field. Nathan put the first into the upper 90 and played a beautiful ball into the six that Colby was able to handle. A lot of positives but also plenty of work to do. I believe everyone had some playing time with exception to Connor Bell (backup GK) and Danny Cole, Ben Haines and Zeb Cross (could be wrong, though).

[Falconer]

I'm gratified to see Nathan Egan finally get his due as an offensive threat. When he came out of HS in Colorado, some of the videos available on youtube were highlight films. He's spent 3 years as a part-time defender, so seeing him score 4 points in one game, after a 2014 seasons in which he had no points (and just 3 total shots, 2 of them on goal), is wonderful. I didn't see that coming...

Colby was dangerous all game long and finally scored when Egan served him on a free kick. Way to go, boys!

[D3soccerwatcher]

From the box score it looks like the freshmen got some playing time with one freshman in the starting line up. And another, West, with an impressive stat line. How did the freshmen look and does it appear they could have significant impact this season as Messiah begins to replace that strong senior class from last year?

[Falconer]

Houghton is a much better team than Randolph (last night's opponent), as the box score will show (Houghton got several SOG and was sometimes dangerous), but both games could have finished with identical 4-0 scores. The Falcons scored in the last 5 seconds tonight to make it 3-0, but if we erase that and count the 2 or 3 of the wide open shots from six yards out that were all sent over the bar, it would have been 4 or 5 zip anyway. The boys looked great for long stretches tonight, despite a scrappy defensive effort that often resulted in intercepted passes or outright steals. They just kept coming and eventually were rewarded for their constant forward motion.

Last night and tonight, Colby Thomas came off the bench. Both nights he played very well, and tonight he got the second goal on a great individual effort starting outside the right edge of the box. He did what Colby does--he went past or through people, including the keeper who came off his line even though he wasn't alone against Colby, and he got a beautiful sliding shot from a few yards out.

Colby and freshman Nick West are sharing the time on the right wing. That surprises me, I admit. I'd put Colby in the middle and Nick outside, but they're like interchangeable parts--fast, shifty, really good passers who know what to do out there, and always steaming forward unless triple teamed. You can't compare either guy to Jack Thompson. Jack was inimitable, the most dangerous man on the field all year last fall, but I'd bet if Colby stays out there he's going to get a big number of assists, even if he doesn't start as often as he should. And West is maybe just as good. They are both studs. Either man could end up as the all-time right winger for the Falcons, with Jack or Danny Wags on the left side. If neither one gets badly hurt, it's going to be fun to watch them develop. I only wish they spent more time on the field together. If that happened it could be like Payne and Wood all over again...