Best teams from the past

[Shooter McGavin]

and shooter where exactly did you get your education from?

Rowan

Totally kidding.

[Shooter McGavin]

and shooter where exactly did you get your education from?

Rowan

Totally kidding.

I went to Camden. Also kidding! Ha! Full of jokes today. 

[firstplaceloser]

and shooter where exactly did you get your education from?

Rowan

Totally kidding.

I went to Camden. Also kidding! Ha! Full of jokes today. 

you're hilarious man I will tell you what.

[Jim Matson]

I am fairly certain that after too many years of watching a lot of D3 soccer, it is difficult to pick a best team ever. But as you all have demonstrated, there have been a handful of truly spectacular teams since '74.

Someone mentioned earlier that Trinity/Messiah match in 2007. For me, that was one of my top five matches I've ever seen on a D3 pitch. And watching it was like watching hockey on steroids - incredibly fast action. Those guys must have felt like they had played two matches that night.

Wheaton's '97 team was as good as you'll find for pure results; an easy run through everything...except...a draw with Hope in the regular season and an OT win over Ohio Wesleyan in the E8 (the only time I ever saw an OWU team pack it in and play a counter-style. Martin stated after the match that this was the only way to even have a chance against that Wheaton team).

[Ji Sung Park the Bus]

2001 Stockton team was legit, would of loved to see them play Messiah in the final at Messiah but Redlands got past the Falcons in the semi's.  I believe Messiah had a couple injuries that game that might of hurt them. 

Stockton had 0 goals against the whole tournament until the final.  The final was played in some sloppy weather as well so that made the game quite interesting.  They went 25-1-1 that season and the 25 wins I believe still stands as the most wins in a season for any division.  Their loss was a regular season 1-0 loss against Rowan @ Rowan but went along and beat Rowan twice that season, once in the NJAC tournament and once in the NCAA tournament.  Their tie was to Ohio Wesleyan in the final four that they got through on pk's.

NJAC was crazy that year Rowan, Stockon, and Kean all ended the regular season conference schedule with an 8-1 record.

[soccerplayedwell]

1999 St. Lawrence - Hands down the best team in Division III history.  I'm surprised more people are not talking about that group.  They were incredible. Player for player there has never been a better team assembled in Division III history.  There were 8-9 professionals that came out of that group.  Danny Annan, Ali Montacer, Jamal Ballantyne, Scott Dulay, Ryan Carruth, Nick Hillary, Allan Maragh, Brendan Murphy, Eric Harms.  These guys were unreal.

You can put 1999 St. Lawrence into it's own category, and then talk about who might be the second best team of all time, but there has never been a DIII team even close to that 1999 SLU team. 

[KnightFalcon]

1999 St. Lawrence - Hands down the best team in Division III history.  I'm surprised more people are not talking about that group.  They were incredible. Player for player there has never been a better team assembled in Division III history.  There were 8-9 professionals that came out of that group.  Danny Annan, Ali Montacer, Jamal Ballantyne, Scott Dulay, Ryan Carruth, Nick Hillary, Allan Maragh, Brendan Murphy, Eric Harms.  These guys were unreal.

You can put 1999 St. Lawrence into it's own category, and then talk about who might be the second best team of all time, but there has never been a DIII team even close to that 1999 SLU team.

Valid point - I watched that 1999 final against Wheaton and was impressed with the athleticism and skill level of that team compared to a pretty good Wheaton team. Looks like their toughest game that year was 1-0 over a Messiah team that would win their first title the following year.

[wingtips2]

Camden is never going to win a sportsmanship award or be accused of having a nice bunch of kids (even by NJAC standards). That starts and ends on the sidelines...

Back to the topic. I think we can take Camden or any team who didn't win the National Championship should be out of the equation. I believe you have to win it to be considered.

1. almost any Messiah team that did win it...they dominated championships with a classy style of play and players. Whichever was their best team i would put on top.
2. 94' Bethany- had a bunch of Gambian national team players and a one year wonder team that made it look easy.
3. UNC Greensboro dominated 80's
4. OWU- 1st Championship team

Interesting side note:3 current coaches in NJAC won it as players..Rutler (stockton @ Stockton), Baker (Rowan @ Rowan), East (RUN @ kean)

That OWU team lost 6 games. They have had teams that were better - 2000 being the one I thought was best.