IIAC 2013

[GarbageGoals33]

Loras is avoiding Messiah in the Final 4 this year which is a breath of fresh air for the Duhawks faithful I am sure. 

This may be the year that the NCAA champion comes from the North Region.  I am not a Loras fan (actually they are my least favorite team in all of college sports, any sport, any level).  But, they have been knocking on the door for a long time and they are a pretty complete team from top to bottom.

The IIAC as a whole has been excellent this year.  If not for a keeper error on the PK there should've been an all-IIAC Elite 8. 

Good luck to all teams remaining.  Enjoy Texas, it will certainly be better than playing in the 10 degree heat of the midwest to end your season.

[KICKIN95]

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Unfortunately that will be the last you update it this year... Looks like Messiah v Rutgers Camden in the final

That is an incorrect statement.  Pretty bold to pass Loras over like that, you obviously didn't see any of their matches this season.  They just dominated according to D3Soccer "The hottest team in DIII".

[KICKIN95]

That's as good an endorsement as the DuHawks will ever get out of GG and I will take it.

[Wormburner]

GG is just tired of being the MIAC Armstrong sales rep the past few years...

[KICKIN95]

GG is just tired of being the MIAC Armstrong sales rep the past few years...

LOL!

[GarbageGoals33]

Thankfully Wormburner GAC won in the 1st round this year.  If they would've lost to a UMAC team I may have cried grown man tears.  Unfortunately GAC couldn't muster up enough in 20 MPH winds and missing two 1st team all-conference players to break Westminster (brutal....).

I saw some of the Loras and Westminster game and it looked like Westminster might just be pesky enough to stick around in that one.  The first goal from Loras was a dime by Cavers and a great finish by the player making the run behind the Westminster backline.  I suppose I would rather have 10 degrees and calm winds compared to 20 degrees and howling winds as they were in the first few rounds for pretty much everyone in the midwest.  Pretty brutal either way... It isn't often you can see the players breathing from a webcast where the camera is 80 yards away.

[ldahoSoccer]

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Unfortunately that will be the last you update it this year... Looks like Messiah v Rutgers Camden in the final

Haters to the left.

[MidwestAficionado]

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Unfortunately that will be the last you update it this year... Looks like Messiah v Rutgers Camden in the final

That is an incorrect statement.  Pretty bold to pass Loras over like that, you obviously didn't see any of their matches this season.  They just dominated according to D3Soccer "The hottest team in DIII".

Clearly D3Soccer knows all... I have seen Loras... who have they beaten? Oshkosh (out in the 1st round) and Wheaton (out in the 2nd round). North Park and Calvin didn't even make it to the tourney. They have had the easiest road to the final four, almost got knocked out in the 2nd round, played an overmatched Westminster, and an overrated Trinity in a one goal game.  Messiah and Rutgers Camden have been down a harder road and have won with more ease... when I'm right, I'll get my credit. The kickball/hockey lines strategy of Loras will only get them so far, per usual.

We're all internet tough guys until it actually plays out. Just saying, I know we'll see Rutgers v Messiah in the final. You can trash talk then.

[ldahoSoccer]

Updated signature

Unfortunately that will be the last you update it this year... Looks like Messiah v Rutgers Camden in the final

That is an incorrect statement.  Pretty bold to pass Loras over like that, you obviously didn't see any of their matches this season.  They just dominated according to D3Soccer "The hottest team in DIII".

Clearly D3Soccer knows all... I have seen Loras... who have they beaten? Oshkosh (out in the 1st round) and Wheaton (out in the 2nd round). North Park and Calvin didn't even make it to the tourney. They have had the easiest road to the final four, almost got knocked out in the 2nd round, played an overmatched Westminster, and an overrated Trinity in a one goal game.  Messiah and Rutgers Camden have been down a harder road and have won with more ease... when I'm right, I'll get my credit. The kickball/hockey lines strategy of Loras will only get them so far, per usual.

We're all internet tough guys until it actually plays out. Just saying, I know we'll see Rutgers v Messiah in the final. You can trash talk then.

Has to be GG's alternate account.

[MidwestAficionado]

Has to be GG's alternate account.

Nope, new to Division III Soccer but have really immersed myself in it the last 3 seasons. Just saying, if you've seen these teams out East they are on a different level.

[Madhatter5]

Wheaton lost to Kenyon who then almost beat Messiah. Watching the first half of that game I was not overly impressed with Messiah compared to past years. Speaking of Messiah in past years, they too used the strategy of "Hockey Lines" ,as you put it, and each one of those players were capable of playing the entire game. But when you have depth on your team then you might as well use it.

Who has Messiah beaten? Montclair State, who limped to the Elite Eight. Centenary? Salisbury? Kenyon (16-4-3) unranked.

Trinity had given up a mere 7 goals and only 2 goals one time this season. Who went to double OT against a surprisingly strong Wartburg team. While I'm not going to say Wesminster was a great team but their goalie was hot during this tournament and came up with some great saves to hold Loras at bay.

[GarbageGoals33]

If I had an alternate account it would be called PotatoPele, only because I admire your intelligence Idaho.

MidwestAficionado, it doesn't matter how you get there, it matters that you are there.  Each team has earned it's right to be in the Final 4 and I wouldn't be surprised by any of the teams winning it all (except maybe Williams).  Williams will have to have beaten Amherst, Messiah, than either Loras or Rutgers-Camden to win it all.  That would be a very impressive run.

[ldahoSoccer]

Has to be GG's alternate account.

Nope, new to Division III Soccer but have really immersed myself in it the last 3 seasons. Just saying, if you've seen these teams out East they are on a different level.

GG - Are we starting to get along?  Your alt account, MidwestAficionado, is bringing us together.

MidwestAfic - Read below

Toughest Schedule Report thru games 11/24/2013*
1   Loras   IIAC
2   York (PA)   CAC   
3   Amherst   NESCAC   
4   St. Lawrence Liberty League   
5   Wesleyan (CT)   NESCAC   
6   Wartburg   IIAC   
7   Williams   NESCAC   
8   Messiah   Commonwealth   
9   Trinity (TX)   SCAC   
10   Emory   UAA

*Source = http://stats.ncaa.org/rankings?sport_code=MSO&division=3#
              Click on Misc. Report
              Click on Toughest schedule

Rutgers-Camden is 28th on the list. Your argument is unfounded.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Loras is avoiding Messiah in the Final 4 this year which is a breath of fresh air for the Duhawks faithful I am sure. 

This may be the year that the NCAA champion comes from the North Region.  I am not a Loras fan (actually they are my least favorite team in all of college sports, any sport, any level).  But, they have been knocking on the door for a long time and they are a pretty complete team from top to bottom.

The IIAC as a whole has been excellent this year.  If not for a keeper error on the PK there should've been an all-IIAC Elite 8. 

Good luck to all teams remaining.  Enjoy Texas, it will certainly be better than playing in the 10 degree heat of the midwest to end your season.

Yeah, lucky for the Duhawk faithful... they get to avoid the "MESSIAH" name by playing a team every bit as talented, if not better than those Falcons, just not as well known (YET).  Worrying about a name or history is irrelevent at this stage.  Both of these games will be battles before the Championship, and if the NESCAC is as good as everyone makes it out to be (which I don't believe), then Messiah "could" have their hands full with a team playing in decent form in that of Williams.

Who cares of the paths that lead to the Final Four as 3 of the 4 were given the opportunity host (and have damn good records there).


My predictions:

Rutgers-Camden 2, Loras 1

Messiah 3, Williams 0.

[KICKIN95]

Has to be GG's alternate account.

Nope, new to Division III Soccer but have really immersed myself in it the last 3 seasons. Just saying, if you've seen these teams out East they are on a different level.

So you are new to DIII soccer, but seem to have it all figured out.  I watched R-C play, a different level they are not.  If you have been immersed for 3 seasons than you must certainly recall last years semi final between Messiah and Loras.  Both teams battled with neither showing a strong advantage over the other.  Loras has a goal called back and another off the post in regulation before Messiah had a fortunate bounce off a block to win in OT.  Loras was given the 2nd place ranking in the nation after the tourney because of their abilities and because of how Messiah trounced ONU in the final.  So for you to say "as per usual" is an ill informed and uneducated statement to say the least.  Let's take it a step further and do some comparisons to your R-C team and Loras shall we?  How many times has R-C made the final 4? Oh this is their first hmmm, how many times have they even made the tourney, well it says here 4, that would less than half of Loras's 9 in which they reached the Sweet 16 7 of those and as stated in the previous sentence the Final 4 four times in the past 7 years and this year being a repeat appearance.  Ya better pay a bit more attention before speaking up about a team and their experience.  You think that possession teams are always the better side and "hockey line" tactics aren't up to your standards eh?  Well who is the most possession oriented team in the world today Jamaica, Nigeria?  How do they fare against teams such as the Dutch or England? I'll save you the time of looking, not to well.  Loras plays to their strengths and have the ability to posses or go direct, whichever works at the time.   I will conclude with directing you to the post below by Idaho in reference to your "Foot in Mouth" comment about who Loras has played to get here.  According to the NCAA they have played the toughest schedule in the nation that's who!

I have to comment of GG' alternate name of potatoPele that is golden!