IIAC 2013

[KICKIN95]

Loras with a convincing win over North Park 3-0. MSOE athletics website is pretty poor for a school full of engineers! Couldn't get the names of the teams or the scores on the correct side. Nice win Duhawks, and all without their All American midfielder!

[Ambush004]

Duhawks seem to be playing in a different level than all other teams in the region. I like to see that but whose going to step up to the challenge? Obviously not North park. CCIW? Better have a Ritter showing than that.

[Puerco Espin]

Was able to see both matches with my own eyes this weekend.

Friday against Calvin was no cakewalk. They're tall and fast. Both teams had their fair share of chances, but it was a fluke goal that ended being the deciding factor. The midfield looked shaky at times and there appeared to be some communications problems in the back for Loras. Travis Vegter, who scored against Loras in 2011, is a very talented forward. Very confident and skilled on the ball. Opponents will have fits with him all year.

The Duhawks played a much more solid 90 minutes against North Park on Saturday. From the very start, it was apparent that North Park wanted to use their passing to set up scoring chances, but the Duhawks were able to provide pressure and swarm in the midfield, preventing a real flow to the Viking offense. Rummelhart's goal in the second half was a thing of beauty. He split the two defenders by simply outrunning them, then with a flick of the toe sent it past the sprawling keeper. The nail in the coffin came two minutes later when Tom Fluegel flew up the far sideline and due to the nice footwork created space and beat the keeper far post.

While Wednesday's match against Oshkosh will be a good test, I feel Loras showed some real promise this weekend.

[Puerco Espin]

#4 Wheaton 1 - Hope 2
#6 Luther 1 - Augsburg 2
#9 C-M-S 0 - #1 Messiah 3
#24 Oneonta 0 - Franklin and Marshall 1

Couple of upsets this weekend.

Oh yeah, forgot this one...

#25 Loras 3 - #20 North Park 0

Time to put all the schools in a hat and draw out the Top 25 again.

[Saint of Old]

Interesting that Oneonta seems a bit weaker this year (Although they lost their first 2 games as well in 11' Final Four run).
Realistically speaking, rankings mean absolutely nothing until October Regional Rankings come out.
For teams that are building solid programs, its great to see the recognition, and it may encourage supporters. For more consistent teams, its merely a target on your back.
Ideally, a team trying to make history for their program would do well to fly under the radar for a good portion of the year.

[TheBLVD]

I think this weekend was a great illustration of why rankings this early in the season are completely useless. I wasn't able to catch the Friday afternoon matches at MSOE this weekend, but I was able to make it to the ever-so-entertaining match against NPU; and I am sooooooo glad that I did.

Loras was able to absolutely frustrate the living hell out off North Park, and took them completely out of their game. They couldn't build up whatsoever and often found themselves just dumping the ball up field for Dylan Milkent or Dan Figura to casually collect. All of Loras' goals where well deserved with the third one really doing a number on NPU's team moral. Then, of course, came the wonderful complacency of those North Park players who feel the need to whine and dive and complain about every little bit of contact. It's a miracle that about 4 of them went down rolling around and screaming bloody murder only to magically get on to their feet two minutes later, and start sprinting. They even resorted to verbally complaining that Loras didn't play soccer, and that it was only kickball. It was all a desperate attempt to find some excuse as to why they got completely and utterly outplayed.

Twas a wonderful game to be at.

[Puerco Espin]

The NSCAA hangover must have worn off. Duhawks now ranked 5th.

D3Soccer releases their first poll and slots Loras in at 10th.

[Puerco Espin]

Prediction

Loras 2 - Oshkosh 1
Dubuque 0 - UWP 0
Wartburg 0 - Carleton 1

[Ambush004]

Loras 2-0

[ldahoSoccer]

Loras 2-1 Oshkosh

Wartburg 1-2 Carleton

Dubuque 0-1 UWP

[Medicated Pete]

Amazing Swamie Predicts....

Loras 4 - 1 Wis.-Oshkosh
Wartburg 3 - 1 Carleton
Dubuque 1 - 3 Wis.-Platteville
Simpson 4 - 0 Nebraska Wesleyan

[Wormburner]

Anyone got a link to the Loras game?  Where does UWO come off trying to charge for a feed?

[KICKIN95]

I wrote a little note to the UWO SID and AD letting them know that this is DIII nor DI.  I paid the $8 and am having buyers remorse.  The feed quality is marginal at best, they do have 1 close up camera that looks to be HD, but is used so little it's hard to tell.
  Now about the 1st half: this is the first match this year I have witnessed and i am somewhat surprised by the lack of possession and abundance of long ball on the Duhawks part.  I guess without their quarterback they are doing what they need to do to win.  The passing is on the sloppy side to put it nicely and the head down when the ball is on my feet technique hasn't fooled the Titans as of yet.  I am not bashing Loras, just very surprised to se this style from them.  They are winning and that is all that counts for now.

[KICKIN95]

Anyone got a link to the Loras game?  Where does UWO come off trying to charge for a feed?

There goes that "fixed income" of a retired person again! I bet $8 is about the price of a cod lure, who's going to give up a cod lure to watch a crappy feed?   

[ldahoSoccer]

Anyone got a link to the Loras game?  Where does UWO come off trying to charge for a feed?

There goes that "fixed income" of a retired person again! I bet $8 is about the price of a cod lure, who's going to give up a cod lure to watch a crappy feed? 

Score?