Top Conferences and NCAA Bids

[frank uible]

Who wins when it is SAT scores vs. the ten commandments?

[KICKIN95]

Who wins when it is SAT scores vs. the ten commandments?

The schools, they are the ones getting all the money!!

[KICKIN95]

Repacking was not on my itinerary and neither was cold weather.  San Antonio forecast is high 60's all week until Friday and Saturday which is now 38 and rain both days!  We good things I am from Iowa where the Ol' saying goes; if you don't like the weather just wait 5 minutes. Looks like it is sweaters and jeans 

[lastguyoffthebench]

I hope you brought an ugly christmas sweater, Kickin.   

[KICKIN95]

I hope you brought an ugly christmas sweater, Kickin.   

always!

[Ryan Harmanis]

Well that was wild.  Camden goes up 1–0 early, Loras strikes twice with ~10 minutes left, Camden equalizes with 2 to go.  Camden wins on **wait for it** a 70 yard free kick.  Kid just launched the ball as far as he could into the mixer and it flew over everyone and into the goal.  Loras GK and defenders got nowhere near it.  Brutal way to go out.

[PaulNewman]

Sick to my stomach after watching that game.  Loras gives up two soft goals to lose after coming back and being within 3 minutes of victory.  Rutgers chirpy, chippy, cocky. and constantly complaining with a bunch of D1 retreads.   Loras wanted it more and deserved that game.

[PaulNewman]

Losing really sucks.

[KICKIN95]

That was as heartbreaking as it gets.  I was at the match and the wind was howling at least 30 mph. That kick was trouble from the time it left his foot.  The first half was an even match, but the second half belonged to Loras no doubt.  You could see that Loras was going to take the lead and they did.  The 2nd goal from R-C was a shocker for the simple fact that it should have easily been cleared. I am still taken back by how it all went down.  I am so proud of these guys and how they played.

[ldahoSoccer]

2nd goal did not cross the line.

[TheOsprey]

2nd goal did not cross the line.

The ball was inside the mouth of the goal.

[KICKIN95]

2nd goal did not cross the line.

I am pretty sure it crossed.

[lastguyoffthebench]

It looked like it did on video, just barely.

Loras took it to Camden in 2nd half, and both teams had great misses.   Camden volley in first half inches wide in first, the diving header by Loras just wide, and the header of the bar.

Very dangerous forwards that caused fits for Camden, who seemed to abandon their style in 2nd half.  You could see the game slipping away from them.   Horrible horrible way to lose.  Congrats on a wonderful season and would expect them to return to Final Four next year.

How many times is this announcer going to mention the Rutgers-Camden goal in OT. 

http://instagram.com/p/hmftXOEX4B/

[PaulNewman]

Well, Williams actually was better than I thought, and yet they still were recipients of a clinic.  Maybe an early Williams goal would have made some difference, but Messiah was just dominant.  Possession had to be something like 85/15.  I tip my cap to the Messiah team and program.  There just are no weaknesses.  You squeeze the balloon in one spot and still get burned by three others.  Surrounded by Payne, Thompson, Wood and Robbins in the back I think the unsung stars are Ramirez and Kremers.  Ramirez got the first goal in just about the same spot and bit of space where he scored the Kenyon game winner.  He's excellent and often allows the other mids and forwards to get in better offensive positions.  And then as soon as you mention Ramirez and Kremers one thinks of Kovach and then Brandt off the bench.  As sort of indirectly alluded to in the Shirk semifinal analysis, the one weakness ironically seems to be almost boredom.  They appear to be knocking the ball around so comfortably that once in a while they play a loose ball or weak back pass where you could picture them giving up a goal well against the run of play.  They can perhaps almost lull themselves into complacency and almost seem stubborn at times about not just clearing a ball once in a while.  In that regard, I would be disappointed but not shocked by Rutgers-C taking advantage of that apparent complacency, and if that leads to Rutgers jumping up 2-0 then Messiah could be in some real trouble in the final.  I didn't like his extracurricular antics at all (goal scoring bit, wild gyrations about foul calls), but the Ryan kid clearly is a dangerous player who is tough to cover, doesn't need much space, and is an excellent finisher.  As a side note, except for a very animated early complaint about a foul call and then his end of the game shirt-off celebration, I thought the former D1 All-American looked pretty lackadaisical.  Maybe his efforts just didn't translate well on video.  Given one of the theories on Kenyon's relative success, it will be interesting also to see how Messiah handles the physical aggression of Rutgers who seemed intent on getting in an extra knock or clip whenever possible.  All that said, I hope Messiah rolls 5-0.  I'm expecting Messiah 3-1, although if Rutgers scores first I see Messiah winning 2-1 or perhaps 3-2.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Camden will score first.  Camden wins 2-1.   

Messiah 9-0 in title games.  Camden with the unbeaten streak.  I just feel like it's their year with how things have unfolded...