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[lastguyoffthebench]

Grotti was a tale of two different games for Rutgers-Camden.  Much better today vs Messiah.  Thought he was going to bag a winner in the OT.

[PaulNewman]

Lastguy, agree on Grotti.  And Ryan not much of factor tonight.

BTW, not much solace for rest of D3 world.  Messiah returns 7 of 11 starters, including Payne, Thompson, Ramirez, Kovach, Robbins, Kyne, West, as well as Brandt, other primary subs, and then I'm sure a new stellar frosh class.

[lastguyoffthebench]

After watching the replay, Randall was incredibly close to stopping both goals.  Welp, with Messiah getting 7 of 11 back, expect them to lose to Neumann in the round of 32 next season.

[KICKIN95]

Been pretty reserved in my comments about the final four, but just need to share a few observations.  First off I am extremely proud of Loras for their on field accomplishments and even more proud of how the handled themselves as players and young men.  2nd I want to give a sincere congratulations to Messiah for the a 10th National title.  I spoke to 2 of their players early this morning at the airport amd I am od the opinion that this win means just as much to them as any other of their titles.  Messiah is an all around class act.  Lastly I would like to comment on complete and utter disgust I have with Rutgers- camden,  they are from top to bottom the most classless and ugly team I have witnessed in 32 years of watching soccer matches.  The way these hids acted on and off the field is an embarrassment to DIII soccer and their school.   This kind of crap that they displayed has no place in sport and is a reflection of the lack of discipline by the coaching staff and parents of these players who choose to attend and watching their kids act innsuch aj immature amd foolish manor.

[PaulNewman]

Kickin, agree 100% with everything you wrote.  Really wish we could have seen a Messiah-Loras final.  I'm pretty sure Messiah would have won, but Loras competed the right way.  Hardly anybody besides the Messiah fan-base wants to see the same school win every year, but the Rutgers behavior was bad enough to swing almost any neutral heavily into Messiah's favor. 

I admit finding the super-religious angle foreign with Messiah, Wheaton, Calvin, etc, but I do believe the Messiah program handles itself consistent with their values.  It's hard to root against guys whose life-goal is doing missions with impoverished kids in Southeast Asia.  Bottom line is Messiah is a class act, up to and including the coach.  The players showed great composure last night and after seeing many of these teams live and via streaming there is no question that Messiah was the best team.  And they have to be favored to win again next year.  In hindsight I do wish we could have seen them play OWU, the other team that actually does play the closest to Messiah style-wise.  We didn't get to see that match-up in 2011 or 2013.

I am curious about why so many D1 players ended up as transfers to Rutgers-C, especially the ones who were actually playing D1.  There must be some backstory about why an All-American playing for a team qualifying for the NCAA tournament ends up at a D3 like Rutgers.

The Messiah College write-up of the game is quite good with quotes specifically about the Rutgers behavior from both coaches.  [That write-up also very honest about Messiah miscues by specific players.]  The Rutgers coach rationalized by referencing how gritty the NJAC is in general.  I can buy that to a degree.  But he also rationalized by saying there were no red cards.  Really???  The behavior of a team -- excluding rare, individual incidents as opposed to constant, game-long poor form -- begins and ends with the coach.

Biggest upset of the year?  Payne not making the all-tournament team for the Final Four. 

Great season.  Great job by D3soccer.com.  Already looking forward to next year.

[PaulNewman]

P.S. Would have liked to see SLU in the final four too.  If Amherst is going to lose in the Elite 8 every year, then at least Williams should have to beat someone besides Amherst to make it.

[lastguyoffthebench]

I guess I'll have to comment now

Yeah, anyone that has scored a goal in an important moment and does a so called cocky celebration is totally classless, referring to Ryan and to Balle.  I guess that Jeremy Payne is also a total JERK for taking his shirt off after scoring the game winner in the national final. (SARCASM).

Define IRONY;  Bunch of guys (possibly children) complaining about an organization being classless while TOTALLY bashing everything possible about them.

I understand the bitterness after now being 0-4 on the goal win the title, but this is just stupid, guys.  Lenke threw in a couple cheap shots, as well as some of your other players.  Yeah, Camden is so darn cheap and dirty that they had 2 more fouls than Messiah 16-14... a few of which were junk calls in the final 10 minutes of regulation. 


Anyways, two excellent teams made it to the FINAL FOUR.  They are to be congratulated, not bashed.  2013 is over... Time to move on and good luck in 2014



HAPPY HOLIDAYS...

[lastguyoffthebench]

Oh My Gosh!  Everton guy just scored a big equalizing goal... went to the corner flag and did a machine gun motion.   He's classless.

[cacattack]

can someone point me to the All-Tournament player list?

[lastguyoffthebench]

can someone point me to the All-Tournament player list?

All-Tournament Team
Kevin Cavers, Loras
Johnny Rummerhart, Loras
Geoff Danilack, Williams
Mohammed Rashid, Williams
Taylor McGrory, Rutgers-Camden – Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Mitch Grotti, Rutgers-Camden
Mike Ryan, Rutgers-Camden
Joe Auleta, Rugers-Camden
Jack Thompson, Messiah – Most Outstanding Offensive Player
Brian Ramirez, Messiah
Sheldon Myer, Messiah
Carter Robbins, Messiah

[KICKIN95]

I guess I'll have to comment now

Yeah, anyone that has scored a goal in an important moment and does a so called cocky celebration is totally classless, referring to Ryan and to Balle.  I guess that Jeremy Payne is also a total JERK for taking his shirt off after scoring the game winner in the national final. (SARCASM).

Define IRONY;  Bunch of guys (possibly children) complaining about an organization being classless while TOTALLY bashing everything possible about them.

I understand the bitterness after now being 0-4 on the goal win the title, but this is just stupid, guys.  Lenke threw in a couple cheap shots, as well as some of your other players.  Yeah, Camden is so darn cheap and dirty that they had 2 more fouls than Messiah 16-14... a few of which were junk calls in the final 10 minutes of regulation. 


Anyways, two excellent teams made it to the FINAL FOUR.  They are to be congratulated, not bashed.  2013 is over... Time to move on and good luck in 2014



HAPPY HOLIDAYS...

Were you there? I was and saw and heard everything that was said and done. This has absolutely zero to do with winning and losing,  maybe someday you 4 will grow up and see what they did was above and beyond any game or record. They didn't just run out of their way to run straight across their opponents bench, that's juvenile,  but when you yell F---you with your middle finger up that is classless.  I suppose camden's coach actually telling them to screw the fact that Messiah's  player put the ball out if play forcsn injured camden player and directed him to throw throw it deep into the box, that is classless,  I heard hin with my iwn ears.  Fouls aren't even the realm of what I am speaking to.  They were floppers and hackers that were swearing at the officials and the opposing players non stop. It was a disgrace.  I was there it hear it live not from a computer screen. You can try and defend them all you want but you dead wrong. They are classless hacks.

[Wormburner]

They were floppers and hackers that were swearing at the officials and the opposing players non stop. It was a disgrace.  I was there it hear it live not from a computer screen. You can try and defend them all you want but you dead wrong. They are classless hacks.

Please KICKIN95 you have to understand, they are typical residents of The Garden State.  and yes, I can make this comment because of was at the games ,  can attest to the accuracy of KICKIN's comments AND I was born and lived in NJ until I sprung myself after college. 

Messiah is an example of a class act, R-C could go a long way to learn sportsmanship from them...

[lastguyoffthebench]

You sound like a child who did not get what he wanted for Christmas.  Just for the record, you have now called out both Trinity AND Camden...  oh and Middlebury a few years back.

What will be the lucky program in 2014 that gets the rant?   Just let it go already.  Loras has a quality side, and will get their chance.


And yes, Worm.   There is no program out there with more class than the Falcons.  They are top notch.

[lastguyoffthebench]

And for the record.  No, I was not at the game... but in watching the game with 10 other people regarding that throw in during the first OT.

From the perception of the computer screen, the player down was not visible.  It looked as if Messiah player knocked it out under slight pressure, not as a precaution for the injury.  So in trying to win a national title, all of us watching said.... "no, don't throw it back to 'em"

[Christan Shirk]

As to the All-Tournament selections, they basically have a predetermined amount of spots for the champion, runner-up, and two semifinalists.  And as I understand it they tell each coach how many spots his team gets and each coach says which of his players should be honored.  And I think I've heard of coaches even letting the team itself decide who to give the honors to.  And it's not unusual for a senior player to get picked instead of a younger teammate as a last chance to recognize a graduating player.  Now, that wouldn't explain Figura being let out, but could explain Payne's absence.