Liberty League

[CU_GKnight]

Augusto Lima has announced his first recruiting class at Clarkson.  Looks a little different than the normal incoming class and includes 12 new players (in addition to the two transfers added this spring)

Paul Rolland - Penfield, NY - WNY Flash/Penfield - Forward
Lars Stephensson - Mountain Top, PA - FC Delco/Crestwood - Midfielder
Pieter Broerse - Bussum, Netherlands - BFC Bossum - Defender/Midfielder
Cole Mueller - Alexandria, VA - Alexandria, Defender/Midfielder
Daniel Medina - Yonkers, NY - Whetaon (Transfer) - Midfielder/Forward
Morgan Burke - Ringwood, England - Millfield School - Defender
Evan Schultz - Berlin. MA - FC Starts/St. Johns - Defender
Felix Freed - London, Englad - Aldenham School/London Lions - Defender/Forward
Josh Baraka - Rochester, NY/DR Congo - RNYFC/Bishop Kearney - Midfielder/Forward
Jassem Khlouf - Jedda, Saudi Arabia - Gulf United - Midfielder
Brody Frankowsi - Longmont, CO - Silver Creek/BC United - Midfielder
Sam Pacifico - London, England - JFS/London Lions - Goalkeeper

Time will certainly tell, but maybe this will be the push they need to make a run into the top few in the Liberty League.

[Kuiper]

Lima is a great recruiter and he developed relationships early. I recall him being one of the few coaches at games of kids who were 9th or 10th graders when he was an AC at Rochester and then at D1 Northeastern.  So, Clarkson might be benefiting from some of those early efforts.  He's also obviously mining the international recruiting services, which makes sense for him as a coach with an international
Background even if a school like Clarkson isn't so obvious for a kid from Saudi Arabia.

[stlawus]

Clarkson had 7 seniors last year, so the roster is going to be substantial or Lima is overhauling the team for the upcoming season.  3 of the last 5 seasons have seen Clarkson get off to a roaring start only to fail to make the LL playoffs.  I would love nothing more than to see our route 11 rivals thrive under the new regime, we just need to see them put together consistent seasons. With a little more investment into the athletic department Clarkson could easily be a perennial contender in LL sports, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that happen in the near future.

[Kuiper]

Clarkson had 7 seniors last year, so the roster is going to be substantial or Lima is overhauling the team for the upcoming season.  3 of the last 5 seasons have seen Clarkson get off to a roaring start only to fail to make the LL playoffs.  I would love nothing more than to see our route 11 rivals thrive under the new regime, we just need to see them put together consistent seasons. With a little more investment into the athletic department Clarkson could easily be a perennial contender in LL sports, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that happen in the near future.

Not sure Clarkson is in the position to invest more into the athletic department anytime soon.  According to this story in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Clarkson is one of the 10 institutions that are withdrawing larger than normal amounts from its endowment to cover unexpected costs:

A different kind of facilities need motivated Clarkson University, in northern New York, to make a large endowment draw. Administrators needed funding to offset deferred maintenance costs, make repairs to campus facilities after a particularly brutal winter storm, and upgrade its power-grid systems. Rather than take on debt, Clarkson turned to its endowment of more than $200 million, Kelly Chezum, vice president for external relations, wrote in a statement. Chezum said Clarkson fully intends to repay any of the funds it has withdrawn back into the endowment.

I don't know whether that was the right choice or not, but even if it was, any repayment of the withdrawn funds from the endowment cuts against investments elsewhere in the university, including for athletics.

[Crossit4fun]

Platts @Clarkson 9/11, @Union 9/14, @RPI 9/18 & @SLU 10/30

Working on getting New Paltz vs LL opponents

Looks like we got an insider!  Plattsburgh's schedule still isn't up on the website.  There has been very little variation in the league's schedule in terms of game dates.  The league matchup dates have basically been the same for 3 or 4 years now.  3rd season in a row SLU is playing Plattsburgh midweek right before the final league matchup against Hobart.

NP versus LL as follows
RPI @ NP 8/30, NP @ Union 9/4, Vassar @ NP 9/11

[stlawus]

Great night to induct all these Saint soccer greats, even better to see so many make the trip to campus.  Carruth made the trip from Idaho! https://twitter.com/SLUsaints/status/1796741032379343202

A lot of goals and assists in that picture. 

[Saint of Old]

Great night to induct all these Saint soccer greats, even better to see so many make the trip to campus.  Carruth made the trip from Idaho! https://twitter.com/SLUsaints/status/1796741032379343202

A lot of goals and assists in that picture. 

Great Saints, but somehow the honor is diminished when politics is used  keep out the most deserving Saint of all. Maybe that was the reason the 3 time All American, 🐐,  decided not to join the festivities that kept out his fellow 1999  Captain.

[kevdog]

Great night to induct all these Saint soccer greats, even better to see so many make the trip to campus.  Carruth made the trip from Idaho! https://twitter.com/SLUsaints/status/1796741032379343202

A lot of goals and assists in that picture. 

Great Saints, but somehow the honor is diminished when politics is used  keep out the most deserving Saint of all. Maybe that was the reason the 3 time All American, 🐐,  decided not to join the festivities that kept out his fellow 1999  Captain.

You're right

[stlawus]

Thanks to Viking's post on the NESCAC board we got some pretty significant news regarding the Liberty League. 1st team all conference and leading scorer for Union last year Marco Perugini has transferred to Conn College for the upcoming season. Perugini had a very strong case for ROY as well, was a big part of Union's resurgence last season. 

[Crossit4fun]

Platts @Clarkson 9/11, @Union 9/14, @RPI 9/18 & @SLU 10/30

Working on getting New Paltz vs LL opponents

Looks like we got an insider!  Plattsburgh's schedule still isn't up on the website.  There has been very little variation in the league's schedule in terms of game dates.  The league matchup dates have basically been the same for 3 or 4 years now.  3rd season in a row SLU is playing Plattsburgh midweek right before the final league matchup against Hobart.

NP versus LL as follows
RPI @ NP 8/30, NP @ Union 9/4, Vassar @ NP 9/11

Oswego vs LL
RPI @ Oswego 9/14, Skidmore @ Oswego 9/21

Potsdam vs LL
SLU @ Potsdam 9/21, Potsdam @ Clarkson 10/29

[stlawus]

I know SLU going to Oneonta and Hartwick every year for that tournament is convenient for scheduling purposes but I'd be lying if I said that I'm not annoyed by it at this point.  No issue playing those teams of course, but it's yet another season of playing them on the road. There is no away multiplier in soccer so there is no extra SOS boost playing these teams on the road every season. Every single year without fail there are major injuries that weekend as well.  Would be nice to have them up in Canton for once, it's been almost 15 years.

Looks like SLU's schedule is probably going to be identical to last year.  Nothing wrong with that, since last year SLU's SOS ended up being pretty decent

[Crossit4fun]

Small consolation to the no weight for a Road Win or tie is the QWB (Quality win Bonus)

The QWB and all numbers will change after every result. So if you got a 1.3 bonus day of game, but then that team loses the next 5 games, that bonus likely will turn into a lower number or may even go away if that team drops far enough. Same goes for if you got the 1.3 and then that team won all of its remaining games, that bonus would increase for you. So really the only calculation that matters is the one at the end of the season as all the numbers and all the calculations will change after every result including your opponents results.

[stlawus]

Barring any unknown fixture that has not appeared on any team schedule yet, it appears SLU's schedule for this season is identical to last year's, almost down to the same exact weekends and days that the games were played last season.  Makes it easier on the AD no doubt.

[stlawus]

Big news in SLU land as Sam Pijpers is returning for an additional season.  My best guess is he slides into the 10 role that he moved into at the end of the season.  Was unfortunate he had an injury last season, so him being back 100% with his experience is a significant piece to this year's team.

[stlawus]

Final SLU incoming recruit list:

Grant Gilmer, Wingback/M/F, Mira Costa HS CA/Beach ECNL
Tommy Maidment, CB/CDM, Nichols School NY/WNY Flash
Kyle Reddish, M/CDM, Needham HS MA
Ben Dietrich,CM/D, Newton South HS MA/New England Surf.
Eric Kniple, GK, Davidson Day NC
Kenny Lee, M, Plano East TX/NTX Arsenal