Liberty League

[d3d3d3]

It's a technicality but I'd argue that TJ Kostecky at Bard is the most "experienced" coach in the Liberty League ...

[stlawus]

SLU schedule now up.  Exactly the same as last year but with an additional non conference game against Plattsburgh.   Buff State, Cortland, Oneonta and Geneseo are usually all solid teams and have played some really good games with SLU in recent seasons.   Glad to see a full slate of 17 games. 

[deutschfan]

I totally vacillate between Saint's parity view and St Law's two or three top team take.  St. Lawrence should have had a down year in 2021 and made a miracle playoff run.  Reynolds had a breakout year offensively and if he returns as a grad student SLU has to be the front runner with Sibanda as the best offensive player in the league.  The two most disappointing teams last year were RPI, the regular season champ, and Hobart, who was loaded on paper and didn't make the playoffs.  RPI's season was a fail because it was a team that had the players to make a deep run in the NCAA tourney as it had in 2019.  Their late season losses to SLU and Vassar kept their ticket unpunched.  Hobart's leading scorer Matias Matic, the South American product, is not listed on their 2022 roster.  That is a huge loss.  I am curious whether Josh Gaudiano is coming back or will seek greener pastures at a D-2 school like UCSD or a D-1 school.  Gaudiano had one of the three best offensive seasons for a freshman in the past decade, joining Charlie Kelley at Hobart and Mattie Mrlik at Vassar with 20+ point inaugural seasons.  Kelley did not return to Hobart after his first year.  Mrlik had strong family ties to Vassar which probably made transferring out of the question.  Gaudiano certainly would have been enticed by a bunch of 5th years coming back for a dream season that never materialized.  Bottom line, I think it is 50-50 whether he is back.  Vassar has the best returning goalie but will need a scorer to step up.  They have never made the NCAA tournament without a 20 point player.  Bottom line, I don't know which Saint is right but I may have a stronger view when I see the final rosters. 

[stlawus]

I don't foresee Reynolds coming back, but it would be a welcome surprise if he did.   Like most years, SLU was hit with the injury bug last season with Miles Levy (captain) and Sam Pijpers (winger) both missing more than half of the season.  If they are healthy I think they they have a shot of collectively replacing Reynolds' production.    A big factor for SLU is going to be Max Mogul taking the next step.  He had a great final third of the season as a freshman.   

Of course, it goes without saying, Sibanda will be the X factor.   Toshack says that he can be even better, and Sibanda is currently tearing it up in the NPSL right now for the Arkansas Wolves.  He's scored some absolute banger free kicks lately.   

This is the first year in a long time I have absolutely no idea about their incoming recruiting class.  D3soccer seems to have more or less shut down so their recruiting portal has not been updated since last year.  Usually I can piece together the recruiting classes through keyword searches on twitter and Google but still nada for the upcoming season. 


I said it in another comment but I think RIT has a good shot at being one of the top 3 teams.  They return a good young core, with the reigning ROY and several freshman who made the all league teams. 

With regard to Hobart, not only is Matic not on the roster but neither is Mick van Timmeren who was LL honorable mention last season.    They do have former Saint great Rob Brandell as an assistant though, nice to see his coaching career still continuing.

[Saint of Old]

Brandell is a boss man.
One of my all-time favorite Saints. Good to see him at Hobart.
Hobart always gives it to you every season. Hobart has been coming hard at SLU and playing us straight up since the 90s. A team and culture I really respect.
I think a couple freshmen are going to really surprise a few people soon.

What we miss though are those 1 or 2 guys on each team that are not freshmen, but decided that this year they will start playing football.
They could be Sophomores or even Juniors. Guys who for whatever reason (time to settle, get accommodated with food or weather, broken hearted last season, finally college fit) want to play and have that anger of not playing the year or two before. Those guys are on the roster, good enough to ot get cut, but did not fulfil their potential.

Heck, you could be one of those guys reading this.

If RIT, SLU, RPI have one or two of these guys, it could be a good season for those teams.

[stlawus]

Union's schedule is up, and it does not appear that the new coaching regime intends to immediately change the non-conference strength of schedule philosophy.   The usual slate of Sage, Lasell and MCLA are still fixtures for the upcoming season, along with Plymouth State.   New Paltz and Oneonta are obviously better tests, but Union has played New Paltz most years anyways. 

[Saint of Old]

Only 4 Qualify for League Tourney

2013 Standings
SLU
RPI
Skidmore
Vassar

2014  Top 6 (Predictions in no particular order)

HOBART
A couple dissapointing seasons, but a good freshman class and continued growth should  put them in the hunt for a post season birth or even Dance expectations.

UNION
2013 was close, but no cigar in terms of post season after starting the year on a 11 game unbebaten streak. Must beat 2 of last seasons league opponents to have a chance at qualification. Union is a good squad, but must play better non-conference schedule in order to better prepare for a tough league.

VASSAR
A consistently strong team over the last decade. Made NCAA and advanced in both '11 and '12.
Vassar also have an AMAZING record against every other team in the Leauge. Four ties in league play last year however, almost saw them fail to qualify. They are well coached and are looking to make another forward step. Back to back years of not dancing will not help their cause.

RPI
Another team that Danced and danced well in '11 and '12, but failed to make the NCAA in '13.
Beaten in the League semi-final by Skidmore last season, RPI still had a relative succesful year, including beating final 4 participant, Williams. It will be a tough season for the well coached RPI however, as many teams in the league have improved dramatically and ready to take the spot that now belongs to RPI. 

SKIDMORE
The most improved team in the league.
These boys have recreated the SLU formula of stifling defense and Jamaican/African flair up top.
They are the only team in the league to beat St. Lawrence in '12 and '13.
Made it to last seasons league tourney final, and were perhaps unlucky not to get an at-large invitation to the NCAA's. Teams will underestimate Skidmore to their peril this year.
They are the real deal. Potent offense and extremely hungry after last season's dissapointment.

St. Lawrence

The boys in red have had a good run since 2010.
Won league in 10,11 and 13, adding the Tourney in 10 and 13 as well.
This year however, will be the toughest yet, after losing a 4 year starter/All American at the center of midfield. This team has struggled with injuries the last few years, and will hope for a healthy year.

Close but no Cigar:

RIT
Good team, but will not win more than 3 league games, and more is needed.

Clarkson
Not good enough for the league. With new coach and everything going the right way, maybe an average team by 2017.

Bard:
Three years into the building process, and Bard are still a work in progress. Should hope for competitiveness in a good leaggue and attempt to attract the pieces needed to improve.
It is difficult to enter a good league and find success. Just ask Hamilton, no one has heard from them in NESCAC in 4 years.

Thoughts?

The more things change, the more they remain the same it seems.
The above is the first post on this thread. Take note of what I said (8 years ago) about what Union needed to do to advance in the league. Happy the new regime is taking note. This can only make us a more competitive league overall and help Union fulfil its potential.

[stlawus]

Took a walk along the SLU trails this morning, Sandy MacAllaster Field looks as pristine as it's ever been.  Got me pretty excited for the upcoming season.  Teams report to pre-season next week, and the season starts in 3 weeks.  Will be here before we know it!

[stlawus]

We won't know for sure until we see the product on the field but it appears Toshack is going back to some of the roots of SLU soccer with the incoming freshmen class.  A big 6'4" CB is on the way along with a right back/winger originally from Kenya with a very high soccer pedigree.  Hopefully the whole league is upping the recruiting ante, the upcoming season is likely to be very competitive as is.

[Saint of Old]

I think SLU had a 6 4' centerback for about 15 years running. Watson/Laird/Copeland et al.
They were all All-Americans, but all needed year or 2 years to sort out their feet in the system.

We have not missed with the African Players:
Britto/Annan/Maky/Dede/#33 are all not just all-time Greats, but SLU legends every single one was/is the best player in the league (I would need more space for the SLU Jamaicans).

[SandyMac]

I think SLU had a 6 4' centerback for about 15 years running. Watson/Lairid/Copeland et al.
They were all All-Americans, but all needed year or 2 years to sort out their feet in the system.

We have not missed with the African Players:
Britto/Annan/Maky/Dede/#33 are all not just all-time Greats, but SLU legends every single one was the best player in the league (I would need more space for the SLU Jamaicans).

To be fair, most of the time it took for those guys to "sort out their feet in the system" was because the system itself changed from a  3-4-3 to 4-3-3.  I think it became pretty obvious that while that style center back is very helpful, it's best to have them as part of a back 4 with a quicker and more agile CB next to them.  Hopefully Tosh has that up his sleeve!

[deutschfan]

Actually for players like Copeland it took a couple of years for the touch to catch up with the physicality.  I remember many really ugly balls coming out of the backfield during Copeland's first couple of years.  On a different subject, my guess is that Robert Reynolds comes back.  I checked linked in on 2 seniors (I have joined the 21st Century) who were important playmakers their squads last year, Reynolds and Quinn Tunnell who was a first team selection for Vassar.  Tunnell it appears has forgone his last year of eligibility to join PIMCO, one of the most successful investment firms in the world.  Reynolds, on the other hand lists SLU related jobs relating to sports other than soccer.  He is such a dyed in the wool Saint I suspect he is going to return.  It is a testament to SLU that they can recruit a player from Dana Point, subject him to winters on the Canadian border, and have him love it.

[Saint of Old]

Fan, as usual, you know what you are talking about.
In fairness it takes most players a couple seasons to sort out their feet in college, so for 6 foot 5 guys its really no surprise.

I think SLU will have a good year this season.
The league had a chance to really end the SLU dominance last season and allowed them to win the league from 5th spot (a few seasons ago, they would not even have made the league tourney)

Now you have a Saint team that has won 2 of the past 3 league tourneys despite not having the best year and what could have been an all-time bad season in 2021.

The mentality of these boys are very strong, it had to be to make the dance, but now they have the gasoline that programs and players runs on: CONFIDENCE.

Does not hurt that a top 5 All-time Saint is on the roster as well.

[stlawus]

Fan, as usual, you know what you are talking about.
In fairness it takes most players a couple seasons to sort out their feet in college, so for 6 foot 5 guys its really no surprise.

I think SLU will have a good year this season.
The league had a chance to really end the SLU dominance last season and allowed them to win the league from 5th spot (a few seasons ago, they would not even have made the league tourney)

Now you have a Saint team that has won 2 of the past 3 league tourneys despite not having the best year and what could have been an all-time bad season in 2021.

The mentality of these boys are very strong, it had to be to make the dance, but now they have the gasoline that programs and players runs on: CONFIDENCE.

Does not hurt that a top 5 All-time Saint is on the roster as well.

You said it, not me!

Thing about this season is that SLU still has a good amount of high quality returning players, many whom are still in their 2nd or 3rd year.    As for the rest of the league, it's still a bit of an unknown.   I still maintain that RIT is the team to look out for, as they have the reigning ROY and a few players returning that received all conference honors.  RPI lost a lot, it's pretty hard to immediately replace the production from 5th year players. 

SLU always had the ability last year, the home game against Cortland proved that.  It was just a matter of getting everything in synch and getting hot at the right time.      By the looks of it, this year's recruiting class is shaping up to be one of, if not the strongest yet under Toshack.     

I've had many a prediction backfire on me on this site (don't look at my Liberty League basketball preseason standings predictions), but I'm going to have to agree right now with Saint, as it's usually a good bet to side with the best #7 in program history.

[deutschfan]

Last year was the year for the league to leave SLU in the dust.  It graduated its seniors while teams like RPI kept them as grad students.  To SLU's great credit they found a way.  This year I agree that SLU and RIT will be the top two teams with SLU taking the honor if Reynolds returns.  RIT has an advantage from its preseason trip to Costa Rica.  I believe these types of bonding experiences lead to successful seasons.  Best first game this year--RPI v. Montclair State.  Both are nationally ranked preseason (although RPI's ranking is very generous considering its graduation losses) and Montclair likely returns Amer Lukovic with 17 goals as a freshman and a First Team All American slot.