Liberty League

[kevdog]

That is the one thing about SLU is they always seem to get a great player whose skill level is beyond anyone else in the league. I hope they get one this year. I was really hoping they would have gotten the Thebe Moseburgh( spelling ?) All-American kid from Northwood but it looks like he is going to Hobart. From what I have read he could be the next great player in the Liberty League. Time will tell though for everyone and if somebody will step and take that role for SLU.

[stlawus]

Mosehathebe will likely be a great player, but SLU is bringing in some highly talented individuals.  A good sized striker in the mold of SLU strikers of old, CAM that was first team class A NEPSAC and a winger that had a lot of D1 looks (along with plenty of other incoming players with high pedigree.)     Less than a month until the season begins!

[d3d3d3]

Union Garnet Chargers?
https://www.union.edu/

[bubbabeans]

Union Garnet Chargers?
https://www.union.edu/

It beats Union iPhone Chargers 

[Racoon72]

When you review the Liberty League soccer schedules for 2023, several of the Liberty League ADs include the "Liberty League Championship Tournament" as part of their published schedules.  The Clarkson AD has decided not to list the LL year end championship tournament in the official 2023 Clarkson soccer schedule.  So frustrating the Clarkson AD does not set the expectation that Clarkson will participate in the year end tournament by including it in their schedule!!!  She does, however, include the ECAC year end tournament for the Clarkson's men's and women's hockey teams. Setting high goals and expectations at the beginning of each season is an important part of progressing any sports program. C'MON MAN !!!!

[Kuiper]

Union Garnet Chargers?
https://www.union.edu/

Turns out that Union might have just gone with Garnet, but Swarthmore actually has a trademark on Garnet as a nickname (which likely would cover another DIII school in the same general vicinity at a minimum), so that's why they decided to add another word after Garnet to avoid any legal issues and ultimately chose "Chargers"

https://www.d3playbook.com/p/presidents-council-review

» I Did Not Know That. Union considered just changing name to Garnet, but, and I quote, "another liberal arts college in the East (Swarthmore) has trademarked the use of the word "Garnet" by itself as its nickname. As such, we have decided to not use it in that fashion."

[deutschfan]

Hobart's roster is up.  They have a second HS All-American in their entering class in addition to Mosehathebe, Keegan Mulroony.  An assortment of other high school impact players.  They return as a grad student Nolan Fiero, a Seton Hall transfer from a couple years ago.  He looked like he could set the League on fire after having a brace against then 7th ranked Rochester but didn't score a goal the rest of the season.  My take on Hobart is that they are going to come out with a chip on their shoulder.  They were inconsistent throughout last season and flamed out in the LL playoffs.  Even though they made the playoffs the League coaches didn't see fit to name any of their players first or second team all league selections. (As people may know from earlier posts I subscribe to the UAA and NESCAC approach that only first and second teamers should be named otherwise based on last year's LL selections it appears that SLU's water boy might be up for honorable mention in the future--9 all league players is a tad much for a team who won league on the final day of the regular season.)  We may not know how good Hobart is until they play in the Hopkins invitational unless someone on this board can give a scouting report of the Stevens' scrimmage.  My guess is they will be in the title hunt this year.

[stlawus]

I agree with the take on Hobart.  The roster seems fairly bloated and it's not unusual for players to be listed as returners by default but then the roster gets revised and they're not their anymore, but I suspect most are on the roster.   With no overtime you don't necessarily need all the goals anymore, but that was Hobart's main problem last year.  No true goal scoring threat.  They have the coaching though and it's rare for them to be out of it more than a year or 2. 

But as always, you never know until we see everyone in action. 

[deutschfan]

Ithaca's roster is also up.  11 freshman, of which 6 are ECNL competitors and most come from top clubs.  This has been Ithaca's recruiting practice in the past--look to USSDA and top clubs.  On paper the strategy makes a lot of sense and yet in practice?  Last yeat was abysmal.  In 2019 Ithaca made the dance and beat Messiah to get there.  Two seasons later (2020 was dark due to covid) they miss the playoffs, win only 3 games and score only 11 goals.  Unless there is a freshman goal scorer among the newbies with the prowess of a Gaudiano, or Kelly or Mrlik it is going to be another long season for Ithaca. 

[SimpleCoach]

Ithaca's roster is also up.  11 freshman, of which 6 are ECNL competitors and most come from top clubs.  This has been Ithaca's recruiting practice in the past--look to USSDA and top clubs.  On paper the strategy makes a lot of sense and yet in practice?  Last yeat was abysmal.  In 2019 Ithaca made the dance and beat Messiah to get there.  Two seasons later (2020 was dark due to covid) they miss the playoffs, win only 3 games and score only 11 goals.  Unless there is a freshman goal scorer among the newbies with the prowess of a Gaudiano, or Kelly or Mrlik it is going to be another long season for Ithaca.

Well.... you can hear from him directly on the season ... this is hot off the presses.

Garret Eldridge of Ithaca College

[Newenglander]

Ithaca's roster is also up.  11 freshman, of which 6 are ECNL competitors and most come from top clubs.  This has been Ithaca's recruiting practice in the past--look to USSDA and top clubs.  On paper the strategy makes a lot of sense and yet in practice?  Last yeat was abysmal.  In 2019 Ithaca made the dance and beat Messiah to get there.  Two seasons later (2020 was dark due to covid) they miss the playoffs, win only 3 games and score only 11 goals.  Unless there is a freshman goal scorer among the newbies with the prowess of a Gaudiano, or Kelly or Mrlik it is going to be another long season for Ithaca.

Well.... you can hear from him directly on the season ... this is hot off the presses.

SC - Booing MLS Next players? Ouch

Garret Eldridge of Ithaca College

[SimpleCoach]

Ithaca's roster is also up.  11 freshman, of which 6 are ECNL competitors and most come from top clubs.  This has been Ithaca's recruiting practice in the past--look to USSDA and top clubs.  On paper the strategy makes a lot of sense and yet in practice?  Last yeat was abysmal.  In 2019 Ithaca made the dance and beat Messiah to get there.  Two seasons later (2020 was dark due to covid) they miss the playoffs, win only 3 games and score only 11 goals.  Unless there is a freshman goal scorer among the newbies with the prowess of a Gaudiano, or Kelly or Mrlik it is going to be another long season for Ithaca.

Well.... you can hear from him directly on the season ... this is hot off the presses.

SC - Booing MLS Next players? Ouch

Garret Eldridge of Ithaca College

No, I was booing Penn Fusion.....

SC

[deutschfan]

Simple Coach--I am sooo impressed.  What a great interview of Coach Eldridge.  Comes off as a very likable guy.   I think that there a couple of reasons why a D3 coach would trash MLS Next (formerly USSDA) players.  First, they rostered some that didn't pan out, or they tried to recruit some and they were shut out.  In Ithaca's case it may be a combination of both.  This year's incoming class likely committed to Ithaca before the debacle that was the 2022 season.  If will be important from a recruiting standpoint to start strong and create the impression that 2022 was an anomaly.  The Rochester scrimmage will be very important to this team.  While scheduling Cortland immediately before Bard doesn't seem crazy given Bard's permanent station at the bottom of the LL table, the Hamilton road fixture immediately after SLU and before a road game at Clarkson is ambitious.  Caesar had ambition.

[stlawus]

Can't confirm yet but it seems like SLU is going to have 1 or 2 5th year returners this season.

[Saint of Old]

You have to remember the Bombers have a relatively new coach. Their former coach is now at the helm at Tufts.  The league is tough man. RPI is always there as is Vassar. RIT and Skidmore can beat every team in the league and Clarkson at home is never an easy game. SLU is starting to get that old swagger back so not an easy thing to have a successful LL season.  Big connection between Ithaca and SLU. Our patriarch Coach  Durocher  is an Ithaca legend.