Liberty League

[stlawus]

Want to go with my heart but given SLU's road performances I'll go with my brain.

1.Hobart
2.Union
3.SLU
4.RPI
5.Vassar
6.Ithaca

[deutschfan]

Would make two good rematches in the first round. Vassar probably didn't appreciate the RPI fans singing "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey ey goodbye at the end of their last game.

[Saint_Dad]

There is no stopping SLU with their new high powered offense and stingy defense.  They will now score multiple goals per game while still giving up only one per game with Woelfinger in the goal (and 11 men on the field) look for them to make an NCAA run. 

SLU
Hobart
Union
RPI
Vassar
Ithaca

[stlawus]

Thus far it does not look like SLU has any desire to go forward with the ball.  They are a ticking time bomb giving up a goal with the back passing nonsense.  Every free kick so far has gone backwards.   

[stlawus]

Called that one.  More self destruction on the road for SLU.  Now that RPI is up they are on track for a 4th place finish.

[Saint of Old]

Mac14

[stlawus]

Enormous senior moment for McDougald to keep SLU in it.  Best set piece taker for SLU in over a decade, if not longer.

RPI and Union are up.  Union in 2nd place as it stands.   Exciting 45 minutes in store.

[Saint of Old]

LL is nuts.
I give up.

[kevdog]

SLU is being out played. They are playing like the Laid Back Larry. Getting beat to the ball. It's like they have no heart. If they play like this they will be 1 and done in the LL tournament.

[stlawus]

And as I suspected, SLU's horrid road performance travels with them and costs them a bye.  They only won one true road game all season and that was against last place Bard.  A tie would have given them the 2 seed, instead they cough it up and end up in 4th place having to play RPI.  Even if they do advance, I think their goose is cooked because you'll likely have to play any top 3 team on the road.   

They took the lead because they possessed and penetrated.  As soon as they went up, right back to pinging it around and getting beat to the ball everywhere.    This team needs the weight room bad, almost every team muscles them off of every 50/50 ball.


Hobart and Union get byes. 

Ithaca will play Vassar
SLU will host RPI

[saint_forever]

Does SLU not get a bye, swear they do?

[stlawus]

No, they are in 4th place. 

[kevdog]

And as I suspected, SLU's horrid road performance travels with them and costs them a bye.  They only won one true road game all season and that was against last place Bard.  A tie would have given them the 2 seed, instead they cough it up and end up in 4th place having to play RPI.  Even if they do advance, I think their goose is cooked because you'll likely have to play any top 3 team on the road.   

They took the lead because they possessed and penetrated.  As soon as they went up, right back to pinging it around and getting beat to the ball everywhere.    This team needs the weight room bad, almost every team muscles them off of every 50/50 ball.


Hobart and Union get byes. 

Ithaca will play Vassar
SLU will host RPI

Yup they were getting beat to every 50/50 ball and absolutely was getting outmuscled on every play.  Hobart show what can happen when you shoot the ball from outside the box today although all 3 goals were impressive.  SLU wants the pretty goal with passing it in but some times taking shots from outside will loosen up the defense.  Defensively they need to learn how to hold on to leads.  Hats off to Hobart. They deserve the win and the league. Hats off to all the teams that made the LL tournament.  There will be only one team that will be going dancing and that is the team who stands at the end.  Best of luck.

[deutschfan]

While I have been Fauth propping all year Madsen won the POY award today.  I have to go with the best player on the best team rather than the best player on a team that sneaked into the playoffs. A goal by RIT or a second goal by Clarkson and Vassar would be home for the year.  As to physicality, you are right on.  SLU's chances of a three-peat are slim.  Ithaca overpowered SLU in their last game and Ithaca is not a physically imposing team.  I haven't seen Union play but they beat Vassar who is a physically imposing team, and RPI just outmuscled Vassar earlier this week.  Vassar didn't allow SLU a shot on goal in their last game.

[Saint_Dad]

I sense and share the frustration from the SLU fans as the team seems to turn on and off from game to game and throughout the game.  They play their best soccer when they go down a goal, playing with a purpose to actually score a goal rather than to see how many passes they can complete, usually going the wrong direction.  Some of the players seem to either have a lack of confidence or a fear of failure.  They work hard to get the ball to the opponents side of the field only to be taken down with hard fouls.  Their opponents are instructed to do this because their is no downside.  SLU won't bother taking the direct kick into the box.  They will just pass the ball backwards a couple times to their goalie who will then take a kick and land it right where their direct kick was awarded.  SLU took four shots from the run of play.  One was on goal. You can't score if you don't shoot. 
Hobart demonstrated how to play on a shorter and narrower field than SLU's home turf.   They put every free kick into the box. Some that were from their own half. They shot the ball from outside the 18, with two amazing goals from that distance.
When SLU went down they woke up and went forward.  Once they got the lead they went backwards and didn't continue to put on any pressure.
If SLU wakes up on Tuesday and beats RPI at home, as I expect they will, they must bring a different mentality back to Hobart for all 90 minutes. 
Regarding ROY, Brown made a strong statement.  Hobart did their best to try and take defensive player of the year away from Woelfinger.