2014 D3 Season: National Perspective

[Cheesehead Henry]

http://wartburgcircuit.org/wartburg-luther-soccer-teams-stand-united-against-hate/

I saw this video floating around the IIAC homepage and thought it was a really neat video. Has anybody else heard of this problem happening in other parts of the nation? Sad to hear that people still use racism on the field during this wonderful game.

[blooter442]

Wheaton-Babson about to kick off in a few minutes. Anyone else have predictions? Wheaton are for real and I don't see them getting beaten at home, especially with that 5-1 last year in the recent past. Babson has definitely put forth some impressive results so far, especially the win at Williams, but seem very ordinary at times. 2-1 to Wheaton.

[PaulNewman]

NYU pulls 2-0 upset in UAA tilt with Rochester.

[PaulNewman]

No video for Tufts-Midd???

Nice job by Wheaton after spotting Babson a goal.  Win 3-1.

Skidmore trying to hang on vs Williams.

[PaulNewman]

Brandeis gets a fortunate PK call at the edge of the box with under 2 minutes in 2nd OT to get by a devastated Case Western squad.

[blooter442]

Brandeis gets a fortunate PK call at the edge of the box with under 2 minutes in 2nd OT to get by a devastated Case Western squad.

I agree that it was a very fortunate call. There was contact but he "bought" the foul. Case did well to stifle Brandeis' creativity. Relatively unimaginative in the final third but they are better than their record suggests.

[PaulNewman]

Yep, at that point after 108 minutes I think the call was harsh.  Ref could have called the foul and placed ball just outside the box.  The kid who the foul was called on looked inconsolable.  Tough, tough way to lose when that close to a draw against a powerhouse team.

[PaulNewman]

Upset brewing in the Pacific Northwest, as Puget Sound leads Whitworth 2-0 in the 2nd half.

In other late action, Christopher Newport leads Randolph 1-0 at the half.  Great video and nice soccer facility at CNU.

[PaulNewman]

#9/#7 Whitworth no longer unbeaten as the Pirates lose at home to the PSU Loggers 2-0.

Exciting back and forth action in Newport News as Randolph leveled but CNU has scored again. 2-1 midway through the 2nd half.  Impressed with both teams actually, and I am sticking to my prediction of a good NCAA run for CNU.

[PaulNewman]

This week looks light in terms of blockbuster games, but here is my take on the best of the bunch.

The Main Event(s)

Wednesday

Lycoming at Messiah -- Likely to be a letdown as Messiah looks like an 8 cylinder machine going against 4 cylinder economy vehicles, but there is hype around Lycoming's PK victory last year and strong showing and strong D so far this year.  According to the Messiah announcing crew (and yes, I have listened to them again and actually enjoyed them), star player Thompson is having an MRI in the next day or two, but even without Thompson the Falcons just throw more players on the pitch who broke their state's high school scoring records.

Saturday

Brandeis at Rochester -- If Brandeis gets through this week unscathed (MIT away Tuesday and then Rochester away) I believe they will have to be considered a serious or even likely final four candidate (and one can make a strong case already).  The Rochester match is especially compelling because the Yellow Jackets are flirting with the danger zone in terms of an expected NCAA bid, and so Brandeis should expect to get Rochester's A game.

DePauw at OWU -- Probably the biggest game of the season in the NCAC.  OWU at Kenyon in a couple of weeks will garner a lot of hype, but this one actually is bigger because both DePauw and OWU so badly need to avoid further losses.  Both are capable of earning a bid through the conference tournament but I doubt either wants to rely on those odds.

The Undercard

Monday/Tonight

Haverford at Rutgers-Camden -- A chance for both teams to get a quality out of conference win.

Tuesday

Conn College at ECSU -- A must win for Conn who may be reeling after an overtime shock loss in Lewiston, ME.

Wednesday

Stevens at Swarthmore -- The Ducks are trying to gradually work their way back to where we thought they would be, and Swat meanwhile has gone off the rails and in real danger of dropping four in a row (or would it be five now?).

St Olaf at Wartburg -- Two quality teams that have been surging.  St Olaf could make a statement with a win, but I suspect Wartburg is too dialed in at the moment to drop this one.

Saturday

Wash U at Carnegie Mellon -- The margin of error for both of these squads is nearing zero.  I'm guessing Wash U will prevail.

Wesleyan at Williams -- A vital NESCAC clash, all the more important because of Williams' run of so-so form.  A chance for Wesleyan to solidify 2nd place in the NESCAC, but the Cardinals need to find more consistent scoring.

Haverford at Dickinson -- No love lost between these two, as both try to keep pace with F&M.

Berry at Centre -- A key under the radar tilt that may help determine who gets their conference's very first automatic bid.

Sunday

Trinity (TX) at Colorado College -- The return match exactly one week later.  CC will be looking to avenge yesterday's 1-0 loss and grab a signature win for the selection committee.

[Knighthaws]

http://wartburgcircuit.org/wartburg-luther-soccer-teams-stand-united-against-hate/

I saw this video floating around the IIAC homepage and thought it was a really neat video. Has anybody else heard of this problem happening in other parts of the nation? Sad to hear that people still use racism on the field during this wonderful game.

Cheesehead, Unfortunately I think that racism still exits at all levels of the sport. Its great to see these two schools come together despite the rivalry and try and make a difference and raise awareness for a problem that is often overlooked at this level of the sport.

[PaulNewman]

Wow.  Haverford and Rutgers-C embroiled in a shootout, with the Fords leading 4-2 60 minutes in.

And now Camden down to 10 men in the 63rd minute.

[PaulNewman]

Haverford 7 Rutgers-C 3 (no misprint)

[backyarddawg]

Did anyone witness the RUC vs Haverford game?  That is a lot of goals. 

[Corazon]

Haverford 7 Rutgers-C 3 (no misprint)

Stunning score. Ford is good, but that score!