2014 D3 Season: National Perspective

[KnightFalcon]

Calvin keeps rolling with another big win against Hope 2-0

[Flying Weasel]

I really think a case could be made for Calvin being as good an option for No. 2 as anyone.  I think the D3soccer.com voters have underrated them because of the two early losses.  This week would be a perfect opportunity for the voters to bump Calvin up to the middle of the Top 10 given the teams above them that have tied and/or lost this week, but somehow I think No. 8 would be as far as they'll jump from their current No. 12. 

[PaulNewman]

From what I know about Kenyon, they run a very high tempo and high pressure style that thrives off of being an underdog and is built for games against big teams like an OWU or Messiah. It seems that with Kenyon being at #2 for some time now, they have taken their foot off the pedal and got complacent, and their style doesn't work if they are complacent. They aren't scoring goals anymore and they seem to be overlooking teams including today at Wabash. With that being said however, a team like Kenyon IS one of the teams, like NCAC referred to, that should get their edge back after a loss and therefore be a very dangerous team again.

chelseafan, I think you are probably on to something with the complacency.  It is easy to start believing that you are better than you are, thinking you can turn it on whenever you want which we see get teams in trouble in all sports at all levels, chirping and swagging with opponents instead of playing with pure determination and focus and perhaps a little of that underdog spirit, picking up silly yellows, etc, etc.  One of the things I really appreciate about Messiah, and also programs like OWU that produce year after year, is how they manage to maintain consistency in level of performance.  I think we often are clueless about just how hard it is.  I'm sure that having been there before helps a lot, and perhaps being in an unfamiliar role (for them) has impacted Kenyon.  The juxtaposition of the Harmanis "pressure is getting to them" argument with the complacency argument is interesting.  They seem on the surface to be contradictory, but maybe both have some truth.

On another point (and we all do this), I think comparing teams based on one or two outings or similar opponents doesn't work.  OWU clearly dominated Wabash at home where the psychology of the game was different than Kenyon playing away at Wabash on the latter's senior day, after Wabash had lost.  Kenyon beat Otterbein pretty easily and later OWU crumbled at home to Otterbein by something like 4-1.  Also noticed that OWU, even knowing the Kenyon result earlier in the day, barely got out of Meadville with a win over Allegheny, scoring with just a few minutes left in double OT.

Tuesday should be interesting, and exciting.

[PaulNewman]

In other action...

In the second leg Whitworth and Puget Sound tie.

Muhlenberg gets big win over Haverford in 4-3 shootout.

Kean upsets Rutgers-Newark.

North Park loses to Dominican.

I think Messiah will remain #1 but for me F&M has a strong case.  I think they have been slightly under-ranked most of the season, and they have played a very tough schedule and still are unbeaten.  Are Messiah and F&M the only remaining unbeaten teams?  Trinity is right there as well and Oneonta has a case.  If Brandeis wins today they will deserve to be right on the doorstep.  Tufts likely will make the biggest jump.

[blooter442]

They hit the crossbar from 25 yard out...it was a great shot but just because they hit the crossbar doesnt mean they had better overall chances. I thought Carnegie countered well and had 2 or 3 clear chances to score in the 18. That being said the 2 teams were very even. I am responding to a poster who said Brandeis dominated which was not the case

That was me. You are free to disagree, but I never said that they dominated—I just said that they were the better team.

[lastguyoffthebench]

I saw that Kean win over Newark coming.  I can't the F&M case for taking over Messiah at #1.   I could see Wabash jumping Kenyon (SOS is much weaker, but they still beat Kenyon H2H. However, Kenyon should be safe considering that it was a road game).     

Oneonta St is the other unbeaten, NCAC NE.

Tufts has been under the radar on NSCAA, but they will be #2 in NE region when the NCAA rankings come out Wed.

I think Calvin jumps Wheaton this week in NSCAA and D3soccer, and should be top 5 in both.   They have been on a tear...

[PaulNewman]

Brandeis beats Emory 1-0. Nice bounceback weekend for the Judges who when you look at their whole body of work are very deserving of a top 5 ranking.

Lastguy, you're forgetting that during this ranking period Wabash also lost to OWU.  Do you really think Wabash is going to jump both of them?

[PaulNewman]

Carnegie Mellon beats NYU 2-1.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Brandeis beats Emory 1-0. Nice bounceback weekend for the Judges who when you look at their whole body of work are very deserving of a top 5 ranking.

Lastguy, you're forgetting that during this ranking period Wabash also lost to OWU.  Do you really think Wabash is going to jump both of them?

Yes, they lost on the road at OWU but beat the #2 team in the nation.    Why is that so far-fetched for them to jump Kenyon in the NSCAA poll?   I never said Wabash WOULD, but it wouldn't shock me if they did jump Kenyon.   Most likely the coaches hold firm, vote Kenyon #1 still, and they just drop to #7 in NSCAA and Wabash bumps up to about 14 or so.

[PaulNewman]

Guess I was wondering where you're putting OWU, and if you think Kenyon would fall below both of them after just 1 loss, a 1-0 away loss.

[Soccergeek]

I really think a case could be made for Calvin being as good an option for No. 2 as anyone.  I think the D3soccer.com voters have underrated them because of the two early losses.  This week would be a perfect opportunity for the voters to bump Calvin up to the middle of the Top 10 given the teams above them that have tied and/or lost this week, but somehow I think No. 8 would be as far as they'll jump from their current No. 12.

I have to agree with you, Flying Weasel.  I have seen a number of the top teams in the Midwest play this season, including Wheaton, Chicago, Elmhurst, OWU and Hope, and Calvin is clearly the cream of the crop.  Their only two losses came in the first week of the season to Wheaton on the road (the one-goal difference coming on questionable PK call) and home to North Central, whom they dominated (24-8 shots, 8-0 corner kicks).  They also have a win over OWU in a game they dominated and are led by an All American forward who is rumored to be getting strong looks from a number of MLS teams.  The Knights are riding a 12-game winning streak, but have clearly been underrated all season.  They are poised to make a deep run in the tournament come November.

[backyarddawg]

Anyone see the Haverford vs Muhlenberg game?  Write-up says Hav was up 3-1 with 17 minutes left and lost 4-3.  Total breakdown and a crushing loss for Hav.  Now they need to win out to make the NCAA Tournament.  Great win for the Muhl's might be the game which clinches at large for them.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Guess I was wondering where you're putting OWU, and if you think Kenyon would fall below both of them after just 1 loss, a 1-0 away loss.

Just my assumption:

NSCAA
1) Wabash   8th
2) Kenyon    9th 
3) OWU      19th
4) John Carroll


D3soccer:
1) Kenyon     6th   (Messiah, F&M, Brandeis, Trinity, Oneonta St, Kenyon, Calvin, Loras )
2) OWU       17th
3) Wabash  19th   

[PaulNewman]

Maybe this is true every year but it sure seems like we are going to have a wild and exciting NCAA tourney.  First, we've got teams that have been ranked very, very high who may not even get a bid.  Could get even crazier if teams like Calvin, Wheaton, Kenyon or OWU, etc don't win their AQs.

It would seem that some of the 1st and 2nd round games are going to be monsters.  Some very good teams are not going to get in, and some very good teams that barely get in are going to draw top seeds early on yielding very few games that are going to be safe.

What do some of you think about where things stand with Emory, Rochester, Luther, Williams, etc.

The UAA is brutal this year.  Usual bottom feeders NYU and Case have earned some good results and after a slow start CMU is acquitting itself well. 

[D3soccerwatcher]

What are some of the other best D3 soccer venues?

KnightFalcon, thanks for your other comment.  I have really enjoyed learning more about all of the different colleges and their programs  across the United States.  I've actually learned a lot.  I tend to have an East Coast bias, along with a New Englandish bias for the US News Top 50 lists, and so to learn about all of these other great places, where kids achieve at such a high level and then go on to do great things and where the alumni feel so passionately about their schools, is something I really appreciate.  It's actually liberating to learn about all these other places where such wonderful things happen.

This has to be the best soccer venue in the country...it also has been drawing the most fans for decades...Shoemaker Field at Messiah (pictured this past weekend as rain cleared and sun came out).