2014 D3 Season: National Perspective

[Ryan Harmanis]

Christopher Newport and Lynchburg still knotted at 0. Even game for the first 45, but CNU has been dominating the last 10 or so. Just hit the post.

[Golden_Fan]

brockport and bowdoin going to ot tied at 2

[Ryan Harmanis]

And CNU takes the lead on one of the best goals of the NCAAs so far. Clearance bounces outside the box and CNU player just crushes a half volley top shelf. Goalie had no chance. Great goal.

[Domino1195]

Domino, you must have missed #6 for Th More.  He was fast, dynamic, and ran full out all over the field.  He played a marvelous game and was clear "man of the match" and in 2nd OT he made a dummy play that allowed a ball coming in to beat the North Park keeper.  I was very impressed with Thomas More and their collective work rate.  They are tough kids from northern KY and Cincinnati area who are not intimidated and a little bit nasty (like their exuberant [overly?] fans).  It will be interesting to see how the Kenyon student group interacts with the Th More faithful.  At any rate, I cannot overemphasize how hard Th More played.  They wanted it bad today.  They acted like they had won a national championship and one question tomorrow will be how much they have left in the tank after a very tough 2OT game and dramatic emotional celebration.  Watching this one I had the thought of Th More being a very good, enthusiastic college team playing a semi-professional, PDL-style North Park where several of their players seemed like they could be in the mid-to-late 20s.

Left at half, but have seen Kenyon enough to know that if they play their game they will prevail. As a ref in Ohio South I've seen plenty of Cincy/Kings Academy (Northern KY) teams to know their work ethic. Like the Black Knight of Monty Python films . . .

A facet of the college game (my son is a freshman at Capital) that kind of takes me aback is how Poor/Individual (non team focused) the decision making can be at times. Fight and grit are great - but poor decisions sink the ship. Decision making that should have been worked out years prior - I see at the college game.

North Park possessed the ball better through the midfield - they failed in the attacking third. They were soft - too easily dispossessed (one measure of softness is how many times a player raises their hands in a plaintive manner towards the referee after receiving contact - too many for North Park). And a key to their failure in the final third is they stopped playing team ball.

The showdown against Messiah IS in Kenyon's hands. They just need to take it one game at a time - and their key players played 5 minutes in the second half today. More will come out guns a blazing - and probably get crushed second half tomorrow.

[chelseafc30]

If I could advise Kenyon it would be to use #21 - the Red Haired Wonder - more centrally as I feel he is the play maker on the team. More cannot match his strength and skill in the midfield: Kenyon could make this a route if they dominate the midfield - #21 - and attack quickly.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this guy. I watched the OWU-Kenyon NCAC Final and I thought he was extremely dangerous (he scored the game-winner in OT). I didn't get to see the game today because of streaming issues but I watched his goal today against Heidelberg on the Kenyon site and it was a great finish (much like the OT goal). I was wondering why he hasn't been mentioned before anywhere. I did some research and found that he is a redshirted Sophomore D1 transfer from Providence College, who was a NCAA tourney team last year, and played for Solar Chelsea Academy in Dallas. I did some more research and found out that he has been playing holding midfield all season (fourth on the team in minutes) and moved to more of a attacking outside midfield role for the NCAC final and apparently today as well. When I watched him play in the NCAC final he definitely looked like a veteran attacking midfielder, not out of place at all. I feel like this guy maybe one of the best players in D3 that no one knows about and Kenyon has been hiding him all season just to unleash him for the postseason.

[Mr.Right]

Bowdoin beats Brockport 3-2 in OT and UR all over Salisbury after half time.

Who said the UAA and Nescac were down?  Actually both leagues will have much harder matches tomorrow.

Rochester at F&M
Chicago at  Wartburg
Brandeis v Bowdoin
Amherst at SLU
Tufts at Wheaton(MA)

5 road games and 1 home game for both conferences. Plus a head to head battle between Brandeis and Bowdoin.

[Domino1195]

If I could advise Kenyon it would be to use #21 - the Red Haired Wonder - more centrally as I feel he is the play maker on the team. More cannot match his strength and skill in the midfield: Kenyon could make this a route if they dominate the midfield - #21 - and attack quickly.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this guy. I watched the OWU-Kenyon NCAC Final and I thought he was extremely dangerous (he scored the game-winner in OT). I didn't get to see the game today because of streaming issues but I watched his goal today against Heidelberg on the Kenyon site and it was a great finish (much like the OT goal). I was wondering why he hasn't been mentioned before anywhere. I did some research and found that he is a redshirted Sophomore D1 transfer from Providence College, who was a NCAA tourney team last year, and played for Solar Chelsea Academy in Dallas. I did some more research and found out that he has been playing holding midfield all season (fourth on the team in minutes) and moved to more of a attacking outside midfield role for the NCAC final and apparently today as well. When I watched him play in the NCAC final he definitely looked like a veteran attacking midfielder, not out of place at all. I feel like this guy maybe one of the best players in D3 that no one knows about and Kenyon has been hiding him all season just to unleash him for the postseason.

He was used wide today - left mid. He's got great size and beautiful touch - just wondering what he could do as their Pirlo.

[Sirius90]

CNU sophomore hits an absolute cracker for the win. Goal of the day.

[Ryan Harmanis]

Salisbury essentially confirmed my view of them as perhaps the weakest at-large team. They had ZERO ranked/good wins this year and just got in based on perception IMO.

[PaulNewman]

[/quote]

The showdown against Messiah IS in Kenyon's hands. They just need to take it one game at a time - and their key players played 5 minutes in the second half today. More will come out guns a blazing - and probably get crushed second half tomorrow.
[/quote]

Messiah hasn't even played yet!  And some notables have already made their exits.

[PaulNewman]

I think a lot of us knew that Rochester, even if questionably deserving to get in, would be a tough out if they did get in.  I see the game with F&M as 50/50.

I have to admit I'm surprised by Bowdoin.  They don't score for like 3 games and today they get 3.  Still, though, if Brandeis gets a lead I don't see the Judges being as forgiving as Brockport.

[Domino1195]

Salisbury essentially confirmed my view of them as perhaps the weakest at-large team. They had ZERO ranked/good wins this year and just got in based on perception IMO.

And the snub of JCU? I sucks that Kenyon was matched up against Heidelberg, and now plays a heavy Ohio based team tomorrow - but I posted previously about the Midwest being a victim of mediocrity or parity: I think parity is more accurate. We will have two teams in the final 16 after tomorrow, out of three allowed to participate.

[PaulNewman]

Salisbury essentially confirmed my view of them as perhaps the weakest at-large team. They had ZERO ranked/good wins this year and just got in based on perception IMO.

And the snub of JCU? I sucks that Kenyon was matched up against Heidelberg, and now plays a heavy Ohio based team tomorrow - but I posted previously about the Midwest being a victim of mediocrity or parity: I think parity is more accurate. We will have two teams in the final 16 after tomorrow, out of three allowed to participate.

And then of course they had to put Kenyon and OWU on the same side of the quad when, if Kenyon does win tomorrow, that would deserve to be an elite 8 game.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park played the match against Thomas More today without the services of the CCIW's leading scorer, sophomore forward Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh, who has been sidelined with mononucleosis. Just saying. NPU's actually a pretty young team, as four of today's starters for the Vikings were freshmen. They'll be back.

[Ryan Harmanis]

North Park played the match against Thomas More today without the services of the CCIW's leading scorer, sophomore forward Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh, who has been sidelined with mononucleosis. Just saying. NPU's actually a pretty young team, as four of today's starters for the Vikings were freshmen. They'll be back.

That's always a tough situation. Not an excuse in the least bit, but the '09 OWU team that flamed out had half the starters contract swine flu leading up to the NCAA tournament.

Injuries, sickness, just pure luck is such a factor in one-off situations like the NCAA tournament. It makes getting to the Final Four in and of itself and great achievement, and Messiah's run all the more unbelievable.