2014 D3 Season: National Perspective

[Falconer]

That should say Kovach scored the goal.

[Flying Weasel]

Did Stevens peak at just the right time this season?  They had a rough September and then when they got on a roll it was in Empire 8 play which isn't the best indicator of how good a team is.  But through 2 hours of tournament play, they have a 5-0 goal advantage against decent opposition.  Montclair St. was probably overrated having not beaten any of the ranked opponents, but not a cupcake.  And Christopher Newport was inconsistent all season though clearly a pretty good side when things are clicking.  So does Stevens success so far (and there's still 45 minutes for CNU to turn this around) say more about them or about MSU and CNU?

[Mr.Right]

When I sa them on video at home vs Alfred in their Semi Final in the Empire 8 they looked decent but Alfred held them scoreless for 110 minutes. I thought they would be a dangerous team but not a Sweet 16 team. They are athletic and work very hard. Their GK is solid. I do not think they will keep this going out in Ohio next week as Whitworth can match their athleticism and physicality.

[Flying Weasel]

Well, CNU has knotted things up at 2 against Stevens and has all the momentum at the moment.

[Domino1195]

Driving with poor connection so cant  give full report yet but wild day in Gambier and Kenyon fortunate to survive vs Th More who again played their hearts out in a poorly officiated game.  #6 for TMC has the most impressive work rate of any player I've seen in D3. And his throwins were more dangerous than corners. He must have had at least 12 throws on a rope deep into the box.  Kenyon did outplay them for most of 2nd half but game obviously could have gone either way and Th More will be heard from again. Kenyon had couple of injuries that didnt help but they did come through in PKs. After game someone told me #6 was a NCSAA all american as a soph.

Were you there? And you didn't say hello?

How about the 60 min mark when he was about to break in alone, 25 yards from goal, and 18 white grabs him by the waist with both hands. Had he indulged in gamesmanship and gone down you would have had DOGSO. But he fought through the foul and kept his feet. When the advantage didn't materialize I was sure the CR was going to call the foul and book 18. Nothing.

[Flying Weasel]

Well, Chris. Newport has completed the comeback, lead 3-2 over Stevens with 17 min. to play.  The Captains have really taken it to Stevens after the break.

[Flying Weasel]

Missed the F&M go-ahead goal as I was "flipping channels".

Anyone watching the Brandeis-Bowdoin game?  Is it as lopsided as the stats suggest?

[PaulNewman]

Driving with poor connection so cant  give full report yet but wild day in Gambier and Kenyon fortunate to survive vs Th More who again played their hearts out in a poorly officiated game.  #6 for TMC has the most impressive work rate of any player I've seen in D3. And his throwins were more dangerous than corners. He must have had at least 12 throws on a rope deep into the box.  Kenyon did outplay them for most of 2nd half but game obviously could have gone either way and Th More will be heard from again. Kenyon had couple of injuries that didnt help but they did come through in PKs. After game someone told me #6 was a NCSAA all american as a soph.

Were you there? And you didn't say hello?

How about the 60 min mark when he was about to break in alone, 25 yards from goal, and 18 white grabs him by the waist with both hands. Had he indulged in gamesmanship and gone down you would have had DOGSO. But he fought through the foul and kept his feet. When the advantage didn't materialize I was sure the CR was going to call the foul and book 18. Nothing.

Lol, maybe you were sitting right next to me. I told you yesterday or this morning how good that kid is and you didn't seem to believe me.  I thought the ref let TMC get away with 3-4 very bad fouls in the first 5 minutes, which set tone for rest of game, including two that led to injuries and a Kenyon forward never returning, and right after that called a soft push foul on a normal ball winning header against Kenyon. The Lords also maybe should have gotten a PK call late and nothing was called. 

Btw, are we already at a record for number of PK games in a tournament???

[blooter442]

Brandeis beats Bowdoin 1-0. Brandeis definitely more incisive, but Bowdoin was more physical. Regardless, the Judges did well to stand up to Bowdoin's physicality. They've started to answer their critics in that department. Will be interesting to see how they approach Amherst.

[njf1003]

Rochester and F&M off to OT tied up at 2.

[Mr.Right]

Brandeis and Bowdoin was not as lopsided as the stats are saying. The SOG stat tells it all. Brandeis was a tad better today on their carpet. They possessed the ball wonderfully again today but Bowdoin certainly had their chances. The game was played between the 18's for the most part.

[Domino1195]

Driving with poor connection so cant  give full report yet but wild day in Gambier and Kenyon fortunate to survive vs Th More who again played their hearts out in a poorly officiated game.  #6 for TMC has the most impressive work rate of any player I've seen in D3. And his throwins were more dangerous than corners. He must have had at least 12 throws on a rope deep into the box.  Kenyon did outplay them for most of 2nd half but game obviously could have gone either way and Th More will be heard from again. Kenyon had couple of injuries that didnt help but they did come through in PKs. After game someone told me #6 was a NCSAA all american as a soph.

Were you there? And you didn't say hello?

How about the 60 min mark when he was about to break in alone, 25 yards from goal, and 18 white grabs him by the waist with both hands. Had he indulged in gamesmanship and gone down you would have had DOGSO. But he fought through the foul and kept his feet. When the advantage didn't materialize I was sure the CR was going to call the foul and book 18. Nothing.

Lol, maybe you were sitting right next to me. I told you yesterday or this morning how good that kid is and you didn't seem to believe me.  I thought the ref let TMC get away with 3-4 very bad fouls in the first 5 minutes, which set tone for rest of game, including two that led to injuries and a Kenyon forward never returning, and right after that called a soft push foul on a normal ball winning header against Kenyon. The Lords also maybe should have gotten a PK call late and nothing was called. 

Btw, are we already at a record for number of PK games in a tournament???

No disagreement on 6 - I liked the way 12 played yesterday and today as well.

I stand but what I said about Kenyon's backs after the Capital game - they do some shaky things: 22 was a liability most of the day today and 18 wasn't consistent. Of course Justice had a very strong game.

The ball-to-hand incidents - I thought the CR got them right. Today's featured foul - jumping into or over opponents on header challenges - I think he needed to card one of those as there were 10-15 ugly challenges of this nature. I do not let horizontal challenges go without a talking to - too many today (along with subtle under-cutting).

I was sitting center section, top row behind all the Kenyon parents (and their poofy dogs - seriously - how many dogs were there today?). I asked the parents of 9 about Glassman - he had a gimpy hamstring and must have aggravated it during that early foul.

[PaulNewman]

Kenyon, OWU, CNU, Whitworth is an attractive sectional.

All of them are setting up pretty nicely.

Congrats to Tufts.  Beat two solid to very good (but not great) opponents.  I would probably favor the Jumbos vs Mhnlenberg who seems a bit offensively challenged.

[Sherlock Holmes]

If I have to hear one more time how wet or rainy it is at F&M right now, I may not watch another broadcast with the sound on ever again.

[Flying Weasel]

By the stats, very even between Rochester and F&M

Goals: R-2, F&M-2
Shots: R-16, F&M-17
SOG: R-8, F&M-8
Corner Kicks: R-5, F&M-6
Fouls: R-10, F&M-10
Offsides: R-1, F&M-1

As I've tuned in and out, it has seemed to be back-and-forth.