MIAC 2014

[KnightRider23]

Since posting match reports of all Carleton/Northfield Community College games at Bell Field after 2004 would be pretty redundant and boring (SPOILERS: Carleton wins them all), we can just talk about what was going on in 2004:

1. Greece were the best team in Europe, beating a 19 yr old Cristiano Ronaldo in the final. 19!!!!
2. Facebook started. And since then there's been a movie about making Facebook.
3. And the most damning indictment...Arsenal were defending Premier League champions.

You get my drift...and Carleton weren't really even good in the MIAC until maybe 2006, for sure 2007. Maybe its cause they are playing on an actually soccer field, and not a field "good for only planting potatoes" (gotta love Middleton for that little gem), but something about Bell is just kryptonite for the Oles. And what have the Oles done in that time? An outlier in 2011, and a couple playoff appearances here and there but nothing every sustained. Knights continue to dominate on Bell. 2-1 win.

Should be an exciting game between St. Thomas and Augsburg for that final playoff spot. Talk about a fall from grace for the Tommies. 1 win in their last 7 games. 7!!! It's unbelievable how a team like that can consistently find a way to bottle it year after year. Guess you can still do that with a 6 team playoff...sigh

[KnightRider23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7DZnw4S5_I

Never forget. Clearly the video made all the difference this year. I look forward to the playoff video encore. Since it'll be another year at least until the Oles have a potential chance to beat the Knights at Bell Field again, lets get a brief, final list of things that have happened since the Community College have won on Bell Field:

1. A young Belgian/Kosovar/Albanian kid named Adnan Januzaj had his 9th birthday, started his professional career in Belgium in 2005 as a 10 year old, went through puberty, joined Manchester United at the age of 16, made the first team squad, then his debut, then played in a World Cup for Belgium. Not too shabby.

2. Ken Jennings finally lost in Jeopardy after finalizing his winning streak at 74 games, raking in an amazing $2.5 million. Not to mention the endless amount of transitions between mustache/no mustache Alex Trebek.

3. Lance Armstrong won an ESPY award and Barry Bonds hit his 700th career home run. Pretty fair to say they've seen better days since then right?

4. St. Olaf has won outright or shared 2 MIAC championships. Carleton has won 5. And that's not even counting the playoff championships...

5. ...and Arsenal still has not won a Premier League trophy.

I'll give credit to Olaf for winning the title, but there is no dominant team in the MIAC this year (Carleton included). Maybe it's because they are shielded behind a parabola-inspired field at home, but I thought their midfield was non-existent. Undlin and Skrip are good players but that's about it for them. And let's not start putting up "2nd string keeper" as an excuse. That dude played in 6 games before today. Carleton were the better team. Let's hope they keep that form up into the playoffs on Tuesday.

[GarbageGoals33]

KnightRider23,

Awesome.+k


Jimmy,

If Saint Olaf was in the hunt for an NCAA tournament spot and an at large bid, why would they not start their best players?

[KnightRider23]

Of all the positions on the field, why would you take out the goalkeeper for rest? At this point in the season?  The most exercise he would have gotten during the game was picking the ball out of the net. Since it seems like you know what you are talking about re: Olaf soccer Jimmy, then that is some real stupidity from Kurt. Maybe all that time he's spent on the hill has had an effect on his intelligence. I've heard that happens to people who spend too much time over there 

[lastguyoffthebench]

Maybe the GK was too tired from all the outtakes on that video clip.   Heard it took 245 attempts...

The video/field makes me think I'm watching Disney's The Big Green with my kids.

[KICKIN95]

After watching that, I am wishing the link would have taken me to the badger, badger video, hell Rick Astley would have been better.

[GarbageGoals33]

www.badgerbadgerbadger.com > St. Olaf men's soccer video

[jimmy92]

I'm absolutely stunned that you'd expect better from Kurt. Yes, he makes stupid decisions like this. It's kind of his thing.

[jimmy92]

Also, it seems a little vitriolic to make fun of some kids enjoying themselves. It is division 3 soccer after all.

[PaulNewman]

FWIW, I thought the video was great. 

I'm not getting all the inside jokes, but is the Carleton-St Olaf rivalry on par with Alabama-Auburn?  Is someone gonna pull a Harvey Updike and poison a couple of the trees on one of the campuses.

[KICKIN95]

Also, it seems a little vitriolic to make fun of some kids enjoying themselves. It is division 3 soccer after all.

I think your choice of labels is a little off.  I didn't slam them or get nasty.   My comment was more towards a link posted a few years back by some frequenters of this thread who will be left un named (GG).  They would lead you in to thinking there was a cool highlight video or some great play and you were instead lead to the "badger" video or even worse the Rick Astley video.  Hopefully this explanation unbunched your Duluth Trading Co's.

[repete]

As an old man, I'll let young guys be young guys in that vid. My takeaway is ... what a horrible pitch especially for a team with home-field throughout the playoffs.

Pleased that SJU finished within two points of league champs, but scared of the Scots, whose only loss in the past seven is a 1-0 decision vs. the Oles. Glad to get them on the grass at Collegeville, which was in amazing shape for yesterday's rout of the Cobbers. Concordia looked like it did not want to make the trip. Not a great tune-up for a team like Mac.

[KnightRider23]

Oh I don't expect anything resembling logic from Kurt. That's how terrible of a decision it was. And everyday I'm thankful for it.

And I have no issues with people making videos. That was just an embarrassing video. When we have dudes just showing off six packs, covering their heads with beanie baby caps, performing strangely sensual leg lifts and contorting their bodies to beat off incoming balls flying in their general direction, I think of it less of a "ha-ha let's go team" promo video and more of a "i'm beginning to really appreciate the work of legendary adult film star Ron Jeremy" montage/tribute video. Which is fine (not my cup of tea personally), but in no way makes me think you are "ready" (your words, not mine) for a competitive soccer game. A soft-core porno? Perhaps.

Here is what I'm talking about if we want a respectable college soccer video. Simple, minimally sexual, and no mis-hit bicycle kicks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuH7PiJ5x5k

Or watch that Badger, Badger video. I'm still figuring out what that was...

[gustiefan04]

Well, the MIAC never fails to be competitive from top to bottom with only 4 points seperateing the the 1st and 5th place team. Excited to see how the playoffs pan out. Was really hoping to see the Auggies sneakout with that 6th seed. Tough break giving up a goal in OT.

It always gets really interesting this time of year, with dicey weather, lousy field conditions, etc. Should be an exciting week ahead.

I'm thinking MAC could be a sleeper in all this, but they certainly have their work cut out for them. Would love to see GAC get a shot at redemtion against them.

[KnightRider23]

But St. Olaf students have never done that before...not in 2011 when they stormed the field and yelled obscenities at Carleton players leaving the field, or during 2013 in the regular season finale AND the playoff game when they yelled genital-based taunts towards the Carleton goalie throughout the entire second half. 

I hate when Oles take a moral high ground (and when you selectively ignore events that diminish your argument). College kids are college kids. I don't condone flicking off fans and mooning (that's just a stupid thing to do), but don't pretend that this is just exclusive to Carleton kids.