2015 D3 Season: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

[Flying Weasel]

Didn't mean to suggest your non-conference schedule is largely out of your control, but given that previous years' schedules indicate that Messiah
(a) isn't afraid to schedule tough opponents, 
(b) nor do they avoid synthetic surfaces like they did with the old astroturf carpet (e.g. Johns Hopkins),
(c) nor do they avoid playing NJAC schools anymore (some of which used to have the dreaded astroturf carpet, but also I think there may have equally been a desire to avoid the higher risk of injury that may have come with the NJAC's differing standard of what constitutes a foul or a card-able offense.)
I have to wonder if this year was simply a worst-case scenario with scheduling conflicts and trying to fill out non-conference slate with the type opponents Messiah would prefer to play. 

I agree that it would be nice to see Messiah pick-up a couple more top-half Centennial teams, especially with the loss of Dickinson (although maybe it's just a one-year hiatus if it was due to a scheduling conflict that couldn't be worked out).  And a top-half NJAC school each year would be nice.

If York bounces back and Carnegie Mellon has a better season than last, the schedule won't look as bad as it does right now.  Likewise if any of the other teams can improve some.  But that's a lot of if's.  We'll see. It will be a rebuilding (relaoding?) year, so perhaps not the worst timing for a softer schedule, but it's a trade-off in which you lose those mathces that most push you, stretch you, show you where you need to improve, and prepare you for November.

[Mr.Right]

Agreed. However do not underestimate the fact that McCarty saw the rebuilding rrr reloading and maybe knew that Brandt requested his papers all the way back to last fall and said I will hit the brakes on the schedule. Most likely not true but I would imagine the Montclair State game is the biggest teller in this debate. That is the one game that if McCarty was confident in his national contender in 2015 would have MADE work in the schedule including shuffling other games. On the other hand, maybe MSU did not want to travel midweek to Messiah or there was a conflict that would have forced Messiah to switch the York or ETOWN date which they would have refused to do. Now I find myself doubting my original point but it is all speculation either way but fun to debate either way.

[Mr.Right]

Also every coach has their preference in scheduling non-conference games with which can be seen in the games they schedule year after year. This topic gets my attention because it CAN not always but can give you a little sneak into the head of the coach and see where he is coming from. I am most familiar with Nescac and there are some "tells" in some of the schools schedules year after year.

1. Amherst- Serpone loves to schedule non-conference road games and would prefer to play weak non-conference teams with predicted good W-L records on the road for the extra % of points it gives you in the SOS. Last year

                           -at New England College, at Elms, at Mt.St Mary's, at Drew. WNEC was neutral

2. Williams-Russo will refuse to play non-conference road games longer than one hour on a weekday and preferred to play back to back on multiple weekends.

3. Middlebury-Saward would rather play non-conference games at home and basically does not leave the state of Vermont unless forced to Colby-Sawyer which is right over the border. Also, consistently one of the weakest non-conference schedules year after year.

4. Wesleyan- Wheeler is not scared of playing anyone as usually has the toughest non-conference schedule every year. Also, will travel mid week anytime.

I could go on and on but these traits are consistent with some of these coaches and other coaches in other conferences year after year.
                           

[Nutmeg]

Also every coach has their preference in scheduling non-conference games with which can be seen in the games they schedule year after year. This topic gets my attention because it CAN not always but can give you a little sneak into the head of the coach and see where he is coming from. I am most familiar with Nescac and there are some "tells" in some of the schools schedules year after year.

1. Amherst- Serpone loves to schedule non-conference road games and would prefer to play weak non-conference teams with predicted good W-L records on the road for the extra % of points it gives you in the SOS. Last year

                           -at New England College, at Elms, at Mt.St Mary's, at Drew. WNEC was neutral

2. Williams-Russo will refuse to play non-conference road games longer than one hour on a weekday and preferred to play back to back on multiple weekends.

3. Middlebury-Saward would rather play non-conference games at home and basically does not leave the state of Vermont unless forced to Colby-Sawyer which is right over the border. Also, consistently one of the weakest non-conference schedules year after year.

4. Wesleyan- Wheeler is not scared of playing anyone as usually has the toughest non-conference schedule every year. Also, will travel mid week anytime.

I could go on and on but these traits are consistent with some of these coaches and other coaches in other conferences year after year.
                           

Tufts also schedules a few strong non conference games each year

[D3soccerwatcher]

If a team belongs to a Conf with an automatic bid, doesn't the SOS only technically come into play if you don't win your conference.  I suppose it could also impact your seeding in the national tourny, but if you are Messiah maybe that doesn't really matter a lot.  I know there have been years when Messiah had tough games early in the tourny and blew other teams out late, so maybe they dont care too much about seeding.  I guess SOS could also impact your national ranking throughout the season.  But if your goal is to win the national tourny then maybe you don't care too much about rankings along the way.  You just want to get into the tourney and win it.  Just offering a possibilty for discussion that there may be a different approach out there.

Of course some on this board think that Messiah may not win their conf (it has happened in the past), then SOS would have an impact.

Also does anyone have access to Messiah's pre-season schedule?  Maybe that's another piece of the puzzle.

[D3soccerwatcher]

Interesting article in the current issue of the NSCAA Soccer Journal about " The Messiah Method" (March/April 2015 Issue, pages 8-10). 

Key quote from the article:
"This doesn't happen overnight...Be patient and persevere.  This Messiah method can be transformational, but it requires time and tenacity.  Tell your team.  Tell your boss.  Then, tell your mirror.  That person may need more convincing than anyone else."

[Mr.Right]

It also requires no competition when recruiting kids

[Flying Weasel]

It also requires no competition when recruiting kids

Not sure I follow what you mean by that.

[Saint of Old]

It requires an AD that will have confidence in a young Coach.
Enough confidence to know that he will lose for 3-5 years before his philosophy can be implemented and players buy in 100%.

Goes without saying it requires first and foremost a Coach with self confidence and a game plan.

For about 10 or so programs in the country it is rinse and repeat, but to get there it takes a few seasons of losing while learning to win the correct way.

[Mr.Right]

You need an AD that supports soccer but more importantly you need admissions to help get you players in. Coaches do not win games players do. Coaches can affect the result occasionally but without players they will not win consistently. You need a school with a large endowment that can offer players nice facilities that can lure them away from your competition. In other words, you need an edge in recruiting first and foremost.


If their were more schools like Messiah at the D1 level, Messiah would be a relative after thought. We have discussed this before and concluded the D1 Christian schools that Messiah would normally compete with for players are not strong soccer powers.

[Nutmeg]

You need an AD that supports soccer but more importantly you need admissions to help get you players in. Coaches do not win games players do. Coaches can affect the result occasionally but without players they will not win consistently. You need a school with a large endowment that can offer players nice facilities that can lure them away from your competition. In other words, you need an edge in recruiting first and foremost.


If their were more schools like Messiah at the D1 level, Messiah would be a relative after thought. We have discussed this before and concluded the D1 Christian schools that Messiah would normally compete with for players are not strong soccer powers.

Wheaton is a Christian school....does Messiah compete with Wheaton for players?

[D3soccerwatcher]

You need an AD that supports soccer but more importantly you need admissions to help get you players in. Coaches do not win games players do. Coaches can affect the result occasionally but without players they will not win consistently. You need a school with a large endowment that can offer players nice facilities that can lure them away from your competition. In other words, you need an edge in recruiting first and foremost.


If their were more schools like Messiah at the D1 level, Messiah would be a relative after thought. We have discussed this before and concluded the D1 Christian schools that Messiah would normally compete with for players are not strong soccer powers.

Wheaton is a Christian school....does Messiah compete with Wheaton for players?

Wheaton is fiercely competitive with Messiah for players.

[D3soccerwatcher]

You need an AD that supports soccer but more importantly you need admissions to help get you players in. Coaches do not win games players do. Coaches can affect the result occasionally but without players they will not win consistently. You need a school with a large endowment that can offer players nice facilities that can lure them away from your competition. In other words, you need an edge in recruiting first and foremost.


If their were more schools like Messiah at the D1 level, Messiah would be a relative after thought. We have discussed this before and concluded the D1 Christian schools that Messiah would normally compete with for players are not strong soccer powers.

Mr Right,

The only person that made that conclusion about Messiah was you.  Here's just one quick example of how your point-of-view is on this is flawed.

Have you ever heard of a player by the name of Keegan Rosenberry?  Look him up, he plays for Georgetown and is destined for the pros, maybe MLS.  Read his bio.  He attended Lancaster Mennonite High School (Christian school in PA), and was recruited by Messiah but chose Georgetown instead.  And he was apparently very connected to Messiah...his father was a former Messiah soccer player, his Mother played field hockey at Messiah, and his older sister also played field hockey at Messiah.  Yet he chose Georgetown.

This is just one example, of many I'm sure, that shows that Messiah competes against D1 schools just as much as any other D3 soccer program does, maybe more.

[Nutmeg]

You need an AD that supports soccer but more importantly you need admissions to help get you players in. Coaches do not win games players do. Coaches can affect the result occasionally but without players they will not win consistently. You need a school with a large endowment that can offer players nice facilities that can lure them away from your competition. In other words, you need an edge in recruiting first and foremost.


If their were more schools like Messiah at the D1 level, Messiah would be a relative after thought. We have discussed this before and concluded the D1 Christian schools that Messiah would normally compete with for players are not strong soccer powers.

Wheaton is a Christian school....does Messiah compete with Wheaton for players?

Wheaton is fiercely competitive with Messiah for players.

Who generally has the edge?

[D3soccerwatcher]

You need an AD that supports soccer but more importantly you need admissions to help get you players in. Coaches do not win games players do. Coaches can affect the result occasionally but without players they will not win consistently. You need a school with a large endowment that can offer players nice facilities that can lure them away from your competition. In other words, you need an edge in recruiting first and foremost.


If their were more schools like Messiah at the D1 level, Messiah would be a relative after thought. We have discussed this before and concluded the D1 Christian schools that Messiah would normally compete with for players are not strong soccer powers.

Wheaton is a Christian school....does Messiah compete with Wheaton for players?

Wheaton is fiercely competitive with Messiah for players.

Who generally has the edge?

My thoughts on that are that in the 90's Wheaton probably had the edge.  Since Messiah started winning all those National Championships in the 2000's it probably shifted to Messiah a bit.  Although Wheaton still was getting great players.  After Wheaton's really strong run this year, the tables may be balancing out again.  Those are my thoughts.  Other's may have more insights.