2015 NCAA North Region

KICKIN95 · September 08, 2015, 08:51:30 PM

Loras handily taking it to the Thunder. 2-0 with 5 to go.

Dubuquer · September 08, 2015, 10:37:33 PM

Loras took it to Wheaton tonight. Wheaton had a few moments where they looked like last year's team, but those were few and far between. Bradley is stepping up this season for Loras like Pizzello did last year in the midfield and capitalizing on the potential he displayed when he started as a freshman. Loras' 2nd goal came on a broken play when half the Wheaton players stopped playing thinking there was an offsides call and then half the Loras team stopped thinking there was a handball in the box. Rummelhart kept going like a savvy veteran and buried it from 15 yards out. It's still early, but Loras is impressive so far.

Wisco21 · September 10, 2015, 10:30:07 AM

Good to see Whitewater break into the top 25. They handled their first test of many matches in not so many days quite well. Will be interesting to see if they can keep building off their impressive start when they have a stretch of 8 matches in a little over two weeks, beginning on the 18th and ending with Loras away and North Park away back to back.

dontshootthegoose · September 13, 2015, 08:03:56 PM

How I see it, there are 4 top teams, and a bunch of other teams trying to figure themselves out:

1. Loras- The head honcho, even if it isn't pretty soccer. With a tie at home to a good (not great) St. John's team. Should make it a point to mention that St. Johns lost to MSOE 3-0. Just shows that any team can show up on any night.

2. UWW- 5-0 (Wins against MSOE and St. Olaf) Easily second best team in the North. With a 1-0 win against Benedictine. In 5 games, they have only given up one goal.

3. St. Thomas- 4-0, but have to fight in that tough MIAC. They too have only given up one goal so far.

4.Oshkosh- Playing a ridicously hard schedule with only 1 loss, to Loras. With a 1-0 win against Chapman, will face MSOE this week.

St. Olaf Luther St. John's Wartburg Macalster St Scholastic (you could arrange those teams in any way you would like)

repete · September 13, 2015, 09:18:32 PM

Soft sked .... but GAC is 5-0. Always in the mix.

Tommies will find a way to gag. Always do.

gustiefan04 · September 13, 2015, 10:08:20 PM

GAC clearly a top 3 contender in the region. Although a soft schedule, they have out scored opponents 14-0 over the first 5 games and are the defending MIAC champs.

MinnesotaSoccer10 · September 14, 2015, 12:17:11 AM

I don't see how Gustavus was overlooked being 5-0 with no goals against. They may have a soft schedule and lost a very good senior class last year with back to back MIAC MVP's and All Americans Zac Brown and David Lilly, but you can never count them out. They've consistently been a top (if not THE top) MIAC team of the 2000's.

dontshootthegoose · September 15, 2015, 08:28:12 PM

You guys are absolutely correct, GAC should be placed in the top 5. Must of missed them that day when I was looking through the top North teams. I think it goes Loras, UWW, St Thomas/GAC, Oshkosh. And then after that, it's anybodies guess. Will be interesting later on in the year when we start talking about national tournament with respect to the MIAC, because of the overall quality of play. And how a St. Scholastica team (who would probably not even finish average in the MIAC) will automatically take one of the pool A's.

Wisco21 · September 16, 2015, 11:59:30 AM

Not so fast Goose! New to the UMAC, UW Superior could potentially give CSS a run for their money come conference tourney time. Just depends which UWS team shows up. Both squads match off a week from today.

Towards the end of the season last year, Superior's wheels really fell off. They lost F Brian Grand and GK Matt Elder to graduation. I don't see MF Gio Rodriguez's name on their 2015 roster, I thought he was one of their more dangerous players. Joey Gustafson is a senior this year, very solid defender.

Not a terrible start this year minus the 7-1 shocker to Luther.

D3 Scout · September 16, 2015, 04:53:06 PM

UW Whitewater plays an always tough Carthage team Friday night and follow it up with a match against Wittenberg Saturday at the "Battle on the Border" tournament hosted at Carthage. If UWW goes unblemished through the weekend they then go into a stretch of four home games (in which we will be favored in each) before going to the Rock Bowl to face Loras. A top ten match up in the Rock Bowl would be sure to draw a big crowd.

repete · September 16, 2015, 07:37:20 PM

And about those Tommies ..... similar result as last year's SJU game in St. Paul.

KICKIN95 · September 16, 2015, 08:16:36 PM

Chicago's streaming is garbage!! Either won't connect or is so slow it continually refreshes!

Madhatter5 · September 17, 2015, 10:51:52 AM

Loras game might not be pretty and I'm not a fan of it but, as it has been said before, you play with the hand that was dealt to you and I will take 4-0-1 record with 1 goal against and two victories over top five ranked teams any day over looking pretty. Four goals by four different players, can't beat that. Good to see the defense and new goalie are organized and don't give up a lot of easy chances. The rest of September will be interesting to see with Depauw, Western Illinois, and UW-Whitewater

Puerco Espin · September 17, 2015, 11:35:17 AM

Sounds like many people had difficulties with the stream last night, so maybe that's why there has been little discussion of the pure dismantling performance that Loras put on.

From a perspective of someone who was there, Chicago simply was too content playing possession soccer amongst their backs. Every once in a while when they'd play it forward, one of their outsides would make a run and get a cross off. Not too many legit scoring chances though. Best one came early in the second half. Possession numbers may well have been skewed in favor of the Maroons but they did very little with it.

Also, for people who criticize Loras' style, they actually possessed more than they did against Saint John's because of the amount of time and space Chicago gave them in the midfield. Without Loras' Alex Bradley in the lineup, who is known for his ability to possess and distribute, the Duhawks did a fairly good job of playing "real" soccer as the critics call it.

In addition to Wednesday being the fourth clean sheet in-a-row for Loras, it's also another game where the opposing team's "stud" forward was held in check.

Javier Simon - UWO - 0 SOG (2014: 9G/0A)
Jens Undlin - St. Olaf - 0 SOG (2014: 15G/3A)
Kevin Skrip - St. Olaf - 1 SOG (2014: 8G/2A)
Stephen Golz - Wheaton - 0 SOG (2014: 21G/3A)
Marshall Hollingsworth - Wheaton - 2 SOG (2014: 9G/8A)
Brenton Desai - Chicago - 1 SOG (2014: 9G/2A)

That's four combined shots on goal from players who scored 71 goals in 2014. Coincidence? I think not. Loras' defense is the real deal.

Dubuquer · September 17, 2015, 12:21:37 PM

I watched the first 15 minutes of the Loras-Chicago game last night (no problem with the livestream, by the way) before I had to go to a meeting but before I left I told Mrs Dubuquer that Loras was dominating and "this game could end up 3 or 4-nil unless Chicago adapts." It appeared like the intensity and pressure of Loras was rattling the Maroons (perhaps they were playing with a bit of anger/frustration after tying St Johns?). When I got home I was surprised to find out that they had indeed won handily. I wasn't expecting much from the Duhawks this year, but I'm starting to think I was wrong. They could be the real deal. Can anybody say why Bradley didn't play last night? It's an even more impressive victory knowing he didn't play.