2015 Mid Atlantic Region

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Regional Rankings w/updated records after last night's action. Won't know more until after the weekend as there are some big games coming up for these teams, but if rankings came out tomorrow there would be a lot of shifts already after the results from last night. This is the same ranking order but w/updated records!!!


Rank   School   Prev.   W-L-T
1   Franklin & Marshall College 8-0-0   Beat Stevenson in 2OT (Yikes)
2   Eastern University  7-0-1  Beat ranked #12/22 Salisbury 1-0 on the road (Thumbs Up)
3   Drew University  6-1-1    Lost to TCNJ 3-1 (Haven't beaten any of the 2 good teams they have faced)
4   Gettysburg College  6-0-1   Beat Marymount 2-1 (Quietly undefeated)
5   Elizabethtown College  6-1-1   Tied Alvernia 0-0 (Losing the hype?)
6   Lycoming College  7-1-0    Beat Mt. Aloysius 2-0 on Monday (7 wins in a row---only loss to #14 Eastern in OT)
7   Messiah College  4-2-1   Beat York 1-0 on Tuesday (4 wins and 1 tie all shutouts, 2 losses give up 4 goals each game)
8   King's College  6-2-0    Lost 2-0 at home to Alfred (So much for being regionally ranked)
9   Dickinson College  5-2-0   Beat Mary Washington 3-1 (Next tough game isn't until October)
10   Cabrini College  6-1-2    Thrashed Rosemont 9-1 and beat Albright 3-2 in OT (Never know which team will show up)

Others:
Alvernia 3-1-4   Tied Etown 0-0 (Only loss in OT 1-0 to #3 F&M---Tied York, #14 Eastern, and Cabrini)
Misericordia 4-2-1  Lost 7-1 to Camden with Messiah next (Tough week for the Cougars)
Merchant Marine 6-2   Not sure about this team yet
Hood College 7-2   Beat Frostburg St. 2-1 (5 wins in a row and only gave up 1 goal during that streak)
Moravian 6-2   Next 4 games will define their season (Loss to Rowan 4-0)
Manhattanville 4-2-1  Next game vs Drew (Lost to Montclair St and Camden by 1 each)

[lastguyoffthebench]

Just looking at the recap on the Rowan - Messiah game....

It was Messiah's first loss at home since the upset by Neumann in the 2011 NCAA Tournament;  42 game run (39-0-3).   Draws: vs Gettysburg (2015), vs Lyco in MAC Final (2013), vs Oneonta St. (2012).

2005   14   0   0   
2006   10   1   1   Etown (L), York (D)
2007   13   0   0   
2008   10   1   1   York (L), TCNJ (D)
2009   14   0   0   
2010   10   1   0   Hobart
2011   10   1   0   Neumann
2012   14   0   1   Oneonta St
2013   11   0   1   Lycoming
2014   12   0   0   
2015     2   1   1   Rowan (L), Gettysburg (D)
             
             120   5   5   

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

I watched the highlights from the Rowan game and I watched the whole game against CMU. Their goalie is a nightmare. Normally the goalie for Messiah never needs to touch the ball so I am sure this is unexpected for him to actually face shots. Surprised they couldn't bring in someone who can at least get in front of the ball. Makes me wonder how good West actually was but I think he was credible. As for this new one...not so sure.

[lastguyoffthebench]

In reference to F&M 2ot win over Stevenson... Messiah tied 0-0 there last year.

I would think Alvernia moves up to #9, but who knows... 

Not quite sold on Lyco yet, but for Eastern to get a result at Salisbury is impressive.   Looking at the Messiah game vs Gettysburg, it's hard not to slot them in at 3 (without going by records).

With King's loss, slide Dickinson and Cabrini up and insert Alvernia.   I think Alvernia should really be #7 in the region with the 0-1 loss to F&M and W over Dickinson; Draws vs #2 Eastern, #4 Etown, #10 Cabrini).

[lastguyoffthebench]

Cabrini thrashed Rosemont, but so did Haverford (8-2), and Rutgers-Camden (9-0).   The scheduling of that game could hurt all 3 of these teams later on down the line...  Rosemont is 0-7-1 with 4 goals on the year.   Their next game is at Eastern on 9/29, followed by a bunch of sub .500 programs, thus killing OOWP.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

In reference to F&M 2ot win over Stevenson... Messiah tied 0-0 there last year.

I would think Alvernia moves up to #9, but who knows... 

Not quite sold on Lyco yet, but for Eastern to get a result at Salisbury is impressive.   Looking at the Messiah game vs Gettysburg, it's hard not to slot them in at 3 (without going by records).

With King's loss, slide Dickinson and Cabrini up and insert Alvernia.   I think Alvernia should really be #7 in the region with the 0-1 loss to F&M and W over Dickinson; Draws vs #2 Eastern, #4 Etown, #10 Cabrini).

Yes Messiah did tie them their but F&M could have easily lost the game on multiple occasions. Don't think Stevenson had a sniff at the other half of the field last year so Messiah was never threatened. There is a difference between dominating the game and not scoring as to back and forth action and sneaking out with a win.

Shots were 24-7 in favor of F&M
Even on corners 5-5
Fouls 15-12 Stevenson
Both teams missed PKs

Shots 26-4 in favor of Messiah
Corners 7-0 in favor of Messiah
Fouls 17-9 Stevenson

Stevenson sat in against Messiah. Based off of the highlights on Youtube of the F&M game it looks like Stevenson was trying to create and get forward and had chances. Obviously not as many as F&M but thats 2 overtime scares this year for them.

[Mr.Right]

Just looking at the recap on the Rowan - Messiah game....

It was Messiah's first loss at home since the upset by Neumann in the 2011 NCAA Tournament;  42 game run (39-0-3).   Draws: vs Gettysburg (2015), vs Lyco in MAC Final (2013), vs Oneonta St. (2012).

2005   14   0   0   
2006   10   1   1   Etown (L), York (D)
2007   13   0   0   
2008   10   1   1   York (L), TCNJ (D)
2009   14   0   0   
2010   10   1   0   Hobart
2011   10   1   0   Neumann
2012   14   0   1   Oneonta St
2013   11   0   1   Lycoming
2014   12   0   0   
2015     2   1   1   Rowan (L), Gettysburg (D)
             
             120   5   5

Lastguy, Mid-Atlantic or anyone else,

After reading my points about Rowan's 4 goals would you agree or disagree with me about each goal. Rowan has the youtube link on their website.

[Mr.Right]

Mid-Atlantic,

I am curious now about Eastern as that was an impressive win v Salisbury and their resume is looking good right now. Would you know their style? Has anyone seen them this year?

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Mr. Right,

I watched the youtube clip of Rowan. As I said the goalie struggles. He let in soft goals in the CMU game as well. One PK which isn't on him but the other 3 were all savable. One he front smothered in the 6 yard box for a routine save and it went through his legs and into the net. The other was a free kick from 40 yards out and he came to punch and missed it and it went in the net. The corner kick he was frozen and it was poor marking by Messiah. Similar to Rowan he probably could have saved at least 2 of those. Yes poor defending by Messiah as you said, but you also expect your goalie to bail you out on those shots.

As for Eastern, I have seen them play a couple times over the past few years. Same style each time. They play a 4-3-3 with two holding mids and look to connect through the midfield. They lost their best player from last year, Eric Giovagnoli, to graduation so I was curious to see how they would perform without his offensive presence. It seems that multiple players are stepping up for them. Multiple guys scoring and assisting. They aren't reliant on one guy like they were in the past with Giovagnoli.

This year's team is also more gritty from the few times I have seen them play. They stay in games, get shutouts (6/8), win on the road, and just find a way to win. It's hard to argue with that. I am interested to see what happens if they lose. Will they be the team that folds and crumbles? Or will it make them stronger? In the past if you look at their losses, when they lost, they lost badly. More for the 2013 year than 2014, but some of those same kids are still on the roster. But they could run the table this year with the conference they are in.

I would have liked to see them face Lycoming at this point in the season rather than the first game of the year. I think we would all be in for a treat. I did not watch the game when they played this year, but from the box score and from what I have heard, it looks like Lycoming dominated the game but just couldn't find a way to score. Eastern's only shot on goal was the game winner in OT.

Lycoming held the edge in shots 12-5. Corners was 6-5 for Eastern. Fouls 20-14 to Lycoming. From what the recaps state, Lycoming hit the post from close range with under 15 minutes to play. Might have ended the game if they go up 1-0 at that point. Then Eastern wins it in OT.

Overall, I am impressed with Eastern. Especially to go on the road to Lycoming and beat them where they hadn't lost since 2013(according to the recap). They have beat 2 very good teams on the road this year---Lycoming and Salisbury. I think they have earned their ranking, might be a little high, but they haven't slipped up yet like others have so it's hard to argue against them at this point. I think they will slip up eventually but end up winning their conference and getting the AQ. As for Lycoming I think the loss to Eastern is not a bad one by any means. There only blemish is a loss to the #14 team in the country in OT. Still lots to prove and lots of games to be played for both teams. Conference brings out the best in teams so it will be fun to watch everybody's progression from this region.

[Mr.Right]

Ok thanks for the "know" about Eastern as I will try to catch one of their games on video if they continue this rampant pace.

This Messiah GK with all those mistakes against CMU and Rowan, I cannot imagine McCarty has kept starting him. Isn't their a back-up? NOTHING CAN BE MORE DE-MORALIZING to a team than a weak GK behind a good team.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Anytime and by the looks of it Weaver has been the goalie for them. The other goalie, Bell, started vs CMU then switched at half with Weaver. So he had faced the PK and gave up the one between his legs. But Weaver didn't impress in the 2nd half of CMU game or against Rowan.

[Mr.Right]

Then that is a serious GK issue. McCarty had to know in 2014 that this is what he would be left with. His #1 priority had to be GK but I am guessing he did not think it was this BAD. I mean Rowan's 2nd goal could be shown on a Top 10 bloopers reel

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Same for CMU's second or fourth goal. Seems like there aren't many elite goalies like we have seen in the past. The Stevenson keeper looked good in highlights against F&M but I do not know if that is an every game thing. they are 3-5-1. The Alvernia goalie has impressed me the most from what I have seen from teams on both sides of the MAC (Freedom and Commonwealth).

Any other good goalies this year that you know of?

[Flying Weasel]

Anytime and by the looks of it Weaver has been the goalie for them. The other goalie, Bell, started vs CMU then switched at half with Weaver. So he had faced the PK and gave up the one between his legs. But Weaver didn't impress in the 2nd half of CMU game or against Rowan.

You have that backwards.  Weaver started versus Carnegie Mellon with Bell replacing him for the second half.  Weaver let that tame ground shot from outside the area through his arms and legs for CMU's second goal, and was noticeably/demonstratively angry with himself and it's possible he got subbed out because it didn't appear he was going to be able to shake the howler off and be in the right frame of mind.  Weaver did OK in the three home games that followed the Pittsburgh trip--nothing spectacular, but wasn't really required, but performed satisfactorily on the fairly routine situations in which he was called into action.  Then the Rowan game reminded a bit more of the CMU game.

Bell is a freshman, so Weaver (a junior) was likely going to be the favorite for the job to open the season. Weaver had next to zero experience logging just 44 minutes as a freshman and a mere 10 as a sophomore. Despite little game action, he was in the team for two years and from training sessions the coaching staff must have had a feel for what level he could play at and would have been hoping that Bell would push for the starting job from the get-go. The big surprise for me was to see that Messiah is only carrying two goalkeepers this year.  Rather unusual.  One goes down with an injury that forces missed games and the team is in a very precarious situation.  So not sure what happened both with the quality and quantity of goalkeeping, but it's an issue.

[Mr.Right]

Well I know mostly New England teams but that's really not even the issue. I mean there is elite, great, good, average, decent and try a new sport. Messiah is begging for decent after looking at those highlights. Is there highlights of the CMU game? See I was going to say that when I saw CMU last year a couple times they were extremely organized defensively and held Brandeis at bay for the better part of 75-80 minutes but lacked some attacking prowess. When I saw they scored 4 goals against messiah I was shocked to say the least and I chalked it up to style change, impactful freshman and / or everyone played to the best of their capabilities. It looks like it was just dumb luck and got a taste of Messiah GK issues.