Hot Stove Action

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Another incoming player for Messiah is Cooper Robbins, younger brother of both former Falcon Carter Robbins (multiple-year AA central defender) and current Falcon Kirby Robbins (MF-target).

For a photo, go to http://www.greensboro.com/sports/all-area-boys-soccer/article_03f9e434-698b-5caa-aa17-d9bd4ebc4137.html; for his stats, go to http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/cooper-robbins/dwJO-vTnEeKZ5AAmVebBJg/gendersport/soccer-stats.htm; to confirm his standing as first-team All-State in NC, go to http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/high-school/article48206640.html.

I'm slightly puzzled why he isn't actually written about in the first link, which lists Greensboro-area all stars--since he's the only player pictured, and right under the headline. His teammate Malik Ibrahim (just a sophomore but also All-state) is listed, and perhaps Ibrahim is considered to be even better than Robbins, though I have no information about Ibrahim that would justify saying that. Anyway, Robbins might be the single most talented incoming recruit for Messiah. Some regard him as better than his AA brother Carter Robbins, which is saying something (someone on this board who saw him play in the Final Four said that Carter Robbins was better than anyone in the NESCAC). Anyway, he's likely to start at central defender this fall. Sometimes freshmen do start for Messiah, but it's not the norm, regardless of how good a player is. In recent years, Jack Thompson (now playing professionally, and probably the single most dangerous player the Falcons have had since Kasiguran, despite being snubbed in the AA voting) started his first season; so did Danny Brandt (no longer at Messiah). This past season, however, four freshman started many of the games and sometimes also a fifth. I think the Falcons are likely to return to the tournament this fall, despite the fact that Lycoming had no seniors on their whole roster. They will have (we hope) a healthy Colby Thomas, a very strong incoming class, and 3 sophomores who were regional HS AAs in different parts of the country.

I agree that Messiah will most likely get back to the conference final. I think the two favorites have to be Lycoming vs Messiah when it gets to that point in the season. As for who will win that match-up...no idea! 

Haven't heard much about Lycoming's recruiting class this season but can't imagine they will be bringing in a lot without graduating anyone from last season. They currently have 4 listed on the D3Soccer recruit tracker. Messiah has 3 plus the Robbins brother so that also puts them at 4. How many seniors did Messiah graduate last season? 5?

[Shooter McGavin]

Lycoming should cruise to another title. They don't graduate anyone from a team that absolutely dominated Messiah both times they played them last season. The only change in the equation this time is that Lycoming has to travel to Messiah which is no easy test. The Falcons are very good on home turf just as Lycoming was last season. Messiah loses 5 seniors that include 4 top level players in Kyne, Kennel, Rowe, and Myer. The fifth senior is Eagan who played in a majority of the games from what I remember but not a huge loss compared to the others mentioned. Messiah still has some pieces to fill as to where Lycoming is looking to expand on their current championship team. I will be interested to see the preseason predictions for the Commonwealth. Messiah and Lycoming will be 1 and 2 but in which order?

[Ryan Harmanis]

Rumor has it that Ohio Wesleyan got a commitment from a two time high school AA selection, central midfield player...

Not sure of his name, but I heard from another OWU recruit...

That's accurate - Antonio Romanelli.  His dad played at OWU back in the day.  Good kid, nasty on free kicks (which you can see from the highlight video on the D3 page).  OWU actually has two incoming recruits who will be second-generation Bishops, as incoming freshman Drew Riggle's dad also played.  They're still putting the finishing touches on the class but I think it has a chance to be a very good one.

[yurmama69]

Methodist – Noah Bagherpour – (Triangle United, NC)
Dickinson – Lionel Reid-Shaw – (Triangle United , NC)

[Ommadawn]

Methodist – Noah Bagherpour – (Triangle United, NC)
Dickinson – Lionel Reid-Shaw – (Triangle United , NC)

Thank you for the additions!  Watch for them to appear soon (with video links) on the D3Soccer.com page.

[gustiefan04]

A few more commitments to add to the list out of Western Chicago Suburbs

Carthage College - AJ Gouriotis - Defender - Strikers Fox Valley - Burlington Central HS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exHh7DCMdx0

Carthage College - Cole Tecza - Forward - Sockers FC - Burlington Central HS
Several individual clips on youtube - no highlight reel

Gustavus Adolphus- Luke Laurich - Center Mid - Strikers Fox Valley - Batavia HS
Has video, but can't seem to find it

Augustana College - Matt Allen - Wing - Strikers Fox Valley - Batavia HS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O9mTAY3hgA&feature=youtu.be

Augustana College - Michael Peters - Forward - Strikers Fox Valley - St. Charles East HS
No Video

Knox College - Drew Wilmington - Forward - Strikers Fox Valley - Elgin Academy Prep
No Video

Concordia Chicago - Danny Ramirez - Forward - Strikers Fox Valley - Glenbard North HS
No Video

Concordia Chicago - Miguel Ramirez - Defender - Strikers Fox Valley - Glenbard North HS
No Video

[bigwilly903]

Have there been any moves regarding the Stevenson HC job? Hard to believe a job like this hasn't been announced and we are in the middle of May.

[Falconer]

Lycoming should cruise to another title. They don't graduate anyone from a team that absolutely dominated Messiah both times they played them last season. The only change in the equation this time is that Lycoming has to travel to Messiah which is no easy test. The Falcons are very good on home turf just as Lycoming was last season. Messiah loses 5 seniors that include 4 top level players in Kyne, Kennel, Rowe, and Myer. The fifth senior is Eagan who played in a majority of the games from what I remember but not a huge loss compared to the others mentioned. Messiah still has some pieces to fill as to where Lycoming is looking to expand on their current championship team. I will be interested to see the preseason predictions for the Commonwealth. Messiah and Lycoming will be 1 and 2 but in which order?

I certainly agree that Lycoming has to be considered the favorite to repeat in the Commonwealth, and that the Falcons would be the pre-season pick for the second spot.  Lycoming returns the entire roster, while the Falcons lost at least six players (including a rising junior backup player who has decided not to continue playing).  All of that implies only good things for Lycoming.

However, otherwise my analysis of the overall picture is different.  Regarding home fields, there are two specific places where the Falcons have had great difficulty playing over the years--and I don't mean just this particular group of Falcons.  One is Stevens Institute and the other is Lycoming.  The dimensions of those fields and their surfaces quite negatively impact the Falcons' trademark possession soccer.  Perhaps the single worst defeat the Falcons suffered in the Brandt years, e.g., was a 3-1 loss at Stevens in 2003.  I did not see that game, but I understand it was ugly from the Falcon's point of view, and largely owing to the influence of the field on the Falcons.  Perhaps someone else here did see it and can challenge or support what I heard.  Lycoming's field also harms the Falcons. This coming year the regular season contest is at Messiah, so that won't be a Factor on the Falcons' side of the ball. 

I should add that this is the only type of factor where playing at home, vs playing on the road, favors the Falcons. Messiah has a well-kept, relatively soft, large grass field that favors their game. Given similar fields, it really doesn't matter where they play, home or away. Indeed, during the Brandt years the Falcons' record in the NCAA tournament was actually better on the road than at home, at least for many years if not perhaps the whole period of his time at Messiah. I haven't done the math to check whether it was for his entire tenure at Messiah. The NCAA preference for avoiding turf fields was surely a factor.

Where I differ most from Shooter, however, is here: "Messiah loses 5 seniors that include 4 top level players in Kyne, Kennel, Rowe, and Myer."  Perhaps our definitions of "top level players" are different, but IMO the best player in this group was Myer, whose best position was as left outside defender (he is left-footed). Myer was very good, especially when given the opportunity to take free kicks, but IMO by Messiah standards not clearly a "top level" player.  Everyone knows that the Falcons lost a huge amount of talent after the 2014 season--not only the seniors, four of whom IMO were legitimately AA level players (how Jack Thompson wasn't actually voted such is an inexplicable fact, no less inexplicable than the fact that the only perfect game in World Series history was pitched by Don Larsen), but also Danny Brandt who left for D2.  What is not well known is that the next couple of classes were not only below the talent level of that class but also below the level of several other classes, including the rising sophomores and probably also the incoming freshmen.  I'm talking about soccer ability, obviously, not the value of the young men as people or even perhaps as future leaders in our society--things which are, quite frankly, far more important than our topic here.  I haven't had the privilege of knowing very many soccer players over the years, but nothing I know suggests that any group of them has ever lacked character or human talent.  But, they've not all been equally talented on the soccer field.

In other words, I think the Falcons will probably be quite a bit better in 2016 than they were in 2015, even though they will be much less experienced. Indeed, the fact that they often had 4 freshmen starting games last fall--almost unprecedented in Falcon history, and certainly unprecedented since they started winning national titles--should tell you by itself that something was not normal in Grantham. 

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Lycoming should cruise to another title. They don't graduate anyone from a team that absolutely dominated Messiah both times they played them last season. The only change in the equation this time is that Lycoming has to travel to Messiah which is no easy test. The Falcons are very good on home turf just as Lycoming was last season. Messiah loses 5 seniors that include 4 top level players in Kyne, Kennel, Rowe, and Myer. The fifth senior is Eagan who played in a majority of the games from what I remember but not a huge loss compared to the others mentioned. Messiah still has some pieces to fill as to where Lycoming is looking to expand on their current championship team. I will be interested to see the preseason predictions for the Commonwealth. Messiah and Lycoming will be 1 and 2 but in which order?

I certainly agree that Lycoming has to be considered the favorite to repeat in the Commonwealth, and that the Falcons would be the pre-season pick for the second spot.  Lycoming returns the entire roster, while the Falcons lost at least six players (including a rising junior backup player who has decided not to continue playing).  All of that implies only good things for Lycoming.

However, otherwise my analysis of the overall picture is different.  Regarding home fields, there are two specific places where the Falcons have had great difficulty playing over the years--and I don't mean just this particular group of Falcons.  One is Stevens Institute and the other is Lycoming.  The dimensions of those fields and their surfaces quite negatively impact the Falcons' trademark possession soccer.  Perhaps the single worst defeat the Falcons suffered in the Brandt years, e.g., was a 3-1 loss at Stevens in 2003.  I did not see that game, but I understand it was ugly from the Falcon's point of view, and largely owing to the influence of the field on the Falcons.  Perhaps someone else here did see it and can challenge or support what I heard.  Lycoming's field also harms the Falcons. This coming year the regular season contest is at Messiah, so that won't be a Factor on the Falcons' side of the ball. 

I should add that this is the only type of factor where playing at home, vs playing on the road, favors the Falcons. Messiah has a well-kept, relatively soft, large grass field that favors their game. Given similar fields, it really doesn't matter where they play, home or away. Indeed, during the Brandt years the Falcons' record in the NCAA tournament was actually better on the road than at home, at least for many years if not perhaps the whole period of his time at Messiah. I haven't done the math to check whether it was for his entire tenure at Messiah. The NCAA preference for avoiding turf fields was surely a factor.

Where I differ most from Shooter, however, is here: "Messiah loses 5 seniors that include 4 top level players in Kyne, Kennel, Rowe, and Myer."  Perhaps our definitions of "top level players" are different, but IMO the best player in this group was Myer, whose best position was as left outside defender (he is left-footed). Myer was very good, especially when given the opportunity to take free kicks, but IMO by Messiah standards not clearly a "top level" player.  Everyone knows that the Falcons lost a huge amount of talent after the 2014 season--not only the seniors, four of whom IMO were legitimately AA level players (how Jack Thompson wasn't actually voted such is an inexplicable fact, no less inexplicable than the fact that the only perfect game in World Series history was pitched by Don Larsen), but also Danny Brandt who left for D2.  What is not well known is that the next couple of classes were not only below the talent level of that class but also below the level of several other classes, including the rising sophomores and probably also the incoming freshmen.  I'm talking about soccer ability, obviously, not the value of the young men as people or even perhaps as future leaders in our society--things which are, quite frankly, far more important than our topic here.  I haven't had the privilege of knowing very many soccer players over the years, but nothing I know suggests that any group of them has ever lacked character or human talent.  But, they've not all been equally talented on the soccer field.

In other words, I think the Falcons will probably be quite a bit better in 2016 than they were in 2015, even though they will be much less experienced. Indeed, the fact that they often had 4 freshmen starting games last fall--almost unprecedented in Falcon history, and certainly unprecedented since they started winning national titles--should tell you by itself that something was not normal in Grantham.

Correct me if I am wrong Shooter, but what I think he meant was the top level players they lost were top level for Messiah's team that year. Obviously they aren't up to the Messiah standard that we are all accustomed to, but for that team last year those players were the top talent level and they just happen to be losing them. We all can agree that comparing last year's Seniors to the 2015 class of Payne, Thompson, Robbins, Ramirez, etc is no comparison.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Also why we are on the subject of Messiah and Lycoming here are my quick thoughts. I believe that you will see both of them ranked throughout the year. I also think we will see Lycoming ranked #1 at some point whether that is in the early going or tail end of the season I am not sure, but I think it will happen. The highest we will see Messiah climb is just outside the top 10...I don't think they will have enough to crack it.

[NEPAFAN]

A little off topic, but hey it is July...who has the best produced live stream? HD streaming; announcers; etc?

[jknezek]

A little off topic, but hey it is July...who has the best produced live stream? HD streaming; announcers; etc?

I don't know how well it compares, but when W&L played at Messiah last season I was very impressed with their set up and announcers. Better than anything I see regularly in the ODAC, especially the announcers.

[Ommadawn]

A little off topic, but hey it is July...who has the best produced live stream? HD streaming; announcers; etc?

I am partial to the Wheaton (IL) and F&M streams.

[NEPAFAN]

A little off topic, but hey it is July...who has the best produced live stream? HD streaming; announcers; etc?

I am partial to the Wheaton (IL) and F&M streams.

Yes I think F&M is very good. Drew is very strong with graphics along the bottom and a HD feed. I am okay without commentary.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

A little off topic, but hey it is July...who has the best produced live stream? HD streaming; announcers; etc?

Messiah without a doubt. Great camera views including replays and zoom-ins which is unusual at the D3 level due to funding alone, plus they have a good announcing crew that is usually unbiased and knows the game well.