2016 NCAA Tournament

[blooter442]

i think you have everyone's backing on this statement

Yes.

Also, here come the articles. Hardly super reputable sources, but don't doubt the potential virality of this story just yet:

Oops #1
Oops #2

[Moonball]

As a referee, I would have abandoned the match after getting assaulted and let the NCAA handle it. However, I'm not sure what they would do in a 1-1 tournament game. Supposedly, there was a phone call made to the NCAA after regulation. If I'm the coach/AD Ocane Williamson (#77) never plays again at my school.

[oldonionbag]

Has there been a statement by UMB or the NCAA about this? I feel like both are trying to just sweep it under the rug by remaining silent...

[blooter442]

My last comment on UMASS-Boston:

I am a big believer that coaches should be given positions based on merit rather than age or experience. I was and am a big fan of Brad Stevens, the Celtics coach who was appointed at age 36, and think he is a great leader even if the Celtics aren't in the Warriors/Cavs/Heat class of NBA title contenders. Moreover, I think it is admirable that Beverlin, who appears to be 29 or 30, has brought in a lot of "non-traditional" students (as far as age goes) into the program, as well as players from community college. Certainly a 28-year-old freshman might not be the typical example of a player who is a non-traditional student, but - while soccer may be the catalyst - ultimately these students are working towards an education, something they might not have done otherwise. However, what is evident to me is that Beverlin is simply not mature enough to handle the responsibility of being the head coach of a college soccer program. Certainly, he wasn't the one that kicked the ball into the player's head or assaulted the official, but I have seen zero evidence of any condemnation from him regarding his players' unacceptable antics. Moreover, the aforementioned interviews in which he displays a complete lack of professionalism furthers my belief that he is not mature enough. It is one thing to not be "polished," I know many respectable and reputable individuals who are far from polished, but NCAC said it appeared he was "goofing" his way through interviews, and I think that is a great way of describing it; such behavior is rooted in immaturity. What happened on Sunday may well have been the straw that broke the camel's back, but UMB has had disciplinary problems throughout Beverlin's tenure. Certainly I am only one person, and this is my opinion, but I would implore UMASS-Boston to ask him to resign, because I strongly believe that he's not fit for the job.

[Brother Flounder]

I'm going to try and make this my last comment about the UMass-Boston saga.  I do feel bad for Haverford, and I do lean towards believing the game should have been terminated with Haverford awarded a forfeit.  The latter did not happen.

Beyond the above, this is a sad story that UMass will have to suffer itself.  UMass should have been one of the great stories of the tournament and indeed the season overall.  What had been a magical season with a chance to shine brightly on the school and its mission has devolved into something ugly.  Many of us who would be cheering and pulling hard for them as the very talented, upstart underdog now wish they were no longer in the tournament.  Many of us would probably appreciate Williamson's story as well (which no doubt would tell us a lot about him), but now we're not really interested.  The coach, and by extension his players, could not afford to be blind to an appreciation for how much good they could have done for themselves.  Once you get past feeling bad for Haverford and being aghast at the behavior, in my mind the lingering and most important story will be what the team did to itself.  For two full years now we've known that UMass's most dangerous opponent was self-implosion.  There is no way that at least the coaching staff has not known that.  And now here we are....

Couldn't have said it any better. A deep run in the NCAA is a very positive thing for a school and
now it means nothing for them.

Ditto, +1 for NCAC

[luckylefty]

I will say this.  I was at the game but left before the ref headbutt etc.  I was surprised Beverlin wasn't very animated trying to calm down his guys.  When 25 headbutted Corkery he was immediately subbed off after, but at no point did I see Beverlin or his staff address the young man for what he did. 

I'm not sure if he should be fired, but I guarantee you he will be much more selective about the type of people he lets into his program if he does keep the job.  Sometimes you take risks on character to win games, and judging on that day it seems obvious he's done that.  I would be shocked if he gets those type of kids moving forward, which I'm sure will have a negative impact on his program in regards to talent.

[FelixCloudy]

The Jumbos come away with a strong weekend and are fortunate to have the home game ahead.  No matter the opponent I think they are primed and will push through to Sunday.  Nate Majumder is fit and will make waves going forward.  Becherano and the Halliday brothers are studs.  The defense, led by Sullivan, Coleman and Weatherbie will protect and serve.  Greenwood will take out the trash.  Jumbos 2-0.

COUNTING ON IT!!! 

[Mr.Right]

I am not defending UMB's antics at all. I do not believe they will be forced to forfeit because it is to late...I do believe the coach should be suspended or even fired.

My main point is that it is very ironic that we have former Amherst players being the first to comment on this teams antics and the antics of their bench. They have the least amount of credibility on this issue and BTW................. there is a HUGE difference at a player throwing a ball FULL SPEED into a players sternum(He could have been killed) then drop kicking a ball into another player(while absolutely stupid he could not have been killed)....I am commenting on the game live and did not get a chance to see full blown replays and zoom-ins.

2 things to address here: The first is that (to continue with the political theme) Mr. Right seems to have the consistency of Hillary Clinton combined with the grace and delicacy of Donald Trump. There have been more than a few examples of players getting over-the-top violent in past years that Mr. Right seems to quickly forget en lieu of referencing Amherst's bench behavior. For example: a few years back, Peter Lee Kramer of Tufts was suspended for a red card early in the season, then came back after his suspension and threw a HARD elbow at the face of a bowdoin player who had to leave the game ( https://www.instagram.com/p/uwEjgzpPg9/ ). Kramer was suspended again that season but Mr. Right said later on the threads: "Wow Kramer is usually pretty level headed. Kramer and big ole Sam Williams are two of the best CB's in the country in my opinion." Since then we have not heard 'boo' about Tufts being dirty or cheap. Yet someone in a game COMPLETELY unrelated to Amherst headbutts a ref and Mr. Right goes right to talks of the Amherst bench, and the time one of their players threw a legal throw-in off someone's chest.

Which brings me to my next point... Mr. Right can you please explain the science behind how someone could die from a soccer ball hitting them in the sternum (note, it was a THROW in)? Curious how it is more dangerous than someone kicking a ball at a players head. Furthermore, is it only lethal if the ball-to-the-sternum is a throw in or could it happen if someone kicked the ball as well? I only ask because literally NO ONE has ever died in the sport of soccer from a ball to the chest or sternum and it has happened *thousands* of times. I've attached a link to a list of every player who has died playing professional soccer to make things easier for you. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_footballers_who_died_while_playing ) While you're looking that up I'd also like to reference your "My advice is to look at your own house first" quote that you shot at Gab Wirz earlier. The Amherst "house" has had 4 NESCAC championships in the last 6 years (and missed the 5th by an inch in extra PKs), a National Championship, one of the best (if not THE best) records in the past 5 years across the NCAA, a handful of NCAA and NESCAC stat records, and a TON of individual recognitions without any suspenions or sanctions (I'm genuinely curious, in the past 5 years have we ever received a straight red?). Yet you've been telling us for years that "The antics can't last forever", "one day the karma will catch up to them", etc.... but will it? Where have Williams and the rest of the NESCAC been up to this whole time? Their coaches might want to spend a little less time reading books on etiquette and a little more time figuring it out what it takes to win soccer games. Serpone clearly has it figured out.

So in conclusion:

I'm disappointed to see haverford lose. I thought they were a good team and obviously UMass is going to have some other issues in the tournament so I think the competitive balance on their side of the bracket dropped off substantially.

I think (and I'm TOTALLY bias) Amherst has the best chance of winning the tournament again this year. They're playing well and, as I said in a post on the NESCAC thread, they have a senior class that you can always count on. We've seen year after year after year that a large, tough-minded senior class is a key to success in November and December.

Apologies to everyone else not named Mr. Right for the aggression here. The guy just gets to me.

Still love you though Mr. Right. The wild thoughts that go on in that cranium of yours will never cease to intrigue me.

RIP Biggie Smalls

Thanks for reminding people how smart I was to say that in October 2014 that Tufts Sam Williams and Peter Lee Kramer were the 2 best CB's in the country as they proved me right by winning the 2014 NCAA Championship. I will say all this UMB talk should go to a new thread as this thread should be talking about the upcoming NCAA games and during the games.

-k to Hooksleft for being such a Amherst homer also +k to Hooksleft for admitting I rile you up. -K to NCAC for saying I was being a contrarian as he should know by now I only write what I feel. I do not go out of my way to write just for the sake of opposing popular opinion. Again, I was typing in real time an did not see the Headbutt or was not privy to slow motion replays and zoom-ins. Now onto the game previews. I think it is only fair to preview games that I have seen the actual teams in play more than once so I will predict a score but not get into specifics for certain games.

[rudy]

I am not defending UMB's antics at all. I do not believe they will be forced to forfeit because it is to late...I do believe the coach should be suspended or even fired.

My main point is that it is very ironic that we have former Amherst players being the first to comment on this teams antics and the antics of their bench. They have the least amount of credibility on this issue and BTW................. there is a HUGE difference at a player throwing a ball FULL SPEED into a players sternum(He could have been killed) then drop kicking a ball into another player(while absolutely stupid he could not have been killed)....I am commenting on the game live and did not get a chance to see full blown replays and zoom-ins.

2 things to address here: The first is that (to continue with the political theme) Mr. Right seems to have the consistency of Hillary Clinton combined with the grace and delicacy of Donald Trump. There have been more than a few examples of players getting over-the-top violent in past years that Mr. Right seems to quickly forget en lieu of referencing Amherst's bench behavior. For example: a few years back, Peter Lee Kramer of Tufts was suspended for a red card early in the season, then came back after his suspension and threw a HARD elbow at the face of a bowdoin player who had to leave the game ( https://www.instagram.com/p/uwEjgzpPg9/ ). Kramer was suspended again that season but Mr. Right said later on the threads: "Wow Kramer is usually pretty level headed. Kramer and big ole Sam Williams are two of the best CB's in the country in my opinion." Since then we have not heard 'boo' about Tufts being dirty or cheap. Yet someone in a game COMPLETELY unrelated to Amherst headbutts a ref and Mr. Right goes right to talks of the Amherst bench, and the time one of their players threw a legal throw-in off someone's chest.

Which brings me to my next point... Mr. Right can you please explain the science behind how someone could die from a soccer ball hitting them in the sternum (note, it was a THROW in)? Curious how it is more dangerous than someone kicking a ball at a players head. Furthermore, is it only lethal if the ball-to-the-sternum is a throw in or could it happen if someone kicked the ball as well? I only ask because literally NO ONE has ever died in the sport of soccer from a ball to the chest or sternum and it has happened *thousands* of times. I've attached a link to a list of every player who has died playing professional soccer to make things easier for you. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_footballers_who_died_while_playing ) While you're looking that up I'd also like to reference your "My advice is to look at your own house first" quote that you shot at Gab Wirz earlier. The Amherst "house" has had 4 NESCAC championships in the last 6 years (and missed the 5th by an inch in extra PKs), a National Championship, one of the best (if not THE best) records in the past 5 years across the NCAA, a handful of NCAA and NESCAC stat records, and a TON of individual recognitions without any suspenions or sanctions (I'm genuinely curious, in the past 5 years have we ever received a straight red?). Yet you've been telling us for years that "The antics can't last forever", "one day the karma will catch up to them", etc.... but will it? Where have Williams and the rest of the NESCAC been up to this whole time? Their coaches might want to spend a little less time reading books on etiquette and a little more time figuring it out what it takes to win soccer games. Serpone clearly has it figured out.

So in conclusion:

I'm disappointed to see haverford lose. I thought they were a good team and obviously UMass is going to have some other issues in the tournament so I think the competitive balance on their side of the bracket dropped off substantially.

I think (and I'm TOTALLY bias) Amherst has the best chance of winning the tournament again this year. They're playing well and, as I said in a post on the NESCAC thread, they have a senior class that you can always count on. We've seen year after year after year that a large, tough-minded senior class is a key to success in November and December.

Apologies to everyone else not named Mr. Right for the aggression here. The guy just gets to me.

Still love you though Mr. Right. The wild thoughts that go on in that cranium of yours will never cease to intrigue me.

RIP Biggie Smalls

Thanks for reminding people how smart I was to say that in October 2014 that Tufts Sam Williams and Peter Lee Kramer were the 2 best CB's in the country as they proved me right by winning the 2014 NCAA Championship. I will say all this UMB talk should go to a new thread as this thread should be talking about the upcoming NCAA games and during the games.

-k to Hooksleft for being such a Amherst homer also +k to Hooksleft for admitting I rile you up. -K to NCAC for saying I was being a contrarian as he should know by now I only write what I feel. I do not go out of my way to write just for the sake of opposing popular opinion. Again, I was typing in real time an did not see the Headbutt or was not privy to slow motion replays and zoom-ins. Now onto the game previews. I think it is only fair to preview games that I have seen the actual teams in play more than once so I will predict a score but not get into specifics for certain games.

Does anyone really care about +K and -K.  I find it silly to have this feature.  I guess I'll get a -K for that..oh no.

[just4kix]

I will say this.  I was at the game but left before the ref headbutt etc.  I was surprised Beverlin wasn't very animated trying to calm down his guys.  When 25 headbutted Corkery he was immediately subbed off after, but at no point did I see Beverlin or his staff address the young man for what he did. 

I'm not sure if he should be fired, but I guarantee you he will be much more selective about the type of people he lets into his program if he does keep the job.  Sometimes you take risks on character to win games, and judging on that day it seems obvious he's done that.  I would be shocked if he gets those type of kids moving forward, which I'm sure will have a negative impact on his program in regards to talent.

You left lefty?  How unlucky.

My opinion on this mess (sorry to stay in this thread): while the ref and/or NCAA could reasonably have given the game to Haverford, I'm okay that they did not.  The "innocent" UMB players won despite being shorthanded.

However, I am incredibly disappointed in the aftermath, or lack thereof.  While the NCAA denied UMB the right to host, that appears to be the only action taken (a 9 mile road trip will show them!).  The red cards that were given have enabled both the NCAA and UMB to otherwise hedge their bets.  In a perverse way, I almost want to see UMB win Saturday just to see what happens when hands are forced.  Will the coach/school suspend #77?  Will the NCAA?

If anyone had even a modicum of integrity, these questions would have been addressed already.  The coach's future can wait until the season is over.

[Mr.Right]

Mr.Right's Sweet 16 Predictions:

Messiah v Calvin----Could be the best game of the Sweet 16. I cannot comment on Calvin because I have yet to see them play. It sounds like they are a big physical team that will not back down..They came out of 1 of the toughest pods in the NCAA 1st / 2nd round defeating 2 quality opponents. That put to bed the thought that they had not played any real tough teams all year especially in their weak conference. My question is do they have enough up top to score against Messiah or will they be relying on set pieces? After last season's GK debacle at Messiah they have seemed to have remedied that situation faster than I would have predicted. I have only seen them about 3 times this season but they look very dangerous as usual going forward. I think this game has a 1-0 scoreline or PK's written all over it but I have to give the home field advantage to Messiah...1-0 Messiah

Cortland St v F&M----I have only seen these teams play twice all year. I was very impressed with what I saw out of F&M this past week-end. I was unimpressed with what I saw of Cortland St when I caught a game in the middle of the year v Oneonta. I think F&M is the better team BUT could they be looking ahead to a possible dream match-up for them against Messiah? If so, that would spell trouble. I think F&M will dominate possession in this game and not allow Cortland to many chances on net. 2-0 F&M

Tufts v UMASS Boston----This is an interesting match-up that quite possibly should be played every year in the regular season out of conference for both teams. UMB will be missing 2 very key players but they still will have enough to compete. They will be motivated by a US v the World bulletin board material type motivation. As I have said previously they will have to play their futbol MUCH faster then they will be used to. Tufts will be pressing and closing like mad and UMB will not be used to it IMO. Tufts will be forcing giveaway's all over the field and most likely will score off of 1 of them. Tufts will be controlling possession which again UMB will not be used to and quite possibly could get very frustrated by it. I do not agree with the poster who said Majumder is back to 100%. He did score v Rowan but his injury issues(neck / concussions) make him not nearly 100%. He looks a shell of what he did last year but still is obviously a good player even at 75%. UMB can match Tufts speed and skill but will be unable to match Tufts composure and height. I will say UMB's goalie made some fine saves v Haverford especially in Pk's as I thought he was questionable back there. Let's hope for a clean game and no ugliness but Tufts rolls in this one. Tufts 3-0

Amherst v Brandeis------As I previously stated Christopher Martin is playing his best futbol I have seen him play since arriving at Amherst. He is a real danger man that I am not sure Brandeis will be able to handle. They must not let him run at defenders as they must step up and tackle him immediately. That does not mean foul him either because Amherst will have a significant advantage as they usually do in this game off of set pieces. I think Brandeis has enough weapons in midfield and up top to get some great chances on Amherst GK Lee Owen. Owen really struggles with low dipping shots that he cannot catch and routinely coughs them up for juicy rebounds. Ocel, Jastremski and Vieira MUST pounce on these rebounds. Both teams are really playing well right now and have strung together a ton of great wins lately. I will be curious to see Brandeis gameplan as will they sit in 1st Half and absorb some pressure or will they go full throttle right from the get go. I hope it is the latter as if they can score 1st they will have an excellent chance of advancing. Amherst will want revenge for their 2014 PK loss to Brandeis at Oneonta in the Sweet 16 so that will also be on their minds. While I believe this will be a even game can Brandeis get a much needed goal or 2 that they will desperately need. I think so. Brandeis 1-0

RUN v Oneonta St-----I have seen RUN about 7 times this year and am very impressed. They play some nice possession futbol and have individual studs that can score goals that most teams do not have. I still question whether they will look the same on Amherst grass field then they do on their own carpet. I also question RUN defensively sometimes as i have seen them give up a couple soft goals on defensive giveaway's in their own end. I still love the skill of their CB's and love how they look for their strikers feet instead of just panicking and whacking the ball long. Oneonta is a good team but not nearly the same dangerous teams they had in 2014 and 2015. They are young and also possess the ball nicely but give the ball away a ton in the back which will spell big problems against RUN if it continues. This game will be a very entertaining game of true futbol with the ball on the ground and each team possessing nicely. It will be much needed relief after watching the first game of Amherst whacking balls long. Greta match-up but RUN will be to much. RUN 2-1

Trinity(TX) v Kenyon-----I have only seen these teams once each so this is tough for me to predict. I am guessing but I think Trinity is the better team but will need some luck as they quite possibly have been the unluckiest side in D3 soccer along with SLU in the last 10-15 years. While Tufts would relish a revenge game v Kenyon for knocking them out last year in the NCAA's it will not happen. Trinity(TX) 2-0

Chicago v Redlands-----Chicago is legit and has weapons all over the field. I thought they were legit last year but got a little unlucky when they got knocked off in the NCAA's last year. They are on a mission and while I have not seen Redlands yet this year I am not expecting much. This is not the same Redlands program it was 10 years ago when they were out and out nasty....Chicago 4-1

St.Thomas v Benedictine-----I caught 15 minutes of St.Thomas this st weekend and that is it. I have never seen Benedictine play and the only thin I know about them is they are in the same conference as Dominican. They drew with Dominican this year and I was not impressed at all with Dominican when I saw Chicago this year absolutely pick them apart. What does all this mean???  NOTHING...Just a hunch but St.Thomas 2-0

[NEPitch62]

The NCAA didn't deny UMB the home game out of punishment.  The fact is that they do not have a true "home" field.  They play their games nearby at Boston College High School in Dorchester.  If the altercation did not occur and they still won, the game would still be held at Tufts.

[Mr.Right]

People will say they do not care about +k / -k but they do. I actually like the feature especially now that I will only give explanations for a +/- when I used to freely just give them about without explaining why. If everyone would explain why they give the karma it makes for a better site and more discussion which is why the feature is their to begin with IMO. Rudy, you are not the 1st to question it and will not be the last but if you do get a +/- from me I will tell you why.

[sunny]

Slightly related to the UMB fiasco is something that illustrates the problem with PKs deciding who advances.

One of the philosophies behind a red card is to give the offending player's team a direct disadvantage in personnel for the remainder of the game. Does no one else find it incongruous that said disadvantage expires in PKs - especially in this specific case where UMB was playing TWO men down until PKs?

I can obviously see the counter-argument here; if someone's red comes as a result of a second yellow, should that team really have to go 5-on-4 in PKs? But perhaps in a situation where a team has drawn TWO reds, they ought to be at some sort of disadvantage in PKs, no?

[Domino1195]

Mr.Right's Sweet 16 Predictions:

Messiah v Calvin----Could be the best game of the Sweet 16. I cannot comment on Calvin because I have yet to see them play. It sounds like they are a big physical team that will not back down..They came out of 1 of the toughest pods in the NCAA 1st / 2nd round defeating 2 quality opponents. That put to bed the thought that they had not played any real tough teams all year especially in their weak conference. My question is do they have enough up top to score against Messiah or will they be relying on set pieces? After last season's GK debacle at Messiah they have seemed to have remedied that situation faster than I would have predicted. I have only seen them about 3 times this season but they look very dangerous as usual going forward. I think this game has a 1-0 scoreline or PK's written all over it but I have to give the home field advantage to Messiah...1-0 Messiah

Cortland St v F&M----I have only seen these teams play twice all year. I was very impressed with what I saw out of F&M this past week-end. I was unimpressed with what I saw of Cortland St when I caught a game in the middle of the year v Oneonta. I think F&M is the better team BUT could they be looking ahead to a possible dream match-up for them against Messiah? If so, that would spell trouble. I think F&M will dominate possession in this game and not allow Cortland to many chances on net. 2-0 F&M

Tufts v UMASS Boston----This is an interesting match-up that quite possibly should be played every year in the regular season out of conference for both teams. UMB will be missing 2 very key players but they still will have enough to compete. They will be motivated by a US v the World bulletin board material type motivation. As I have said previously they will have to play their futbol MUCH faster then they will be used to. Tufts will be pressing and closing like mad and UMB will not be used to it IMO. Tufts will be forcing giveaway's all over the field and most likely will score off of 1 of them. Tufts will be controlling possession which again UMB will not be used to and quite possibly could get very frustrated by it. I do not agree with the poster who said Majumder is back to 100%. He did score v Rowan but his injury issues(neck / concussions) make him not nearly 100%. He looks a shell of what he did last year but still is obviously a good player even at 75%. UMB can match Tufts speed and skill but will be unable to match Tufts composure and height. I will say UMB's goalie made some fine saves v Haverford especially in Pk's as I thought he was questionable back there. Let's hope for a clean game and no ugliness but Tufts rolls in this one. Tufts 3-0

Amherst v Brandeis------As I previously stated Christopher Martin is playing his best futbol I have seen him play since arriving at Amherst. He is a real danger man that I am not sure Brandeis will be able to handle. They must not let him run at defenders as they must step up and tackle him immediately. That does not mean foul him either because Amherst will have a significant advantage as they usually do in this game off of set pieces. I think Brandeis has enough weapons in midfield and up top to get some great chances on Amherst GK Lee Owen. Owen really struggles with low dipping shots that he cannot catch and routinely coughs them up for juicy rebounds. Ocel, Jastremski and Vieira MUST pounce on these rebounds. Both teams are really playing well right now and have strung together a ton of great wins lately. I will be curious to see Brandeis gameplan as will they sit in 1st Half and absorb some pressure or will they go full throttle right from the get go. I hope it is the latter as if they can score 1st they will have an excellent chance of advancing. Amherst will want revenge for their 2014 PK loss to Brandeis at Oneonta in the Sweet 16 so that will also be on their minds. While I believe this will be a even game can Brandeis get a much needed goal or 2 that they will desperately need. I think so. Brandeis 1-0

RUN v Oneonta St-----I have seen RUN about 7 times this year and am very impressed. They play some nice possession futbol and have individual studs that can score goals that most teams do not have. I still question whether they will look the same on Amherst grass field then they do on their own carpet. I also question RUN defensively sometimes as i have seen them give up a couple soft goals on defensive giveaway's in their own end. I still love the skill of their CB's and love how they look for their strikers feet instead of just panicking and whacking the ball long. Oneonta is a good team but not nearly the same dangerous teams they had in 2014 and 2015. They are young and also possess the ball nicely but give the ball away a ton in the back which will spell big problems against RUN if it continues. This game will be a very entertaining game of true futbol with the ball on the ground and each team possessing nicely. It will be much needed relief after watching the first game of Amherst whacking balls long. Greta match-up but RUN will be to much. RUN 2-1

Trinity(TX) v Kenyon-----I have only seen these teams once each so this is tough for me to predict. I am guessing but I think Trinity is the better team but will need some luck as they quite possibly have been the unluckiest side in D3 soccer along with SLU in the last 10-15 years. While Tufts would relish a revenge game v Kenyon for knocking them out last year in the NCAA's it will not happen. Trinity(TX) 2-0

Chicago v Redlands-----Chicago is legit and has weapons all over the field. I thought they were legit last year but got a little unlucky when they got knocked off in the NCAA's last year. They are on a mission and while I have not seen Redlands yet this year I am not expecting much. This is not the same Redlands program it was 10 years ago when they were out and out nasty....Chicago 4-1

St.Thomas v Benedictine-----I caught 15 minutes of St.Thomas this st weekend and that is it. I have never seen Benedictine play and the only thin I know about them is they are in the same conference as Dominican. They drew with Dominican this year and I was not impressed at all with Dominican when I saw Chicago this year absolutely pick them apart. What does all this mean???  NOTHING...Just a hunch but St.Thomas 2-0

Saw Calvin in person; Messiah against CNU.  Calvin is really not that big - smaller than last year's team.  What they are is a well-disciplined unit that plays their style - very connected, difficult to penetrate (especially in the middle),and opportunistic with opponent's mistakes. Their three up top can counter in the blink of an eye - and they are good at forcing mistakes in their attacking third. The set piece goal against ONU was "tainted' - both by the officiating and by season-long issues for ONU's keeper on set pieces - but I think they are more likely going to score from high pressure resulting in a turn-over. (Sorry to bring that up NCAC!). Calvin's defense concerned me given the goals they conceded this year - but seeing the two games last weekend I think they are in great form. I don't have enough perspective on Messiah based on one game - CNU's team was gigantic compared to them - but this should be a very even game and 1-0 seems about right - not sure which way.

Redlands also looked good last weekend - but DePauw struggled in both games last weekend - wouldn't say they were close to their early season form. Chicago plays another game without Desai and put last week's game to bed within 30 minutes of the start.  They are just so stinking young - handling the pressure as the tournament progresses will be critical.