2017 Season - National Perspective

[D3soccerwatcher]

I watched the entire Hopkins game on Saturday afternoon.  It was the first time I saw them this year and I was not very impressed with their play and the way they were not able to readily handle an unranked, sub-.500 team. I expected to see a lot more from the #4 ranked team in the nation.

[Shooter McGavin]

Shooter's Power Rankings (10/1)
1. Calvin (10-0-0)
2. Chicago (10-0-0)
3. John Carroll (9-0-1)
4. Hopkins (10-0-0)
5. Messiah (9-1-0)
6. Newark (12-1-0)
7. Tufts (7-1-1)
8. Lycoming (10-1-0)
9. CMU (7-1-1)
10. Trinity (Tx) (10-1-0)
11. St. Thomas (9-1-0)
12. Rowan (10-2-0)
13. Cortland St. (8-1-0)
14. Springfield (8-0-0)
15. Lynchburg (8-1-1)
-----------------------------------
RV: CT College, Kenyon, Amherst, Brandeis, Drew, St. Joe's (Maine), Oneonta St, CNU, Transylvania, Heidelberg

[PaulNewman]

Posting on another thread made me think of this...top programs last 10 years...

1) Messiah
2) Loras
3) Amherst
4) Calvin
5) Trinity? OWU? SLU? Wheaton (Ill)?

If was just last 5 years and not 10....Tufts certainly gets into the top 5....others in discussion Brandeis, Kenyon, F&M, maybe Haverford

[PaulNewman]

Posting on another thread made me think of this...top programs last 10 years...

1) Messiah
2) Loras
3) Amherst
4) Calvin
5) Trinity? OWU? SLU? Wheaton (Ill)?

If was just last 5 years and not 10....Tufts certainly gets into the top 5....others in discussion Brandeis, Kenyon, F&M, maybe Haverford

ADDENDUM:  Ah, forgot Oneonta State!  Slide them into #5 for past 10....and move the others to #6 with a question mark...

[HooksLeft]

Hey all, been a long time since I've posted so I'd like to begin by saying thank you to everyone who keeps the chain going while the rest of us watch from the sidelines. Even though I'm now a handful of years out of school I still find this board to be a fantastic extension of the on-the-field excitement.

That being said, I have chosen to break my silence for an absolutely heart-breaking reason. As some of you may or may not know, today's game between Amherst and Rutgers-Newark was packed with drama but marred by racism that has become all too prevalent in today's society. Before I attempt to recap the specific events, I want to mention that I wasn't there and I was unable to stream the game. What I have to say is based on what I've heard from those in attendance. Therefore I apologize if I describe anything incorrectly. I welcome anyone with more information to let their voice be heard because I think this topic goes far beyond sports rivalries.

Fikayo Ajayi, a great player and even better person, was called a ni**** by one of the RUN players in the first few minutes of OT. His response, and justifiably so in my opinion, was to confront the RUN player with pointed language of his own (F bombs, etc.), which led to a scuffle and a yellow card for Fikayo and the deplorable RUN player. The referee did not hear the original insult from the RUN player but had heard the response from Fikayo, which led the RUN coach to suggest that Fikayo was the only one deserving of a yellow card. After everyone had been calmed down the game was allowed to continue and moments later Fikayo received a second yellow and was sent off. I'm not sure what the second offense was for but I imagine emotions were still running extremely high. Thankfully karma prevailed and soon Amherst was able to net the game winner, sending RUN home with nothing but a huge loss.

Now... I HOPE we can all agree that what the RUN player did was terrible... that should be a given. However, what I want to address are two things that bubbled to the surface following the game.
1) is that the referee later claimed to the Amherst coaching staff that he believed Fikayo had made up the insult. That it had never occurred. To this I have to say ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME. Why would someone make that up? Short answer - they wouldn't. And even if the referee is ignorant enough to believe that the insult was fabricated, WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT TO HIS COACH!!!! If you didn't hear it then I can understand that you would be hesitant to dish out punishment purely based on the opposing players reaction, but for me a ref suggesting that the player made it up is NEVER appropriate.
2) The RUN coach not only complained about his player receiving a yellow, but he was bold enough to suggest that the player would not have said such a thing because he was hispanic and went to church on a weekly basis. THIS. IS. ABSURD. Suggesting someone can't be racist because they are also a minority? That they are immune to accusations of racism because they worship a higher power on a weekly basis? This is ignorance at its finest. I understand that a coach is inclined to protect and defend his players but for me racism is where respectable coach's need to draw the line. If you are a collegiate soccer coach then your job should revolve around two things: winning as many soccer games as possible and grooming your student athletes to become the best person they can be. If todays events was any indication I would say that RUN is failing miserably at the latter.

I don't post this to start a debate and I don't plan to reply to any thread that stems from this post. All I would like to do is make sure that things like this do not go unnoticed. Everyone should be held accountable for their actions and I hope that the Rutgers-Newark players and staff are held accountable for theirs.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Posting on another thread made me think of this...top programs last 10 years...

1) Messiah
2) Loras
3) Amherst
4) Calvin
5) Trinity? OWU? SLU? Wheaton (Ill)?

If was just last 5 years and not 10....Tufts certainly gets into the top 5....others in discussion Brandeis, Kenyon, F&M, maybe Haverford

ADDENDUM:  Ah, forgot Oneonta State!  Slide them into #5 for past 10....and move the others to #6 with a question mark...

I'd put Amherst #2, Calvin #3, Loras #4, Oneonta St #5.

There has not been a dominant team from the South Atlantic as we have witnessed various shifts in power with the growth of Newark and W&L, resurgence of Rowan; Camden, Montclair St, CNU probably the top 3 and most consistent over the last 10 years.  Can you justify placing one team from the SA in top 10, I'm not so certain, but there are three programs deserving of top 15-20.

[PaulNewman]

Posting on another thread made me think of this...top programs last 10 years...

1) Messiah
2) Loras
3) Amherst
4) Calvin
5) Trinity? OWU? SLU? Wheaton (Ill)?

If was just last 5 years and not 10....Tufts certainly gets into the top 5....others in discussion Brandeis, Kenyon, F&M, maybe Haverford

ADDENDUM:  Ah, forgot Oneonta State!  Slide them into #5 for past 10....and move the others to #6 with a question mark...

I'd put Amherst #2, Calvin #3, Loras #4, Oneonta St #5.

There has not been a dominant team from the South Atlantic as we have witnessed various shifts in power with the growth of Newark and W&L, resurgence of Rowan; Camden, Montclair St, CNU probably the top 3 and most consistent over the last 10 years.  Can you justify placing one team from the SA in top 10, I'm not so certain, but there are three programs deserving of top 15-20.

Understandable, but Final fours are so hard to make and without double-checking I think Loras has more than anyone else besides Messiah over past 10 years.

Amherst had seasons of being unbeaten or one loss while Calvin had a couple of relatively down years. 

I thought about Montclair and others from SA.  Can't see an argument for top 5-6, but maybe the back end of top 10 or like you said, several in the top 15-20 range.

[Ejay]

Does anyone know what happened at Stevens in recent years? I recall them being a top 20 team for a run of 10 years or so, and then in seems they dropped once Devin Rensing left.  Did he go coach somewhere else?

[Mr.Right]

Ah I would slide Tufts and Williams into the Top 5 the last 10 years. Tufts with 2 National Championships certainly trumps Haverford? with no Final 4's and Williams with 3 Final 4's in 09', 12' and 13' certainly trumps SLU's 0.

[Mr.Right]

Does anyone know what happened at Stevens in recent years? I recall them being a top 20 team for a run of 10 years or so, and then in seems they dropped once Devin Rensing left.  Did he go coach somewhere else?

I think his brother is the Head Coach at Michigan State maybe he left to assist him but I remember him getting a D1 Head Coaching job to leave Stevens. He used to scrimmage his brother's MSU squad when at Stevens.. I think he got the Colgate job? or an Ivy? Patriot League?  Something like that

[PaulNewman]

Ah I would slide Tufts and Williams into the Top 5 the last 10 years. Tufts with 2 National Championships certainly trumps Haverford? with no Final 4's and Williams with 3 Final 4's in 09', 12' and 13' certainly trumps SLU's 0.

That's why I broke it down into 10 year and 5 year intervals. No question Tufts is #1 or at worst #2 on a 5 year interval.  Not sure about a 10 year interval when they did nothing for the first seven years of last decade.  Williams certainly is in the argument for the 10 year but not the 5.  I guess the 5th spot for the 10 year is very debatable, maybe between OWU, Williams, Oneonta.  I don't see any of those trumping Messiah, Loras, Amherst, Calvin...

[Saint of Old]

Lets stretch it to 20 years:
This means for an entire generation a program has been Balling...

How many teams on that list??

Messiah for sure.
Have been strong even before the won the first in 00.

Wheaton IL.

OWU

[Ryan Harmanis]

OWU is likely in that top 5 even for the last ten years.  From '07-'16, NCAAs every year, two Final Fours ('11/'14), including one title, an Elite Eight ('10), and two other years ('09/'13) with a good chunk of the year #1 in the polls (only to lose in the second round).

If we're going 20, I don't know enough about other programs, but OWU has five Final 4s and two titles.

[Shooter McGavin]

D3Soccer Poll
Through games of Sunday, October 1, 2017

#   School (1st Pl. Votes)   Record   Pts.   Prev.
1   Calvin (12)   10-0-0   984   1
2   Chicago (8)   10-0-0   976   2
3   Johns Hopkins   10-0-0   884   4
4   John Carroll   9-0-1   809   6
5   Messiah   9-1-0   807   7
6   Cortland State   10-1-0   772   8
7   Trinity (Texas)   10-1-0   698   9
8   Rutgers-Newark   12-1-0   680   3
9   Amherst   4-1-1   675   21
10   Tufts   7-1-1   646   5
11   Lycoming   10-1-0   624   10
12   Carnegie Mellon   7-1-1   549   12
13   Oneonta State   7-1-1   525   15
14   St. Thomas   9-1-0   491   13
15   Rowan   10-2-0   489   16
16   Springfield   8-0-0   413   19
17   Drew   10-0-1   390   22
18   Brandeis   7-2-0   389   23
19   Connecticut Col.   6-0-3   236   20
20   Heidelberg   8-0-0   213   25
21   Kenyon   7-2-2   206   24
22   Lynchburg   8-1-1   170   —
23   Gettysburg   7-2-0   113   —
24   Washington & Lee   6-2-1   94   11
25   Haverford   6-2-2   92   14
Dropped out: No. 17 Washington U., No. 18 Stockton

Receiving Votes: Washington U. 81, North Park 70, Transylvania 54, Christopher Newport 44, Simpson 42, Redlands 42, St. Joseph's (Maine) 34, Scranton 22, Stockton 12, Emory 10, Wartburg 10, Bowdoin 6, Williams 4, Cal Lutheran 4, Maryville (Tenn.) 2, Randolph-Macon 2

The D3soccer.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of coaches, Sports Information Directors and D3soccer.com staff, and is published weekly.

[firstplaceloser]

at the haverford vs camden game. haverford is not impressing me at all