2017 Season - National Perspective

[blooter442]

MIAC: 3 goals in 84 seconds. St. Thomas 4-2 up on Macalester with around 10 left.

Landmark: Drew up 3-1 on Etown, around 15 left.

[Domino1195]

OWU over Kenyon in PKs, with both goalkeepers saving multiple PKs (OWU swapped its keeper out IIRC.) 3 OWU misses and 4 Kenyon misses — not sure if it was good goalkeeping or lackluster penalties? Think it might have been a bit of both.

Another freak show for Kenyon.  Never seen a team miss their first 3 PKs (OWU) and win.  Kenyon had a 2 goal lead with 2 kicks left.  Carmona has got to take a friggin PK.  Sickening.  Kenyon had chance after chance after chance, especially in the OTs. 5 corners in a row at one point.  Breakaways.  OWU karma strikes again.  Give OWU credit.  Played a smart game.  Fought hard.  Gave themselves a chance.  At least Kenyon didn't lose but there is just no way to explain this.  Hats off to Lowry.  By far the best player on the field and almost took the game in his own hands going coast to coast a couple of times and of course buried his PK after OWU got back to even.

P.S. Kenyon shots 18-8 and corners 11-1.  Unreal.

First half was balanced - Kenyon's production fell off significantly with 20 min left - 9 subs will do that to a team. Second half OWU dropped 5+ into defensive positions - seemed they were looking to KFTM midway through the second half.

PK's are tough for everyone. Today's kicks were very poor - one good save by the OWU keeper - but most saves were on shots the were 5 yards from the midpoint of the goal line.

OWU's keeper played his best game of the year - of the games I've seen. I'd say Kenyon had maybe 4 quality chances - OWU keeper made 2-3 very good saves.

And another Pool C bid bites the dust . . .

[blooter442]

Cal-Lutheran over Redlands in 2OT.

Messiah gets one back with 1:44 left...

[firstplaceloser]

DOWN GOES MESSIAH!

[Mr.Right]

Wow I did not catch that game..So each team won on the others field. I will say Lycoming is a beast of a team and can beat any D3 team that I have seen this year...They press like mad and have the physical horses to wear u down. That would be a team that is kinda flying under the national radar

[Falconer]

Wow I did not catch that game..So each team won on the others field. I will say Lycoming is a beast of a team and can beat any D3 team that I have seen this year...They press like mad and have the physical horses to wear u down. That would be a team that is kinda flying under the national radar

It all depends on the officiating, Mr Right. If they get someone who "let's them play," I.e., doesn't call blatant fouls and doesn't card players for knocking people down without playing for the ball, they can beat absolutely anyone, anywhere, whether the name on the jersey is Messiah, Calvin, Chicago, or Tufts. Get top level officiating, and it's another game entirely.later round tournament games are usually very well officiated. It will be interesting to see how far they can go, if that tendency holds. It usually helps Messiah--and it should. Rules are supposed to be enforced. consistent failure to do so is, in effect, a decision to favor one team over another. Yes,let them play--but card deliberate fouling, so that if it doesn't stop someone will be playing a man down.

I guess you mean that Lyco was under your radar, since they have been ranked very high all season, with some impressive wins. I think they will be 5-1 RvR after tonight, and Messiah 7-2. But those numbers of course aren't necessarily stable. This year, at least, I think both teams would be sitting atop NESCAC. Great year for Lyco, excellent year for Messiah, and a down year in New England. Of course we know who will win it all: Amherst, right, since they lost in the quarter final? 

[firstplaceloser]

when was the last time Messiah didn't win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don't "let em play" are usually the ones who "don't get assigned games" i hear it all too often, parents can't stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

[paclassic89]

Lycoming won the conference in 2015 and 2013

[Dave B]

when was the last time Messiah didn't win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don't "let em play" are usually the ones who "don't get assigned games" i hear it all too often, parents can't stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

Messiah lost to Lycoming in the 2013 semi-finals (at home) and also in 2015 (at Lycoming).  I don't view 2013 the same way, because Lycoming packed it in, parked the bus and made it to PKs.  But in 2015 and tonight they played Messiah straight up.

[Falconer]

when was the last time Messiah didn’t win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don’t “let em play” are usually the ones who “don’t get assigned games” i hear it all too often, parents can’t stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

As I said the other day, Lycoming had nothing to prove before coming to Grantham tonight. They are as good this year as anyone in the country. It had occurred to me to suggest that they'd fit right in as an NJAC team, but I felt I should leave that hornet's nest untouched this time. Many here will recall the Rowan-Lyco game in 2016 as just another day in the NJAC--is this not so?

As for physical play, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, as long as it's not dirty. But, it should be called for what it is. When NBA teams would play "hack a Shaque," the fouls were called and free throws were taken. Teams knew there would be a penalty for playing that way, and they took a calculated risk. All well and good. That doesn't favor one team over another, as long as the fouls are called on both ends. In soccer, however, so much depends on what a given official will choose not to see. That's not just, IMO. Let a team decide to mug people, if they want to play that way, but let them be penalized with free kicks and (where warranted) cards of bright colors. Not to pull cards when players pull people down or knock them over, without going for the ball (something I saw at lease half a dozen times tonight), is IMO simple incompetence, if not dishonesty. If you think a team is offside, you call it. If you see a team mugging people, you call it. It's pretty simple, or at least it should be. There should be no more hesitation to call fouls and pull cards than there is to call back a play.

[firstplaceloser]

when was the last time Messiah didn't win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don't "let em play" are usually the ones who "don't get assigned games" i hear it all too often, parents can't stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

Messiah lost to Lycoming in the 2013 semi-finals (at home) and also in 2015 (at Lycoming).  I don't view 2013 the same way, because Lycoming packed it in, parked the bus and made it to PKs.  But in 2015 and tonight they played Messiah straight up.

i meant Lycoming reminds me of my 2013 team arnold rutgers Camden

[Dave B]

when was the last time Messiah didn't win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don't "let em play" are usually the ones who "don't get assigned games" i hear it all too often, parents can't stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

Messiah lost to Lycoming in the 2013 semi-finals (at home) and also in 2015 (at Lycoming).  I don't view 2013 the same way, because Lycoming packed it in, parked the bus and made it to PKs.  But in 2015 and tonight they played Messiah straight up.

i meant Lycoming reminds me of my 2013 team arnold rutgers Camden

I know.  I was just answering the very first question in your post.

Not that this has anything to do with your point (which I agree with), but Lycoming came to R-C in the first round of the NCAA that year (2013).  I think you beat them 4-0.

[firstplaceloser]

when was the last time Messiah didn't win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don't "let em play" are usually the ones who "don't get assigned games" i hear it all too often, parents can't stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

Messiah lost to Lycoming in the 2013 semi-finals (at home) and also in 2015 (at Lycoming).  I don't view 2013 the same way, because Lycoming packed it in, parked the bus and made it to PKs.  But in 2015 and tonight they played Messiah straight up.

i meant Lycoming reminds me of my 2013 team arnold rutgers Camden

I know.  I was just answering the very first question in your post.

Not that this has anything to do with your point (which I agree with), but Lycoming came to R-C in the first round of the NCAA that year (2013).  I think you beat them 4-0.

yeah it was second round 4-0. i think it was 4-0 within 20 minutes then we got benched. but i remember them being very big and athletic. we just played the same exact way they did but a lot better and they couldn't really do much. it's funny bc we beat York in the round of 32 3-1 that year as well and they also beat Messiah. Montclair also played messiah and lost 4-2 i think.

i think Lycomings rise is absoluely amazing and awesome for their program.

[Dave B]

when was the last time Messiah didn't win the conference ..? his lycominng team resembles the way RUC played in 2013. press hard, getting stuck in, and work your *** off or sit the bench. this could be their year for a final 4 run. they just proved they have it. i would love to see lycoming play in the NJAC.

when it comes to reffing the ones who don't "let em play" are usually the ones who "don't get assigned games" i hear it all too often, parents can't stand seeing a high intensity physical game.

Messiah lost to Lycoming in the 2013 semi-finals (at home) and also in 2015 (at Lycoming).  I don't view 2013 the same way, because Lycoming packed it in, parked the bus and made it to PKs.  But in 2015 and tonight they played Messiah straight up.

i meant Lycoming reminds me of my 2013 team arnold rutgers Camden

I know.  I was just answering the very first question in your post.

Not that this has anything to do with your point (which I agree with), but Lycoming came to R-C in the first round of the NCAA that year (2013).  I think you beat them 4-0.

yeah it was second round 4-0. i think it was 4-0 within 20 minutes then we got benched. but i remember them being very big and athletic. we just played the same exact way they did but a lot better and they couldn't really do much. it's funny bc we beat York in the round of 32 3-1 that year as well and they also beat Messiah. Montclair also played messiah and lost 4-2 i think.

i think Lycomings rise is absoluely amazing and awesome for their program.

2013 was the first year for their current coach and they did well, but I don't think they were over .500 by much.  But he has done a great job with recruiting and yes, they've really come a long way.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park adds the CCIW tournament trophy to the CCIW championship trophy proper, as the Vikings took down Carthage tonight, 4-0. NPU will now sweat out the next 36 hours, waiting to see whether or not the Vikings will host next weekend or have to go on the road.

North Park beats Chicago 1-0. Chicago looked the better side but did not play their best game at least from what I saw in the 2nd Half. That loss really will not hurt them at all as it might affect hosting in later NCAA rounds but that North Park side can be beaten and I assume will be beaten within the next two weeks in conference or out.

Over the past two and a half weeks since NPU beat Chicago, the Vikings have played five matches and won them all.