Mid-Atlantic Region

pinball · September 12, 2024, 07:20:02 AM

Messiahs greatest strength is their passing ability, but it's also their biggest weakness - they don't go to the opponents goal enough. They look to make the extra pass for the easy goal when sometimes you need to shoot and just put the ball on frame.

Dickinson did a great job of marking midfield and making it difficult to receive/turn cleanly and their back line dropped into the space taking away any slotted pass.

Falconer · September 12, 2024, 10:36:13 AM

Many thanks to FW for that fascinating information. I attended the game and congratulate Dickinson for (a) outshooting the Falcons by a lot, (b) consistently interrupting the Falcon's ball control game, and (c) finally earning a well deserved win over Messiah for the first time in history.

Dickinson plays Messiah most seasons, often gives them a tough game, but has never gotten a result. As of today, Messiah is 40-1-0 against the Red Devils.

Both Dickinson goals resulted from scrums in front of the goal, at least one of them could have been prevented if a defender had been standing in the right place. The Messiah goal was (in that sense) more hard earned, but on those two goals the ball was deep in the Falcons' end owing to hard work by Dickinson. They deserved the win.

IMO, either team could have won this one. As stated above, both keepers stood on their heads. A spectacular diving save to his low left side by Messiah's keeper kept it 1-0 Falcons, but the first Red Devil goal resulted directly from the resulting corner kick.

Messiah right now is struggling a bit in the back line, owing to the absence of two AA CBs--Jake Kent-Loop, now with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Ben Vollmer, who has missed all but the opening minutes of the first game with some sort of leg injury. An important backup CB last fall, FR Mark Adja (who scored the lone goal vs Dickinson last year), is now playing regularly for Howard County (MD) Community College, where he already has 2 goals.

Dickinson has more speed and overall talent this year than I have ever seen them have. IMO, they will contend for the Centennial title, barring major injuries or a collapse of some sort. Yes, they gave the Falcons all they could handle last fall and followed up with a mediocre season, but the talent and speed aren't going to disappear. Indeed, I think they have every bit as much team speed as the top notch Kenyon team that seriously outshot Messiah in that 2021 tournament game. It's rare that an opponent can match Messiah in that aspect, but Dickinson did last night. Kudos to them.

Ejay · September 12, 2024, 04:09:52 PM

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on September 11, 2024, 07:53:36 PM0-0 with F&M having the better chances, but no real finishing. E town's keeper had a very nice save.

Got very very chippy and the end. Ref is letting get out of hand. Crappy field doesn't help. 45 min still to go

I know it's not the case, but it certainly appeared refs were doing everything they could to help F&M. 6 yellow cards for Etown on mostly very soft calls. 1 for F&M. Then with 10 seconds left, Etown winger gets clobbered in the box by defender who made no attempt at the ball. As a ref myself I don't know if I would have the guts to make that call either, but it was deserved. The icing on the cake was the first F&M PK that was saved after going straight down the middle, and ref said Etown keeper moved early, which on video replay he didn't. Again, I'm 99.99999% sure they didn't have the fix in, so I'll just chalk it up to "not a great day at the office".

For what it's worth, F&M didn't look great, and for the second time this year they couldn't score (after scoring in every game for 2 years). This has to be a concern. And with both Dickinson and Swat off to strong starts, the Centennial is going to be super interesting.

eaglesoccerdad · September 13, 2024, 05:12:16 PM

4 minutes in UMW 1- Mt Union 0
Castillo with the goal

SierraFD3soccer · September 13, 2024, 05:28:54 PM

Quote from: Ejay on September 12, 2024, 04:09:52 PM
Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on September 11, 2024, 07:53:36 PM0-0 with F&M having the better chances, but no real finishing. E town's keeper had a very nice save.

Got very very chippy and the end. Ref is letting get out of hand. Crappy field doesn't help. 45 min still to go

For what it's worth, F&M didn't look great, and for the second time this year they couldn't score (after scoring in every game for 2 years). This has to be a concern. And with both Dickinson and Swat off to strong starts, the Centennial is going to be super interesting.

Nope, definitely do not. Still struggling. Decent in 2/3rds of the field, but struggled in the last third. Some good chances, but could not convert. As to ref, hard to say, because Etown field. Couple of the yellows (green cards as the announcer strangely called them, haha) were earned.

Cent. Conf. is definitely wide, wide open.

eaglesoccerdad · September 13, 2024, 05:39:32 PM

UMW 2 Mt Union 0 13 minutes left in 1H
Berg with a nice layoff for Castillo's 2nd

eaglesoccerdad · September 13, 2024, 05:40:29 PM

Now 3-0 goal by Vargas
Mt Union hasn't had a lot going forward

eaglesoccerdad · September 13, 2024, 06:20:34 PM

10 minutes in Mt Union gets one back
3-1

eaglesoccerdad · September 13, 2024, 06:58:08 PM

Quote from: eaglesoccerdad on September 13, 2024, 06:20:34 PM10 minutes in Mt Union gets one back
3-1

3-1 final

eaglesoccerdad · September 13, 2024, 08:04:14 PM

Rhoades up 2-0 on Hampden Sydney after 25 minutes

Hopkins92 · September 14, 2024, 04:01:20 PM

Hopkins with a typical came up in Newark. 1-0 win with lots of possession. At one point deep in the second half the broadcasters stated RUN hadn't had a shot on goal. Woof.

But, still, with 30 seconds to go, Hop gives up a corner and just really brings the point home that they need to try and push for that second goal. That Kenyon game should have this squad on high alert.

And they WERE pressing and had a few close calls. And full disclosure, I sped watched this game.

Kuiper · September 14, 2024, 06:04:39 PM

Alvernia goes up 3-0 early in the first half and survives a furious comeback to beat #2 SUNY Cortland 3-2. Pretty big turnaround for the team that lost 4-1 at Cortland last season.

SierraFD3soccer · September 14, 2024, 08:13:31 PM

WOW! That is really impressive.

Freddyfud · September 14, 2024, 08:24:26 PM

Salisbury holding on to a 2-0 lead in the 58' at Messiah.

Kuiper · September 14, 2024, 08:50:32 PM

Quote from: Freddyfud on September 14, 2024, 08:24:26 PMSalisbury holding on to a 2-0 lead in the 58' at Messiah.

FINAL: Salisbury 3 - Messiah 1

If last game was Messiah's first regular season loss in several years, when was the last time they lost two in a row at home in the regular season?

The other way to look at this is that Salisbury (and Dickinson last game) are pretty good this year. After all, Salisbury beat Rowan to open the season. They lack consistency (a tie to TCNJ for example), but their two losses have been to Dickinson and Washington College, two strong teams.