Mid-Atlantic Region

[Ejay]

I would say this was a huge win for Scranton, but to your point Drew is down this year for some reason so I'm not sure 'huge" would be appropriate.  Nonetheless, 3-0 is an absolute but whooping and congrats are certainly in order.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

A very solid, satisfying 2-0 win for the Falcons tonight, despite terrible officiating and a powerful crosswind especially in the second half. Nick West scored both goals--I know, you've heard that before, but it's still true. He has now scored in 14 straight games, and if he scores again at the Homecoming game Saturday night he'll tie the all-time D3 record. Both goals were lovely, but the first is an absolute highlight. Be sure to see the video when it goes up. But, his best shot of the evening was a rocket that suddenly broke seemingly straight down and smashed off the crossbar perhaps mid-way through the first half. A few inches lower, and it's another hat trick.

The Falcons did tonight exactly what they had to do: minimize the corners for Lycoming (who nearly scored on one anyway), stay cool while being manhandled (the most incredible statistic tonight is zero cards, when at least five were mandatory and one should have been a double card on Tueno when he threw the ball down after deliberately shoving a Falcon to the ground and failing to receive a call against the Falcon), and take advantage of the opportunities given. Lycoming hustled, played with intelligence, were well organized defensively--no surprises there. Many teams would have been intimidated by their over-the-top physical play, but the official was the only man on the field who appeared to be intimidated. The Falcons kept getting back on their feet, making the right passes, and taking the best shots. The score tonight accurately reflects the way the game went on the field.

I agree with bits and pieces of this assessment Falconer. I do not think the officiating was terrible as there were no calls that had any major impact on the outcome of the game. I do agree that there easily could have and should have been some cards dished out throughout the duration of this contest. With that said, Messiah most certainly fouled more than 5 times so they also got away with plenty. Overall I thought the officiating wasn't the best but wasn't terrible as, you claim, by any means.

Now onto the fun stuff! West lives up to the hype (for any doubters left) and is a joy to watch. What a player! The Falcons controlled the ball a majority of the game which is expected when they face anyone but is always the case vs Lycoming. And as always Lycoming was able to minimize the Falcons chances and absorb stretches of pressure when they didn't have the ball. I'd say possession was 60/40 to the Flacons. Is that fair? But in the end both teams had about the same amount of dangerous chances which Messiah made the most of. This was a highly contested match and fun to watch from a neutral perspective. I may be bias as an avid lover of the region, but these are without a doubt 2 of the best teams in the country. This game could have gone either way and Lycoming was unfortunate not to get on the board as they had 2 saved off the goal line, one rocket the post, and a bicycle kick saved that if placed anywhere but down the middle was destine for the back of the net. Lycoming was dangerous on all set pieces but Messiah got through it, which is a testament to them. On the other side, Messiah moved the ball well and played within themselves. I did expect a little more from the Falcons with being at home and on their grass surface, but Lycoming didn't look phased at all. Ruiz-Plaza is the orchestrator of this team and so dynamic in moving the ball and getting it switched out the other side. Robbins was a force in the back as well and is starting to take form after some injuries earlier in the year. I don't anticipate the Falcons losing the rest of the regular season so that would put them at an impressive 15-0-2 headed into conference playoffs.   

I would anticipate both of these teams being contenders come November if they make NCAA's (Messiah is already a lock). For all of our sakes I would love to see a rematch with these two as it has been the game to watch each year in the region.   

[PaulNewman]

I agree that the officiating was not horrible.  I watched virtually the whole game and I didn't observe any dirty or outrageous play.  Tueno seemed to be a hothead and lost his cool several times and certainly deserved a card.  Other than that, I didn't see anything that one wouldn't see in an average NESCAC game.  Lycoming looked like a good team and did not appear overwhelmed by Messiah as I expected.  That said, IMO Messiah was fully in control throughout and clearly the stronger team.  A Lycoming goal certainly could have changed the dynamic, but in my view that game was closer to a 3-0 score than a 1-0 outcome.

I will reiterate again that West is fantastic.  My only question might be whether Messiah is starting to rely on him too much and will they be able to get scoring elsewhere on some rare occasion when West is held in check.  I'm used to Messiah getting goals from at least 5-6 different places.  Obviously every team in the country would love to have such problems.

[rudy]

A very solid, satisfying 2-0 win for the Falcons tonight, despite terrible officiating and a powerful crosswind especially in the second half. Nick West scored both goals--I know, you've heard that before, but it's still true. He has now scored in 14 straight games, and if he scores again at the Homecoming game Saturday night he'll tie the all-time D3 record. Both goals were lovely, but the first is an absolute highlight. Be sure to see the video when it goes up. But, his best shot of the evening was a rocket that suddenly broke seemingly straight down and smashed off the crossbar perhaps mid-way through the first half. A few inches lower, and it's another hat trick.

The Falcons did tonight exactly what they had to do: minimize the corners for Lycoming (who nearly scored on one anyway), stay cool while being manhandled (the most incredible statistic tonight is zero cards, when at least five were mandatory and one should have been a double card on Tueno when he threw the ball down after deliberately shoving a Falcon to the ground and failing to receive a call against the Falcon), and take advantage of the opportunities given. Lycoming hustled, played with intelligence, were well organized defensively--no surprises there. Many teams would have been intimidated by their over-the-top physical play, but the official was the only man on the field who appeared to be intimidated. The Falcons kept getting back on their feet, making the right passes, and taking the best shots. The score tonight accurately reflects the way the game went on the field.

I agree with bits and pieces of this assessment Falconer. I do not think the officiating was terrible as there were no calls that had any major impact on the outcome of the game. I do agree that there easily could have and should have been some cards dished out throughout the duration of this contest. With that said, Messiah most certainly fouled more than 5 times so they also got away with plenty. Overall I thought the officiating wasn't the best but wasn't terrible as, you claim, by any means.

Now onto the fun stuff! West lives up to the hype (for any doubters left) and is a joy to watch. What a player! The Falcons controlled the ball a majority of the game which is expected when they face anyone but is always the case vs Lycoming. And as always Lycoming was able to minimize the Falcons chances and absorb stretches of pressure when they didn't have the ball. I'd say possession was 60/40 to the Flacons. Is that fair? But in the end both teams had about the same amount of dangerous chances which Messiah made the most of. This was a highly contested match and fun to watch from a neutral perspective. I may be bias as an avid lover of the region, but these are without a doubt 2 of the best teams in the country. This game could have gone either way and Lycoming was unfortunate not to get on the board as they had 2 saved off the goal line, one rocket the post, and a bicycle kick saved that if placed anywhere but down the middle was destine for the back of the net. Lycoming was dangerous on all set pieces but Messiah got through it, which is a testament to them. On the other side, Messiah moved the ball well and played within themselves. I did expect a little more from the Falcons with being at home and on their grass surface, but Lycoming didn't look phased at all. Ruiz-Plaza is the orchestrator of this team and so dynamic in moving the ball and getting it switched out the other side. Robbins was a force in the back as well and is starting to take form after some injuries earlier in the year. I don't anticipate the Falcons losing the rest of the regular season so that would put them at an impressive 15-0-2 headed into conference playoffs.   

I would anticipate both of these teams being contenders come November if they make NCAA's (Messiah is already a lock). For all of our sakes I would love to see a rematch with these two as it has been the game to watch each year in the region.

More than likely there will be a conference finals rematch between the two at Messiah. If both teams results are what is expected. I do think Lycoming style of play is to foul often, and sometimes hard, to try to throw off the other team. Looked like they may have gotten away with a no call in the box against West once but hard to tell for sure.  A stricter ref would have pulled out some yellows.  Messiah dodged a couple bullets on corner and free kicks.  I think missing some key players with injuries hurts Messiah but they did well to come out on top. Lycoming has speed, aggressiveness, and endurance so Messiah can't wear them down. Also surprisingly Lyco actually subbed more players than Messiah so they appear to be deep.

[PaulNewman]

I did think West got hauled down from behind in the box....not dirty from my view but more desperate...and a clear PK even though the Messiah announcers concluded it was a fair no-call.  West doesn't strike me as a player who goes down easily.

[Shooter McGavin]

There was a tackle from behind in the box but the official waved it off right away and looked like all ball to me. Also no players even hinted at complaining for a call so I imagine it was the correct decision to not make a call in that situation.

PaulNewman--I do have to disagree with your stance that it was closer to 3-0 rather than 1-0...why do you feel this way? Lycoming completely switched things up trying to get an equalizer for the last half of the 2nd half by moving Tueno up top. I don't know if Messiah gets a 2nd goal if Lycoming either equalizes or doesn't give up the first one. It looked like they went to 3 in the back for the last 20ish minutes but I could be wrong. But Tueno was definitely up top and not at CB for the last half of the 2nd half. There was one strike that West had off the cross bar in the first half that was a rocket and I believe someone already mentioned this earlier. That was a well hit ball and half a yard down and its a wonder goal. I do agree that they are starting to rely a little much on him. What happens when he has an off game in NCAA's? Do they survive? That I do not know but at this rate he may not have an off game! 

Overall I thought this game could have gone either way even after Messiah went up 1-0. Lycoming responded well and cracked the post about 10 minutes later and had multiple chances to get one back. Giving up a second with 5 minutes left from pressing and throwing numbers forward to get a second happens but would you rather them sit back and play for a 1-0 loss? I am confused on your logic with that stance. Hopeful for a rematch as I enjoyed this game more than others I have watched throughout the nation.

[PaulNewman]

There was a tackle from behind in the box but the official waved it off right away and looked like all ball to me. Also no players even hinted at complaining for a call so I imagine it was the correct decision to not make a call in that situation.

PaulNewman--I do have to disagree with your stance that it was closer to 3-0 rather than 1-0...why do you feel this way? Lycoming completely switched things up trying to get an equalizer for the last half of the 2nd half by moving Tueno up top. I don't know if Messiah gets a 2nd goal if Lycoming either equalizes or doesn't give up the first one. It looked like they went to 3 in the back for the last 20ish minutes but I could be wrong. But Tueno was definitely up top and not at CB for the last half of the 2nd half. There was one strike that West had off the cross bar in the first half that was a rocket and I believe someone already mentioned this earlier. That was a well hit ball and half a yard down and its a wonder goal. I do agree that they are starting to rely a little much on him. What happens when he has an off game in NCAA's? Do they survive? That I do not know but at this rate he may not have an off game! 

Overall I thought this game could have gone either way even after Messiah went up 1-0. Lycoming responded well and cracked the post about 10 minutes later and had multiple chances to get one back. Giving up a second with 5 minutes left from pressing and throwing numbers forward to get a second happens but would you rather them sit back and play for a 1-0 loss? I am confused on your logic with that stance. Hopeful for a rematch as I enjoyed this game more than others I have watched throughout the nation.

You might be right.  I never thought the game was in doubt even when it was 1-0.  Now, if Lyco has scored on the bike kick or otherwise that might have tightened things up, but my guess is that Messiah would have responded.  I did say that Lyco didn't look overwhelmed, which is a good sign, but I don't see them beating Messiah on that big grass field unless they can somehow get to PKs.

[Shooter McGavin]

I'll go with Messiah....in a statement game....4-1 or 5-1.

When was the last time they gave up 5 goals in a game? From what I found it looks like all the way back in 2012 vs Messiah when they lost 6-0. This was before the Gibboney era began at Lycoming and was in a year they went 4-10-2. Since Gibboney took over they have never given up 5 goals in a game and only given up 4 twice. 

The last time they gave up 4 was the 2014 final vs Messiah and before that was in the 2013 NCAA tournament vs Rutgers-Camden in his first year. 

[PaulNewman]

I'll go with Messiah....in a statement game....4-1 or 5-1.

When was the last time they gave up 5 goals in a game? From what I found it looks like all the way back in 2012 vs Messiah when they lost 6-0. This was before the Gibboney era began at Lycoming and was in a year they went 4-10-2. Since Gibboney took over they have never given up 5 goals in a game and only given up 4 twice. 

The last time they gave up 4 was the 2014 final vs Messiah and before that was in the 2013 NCAA tournament vs Rutgers-Camden in his first year.

You're right, and I was wrong.  Would you concede, though, that Messiah could have gotten 3?  And it's not like West wasn't covered on the 2nd goal...wasn't a breakaway with Lyco having no numbers back.

[Shooter McGavin]

One other fun fact while I was looking back through the schedules was that since 2013 when Gibboney took over, the series between Messiah and Lycoming is in favor to the falcons 6 wins to 4 in 10 contests. Messiah has won 2 times at Lycoming and 4 times at home. Lycoming has won 2 times both home and away. The rivalry is real and fantastic to watch year in and year out. 

[Shooter McGavin]

I'll go with Messiah....in a statement game....4-1 or 5-1.

When was the last time they gave up 5 goals in a game? From what I found it looks like all the way back in 2012 vs Messiah when they lost 6-0. This was before the Gibboney era began at Lycoming and was in a year they went 4-10-2. Since Gibboney took over they have never given up 5 goals in a game and only given up 4 twice. 

The last time they gave up 4 was the 2014 final vs Messiah and before that was in the 2013 NCAA tournament vs Rutgers-Camden in his first year.

You're right, and I was wrong.  Would you concede, though, that Messiah could have gotten 3?  And it's not like West wasn't covered on the 2nd goal...wasn't a breakaway with Lyco having no numbers back.

I don't disagree that they could have gotten 3. I also think Lycoming could have gotten 3 as well with the amount of dangerous chances they created which is why I think it was an even game rather than closer to a lopsided game as I think you are hinting at.

[PaulNewman]

I'll go with Messiah....in a statement game....4-1 or 5-1.

When was the last time they gave up 5 goals in a game? From what I found it looks like all the way back in 2012 vs Messiah when they lost 6-0. This was before the Gibboney era began at Lycoming and was in a year they went 4-10-2. Since Gibboney took over they have never given up 5 goals in a game and only given up 4 twice. 

The last time they gave up 4 was the 2014 final vs Messiah and before that was in the 2013 NCAA tournament vs Rutgers-Camden in his first year.

You're right, and I was wrong.  Would you concede, though, that Messiah could have gotten 3?  And it's not like West wasn't covered on the 2nd goal...wasn't a breakaway with Lyco having no numbers back.

I don't disagree that they could have gotten 3. I also think Lycoming could have gotten 3 as well with the amount of dangerous chances they created which is why I think it was an even game rather than closer to a lopsided game as I think you are hinting at.

As you were watching did you think Lyco was going to win, or get a draw?

[PaulNewman]

I think sometimes perceptions are impacted by expectations.  I never expect Messiah to lose and I don't have the anxiety that a Messiah fan might have watching, and I'm also not a Lyco supporter to influence me that way.  I spent the entire Kenyon-OWU certain that Kenyon would lose, as I do every time they play, even when logic says otherwise or like yesterday when shots were 29-12.

[Falconer]

I agree with bits and pieces of this assessment Falconer. I do not think the officiating was terrible as there were no calls that had any major impact on the outcome of the game. I do agree that there easily could have and should have been some cards dished out throughout the duration of this contest. With that said, Messiah most certainly fouled more than 5 times so they also got away with plenty. Overall I thought the officiating wasn't the best but wasn't terrible as, you claim, by any means.

We do differ here, MAF. Some former players near my seat repeatedly commented on how bad the officiating was last night.

On one of the non-calls, West was knocked down in the box--and anyone who watches him regularly knows that he is pretty strong and never dives. That non-call was huge. Another non-call involved a Falcon who was breaking free into dangerous territory outside the box. Several Falcons were simply run over by Warriors, others were shoved (and sometimes went down) when they didn't have the ball at all. The term "cheap shot" comes to mind. Those are all cardable plays, and when they are consistently not called it emboldens the offenders--some of whom clearly were giving lip to the official when they were called, as if they had done nothing. I cannot fathom why Tueno's display drew no consequence.

I would say that the official foul count of 16 to 5 could fairly have been doubled, each way. This one got out of control in the first few minutes, unfortunately. How much better the game would have been, if it had been under control. Perhaps we would agree on at least that much.

[Shooter McGavin]

I'll go with Messiah....in a statement game....4-1 or 5-1.

When was the last time they gave up 5 goals in a game? From what I found it looks like all the way back in 2012 vs Messiah when they lost 6-0. This was before the Gibboney era began at Lycoming and was in a year they went 4-10-2. Since Gibboney took over they have never given up 5 goals in a game and only given up 4 twice. 

The last time they gave up 4 was the 2014 final vs Messiah and before that was in the 2013 NCAA tournament vs Rutgers-Camden in his first year.

You're right, and I was wrong.  Would you concede, though, that Messiah could have gotten 3?  And it's not like West wasn't covered on the 2nd goal...wasn't a breakaway with Lyco having no numbers back.

I don't disagree that they could have gotten 3. I also think Lycoming could have gotten 3 as well with the amount of dangerous chances they created which is why I think it was an even game rather than closer to a lopsided game as I think you are hinting at.

As you were watching did you think Lyco was going to win, or get a draw?

When Messiah went up 1-0 I thought it would be difficult for Lycoming to get a win but I did think they were more than capable of getting a result. I did not think they would lose 3-0 as the game wore on and actually thought a 1 goal game was going to happen rather than a 3 or 4 goal game. Lycoming controlled nice stretches of the game and had Messiah on their heels but Messiah dealt with it well and finished them off on the counter. I do think Messiah was the better team but no where near lopsided.