Mid-Atlantic Region

[Hopkins92]

F&M takes down the Jays 2-0. Quite a week for the Dips, with a win over LVC and now today.

Hopkins is flirting with trouble for the tournament. We'll see what the regional rankings say on Wed, but they might need a result in the CC tourney?

At any rate, Haverford and Swat are in OT in a game with playoff seeding implications... Let's go check the stream!

Little Garnets with the 1OT winner.

[Hopkins92]

I know this isn't a CC thread, but just to put a bow on today's action in the Centennial.

Hopkins with the #1 seed will face the winner of Gettysburg v. Washington (1st round).
F&M will play Swat in the other semi.

I *think* F&M has home field, but I'm REALLY not sure, so put zero faith in that. It's just the way the CC website has the standings listed.

[Hopkins Walk-On]

Actually, JHU plays the winner of Gettysburg (#5) and Swarthmore (#4) in Baltimore on Friday. F&M (#3) plays Washington College (#2) in Chestertown. Semi-winners play in Baltimore on Sunday.

[Ejay]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

[SimpleCoach]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

This is a conference that is one where I ask, why aren't the teams better?  So much going for these schools.

[PaulNewman]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

This is a conference that is one where I ask, why aren't the teams better?  So much going for these schools.

SC, can you say a little more?  What strikes you as attractive about them?  They don't get talked about much here, other than occasional passing references to Catholic, and E'town in context of its rivalry with Messiah.

[SimpleCoach]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

This is a conference that is one where I ask, why aren't the teams better?  So much going for these schools.

SC, can you say a little more?  What strikes you as attractive about them?  They don't get talked about much here, other than occasional passing references to Catholic, and E'town in context of its rivalry with Messiah.

Sure.  I can't speak for Susquehanna.  My only familiarity with it is I had a colleague from years ago ... who went there.  I am thinking in the context here of the other three schools.  Not talking about academics because ultimately that's something beyond the control of coaches, etc.

So lets start with Elizabethtown.  They have a long history of success, including a national championship.  Central PA with access to some premier level talent ... think PA Classics, FC Continental, Delco, Lehigh Valley, and I haven't even gone west yet.  Competitively, they contend with Messiah, Gettysburg, maybe Muhlenberg, for talent.  I would actually suggest Scranton is in the same situation.

Drew is in a similar position.  Great location in New Jersey.  Probably compete with more schools in the area for talent, but they  have access to top clubs like PDA, STA, Cedar Stars, and a number of other clubs that I would categorize as second tier.  And if a kid is good enough, he has to choose from RU-Newark, Rowan, RU-Camden, maybe Stockton.  From a soccer perspective, TCNJ is no longer in the mix as I don't think the coach cares one way or another.  So unless a kid is going out of state, those are his choices. 

And then Catholic.  Right in DC on a beautiful campus, 10 minutes from the White House.  In the middle of some incredible soccer as well.  All the Baltimore clubs, the NOVA Clubs ... no shortage talent.  Frankly in my mind, I don't see why they are not in the Top 20 conversation year in and year out.

I don't know much about Juniata, Goucher, and Moravian, so not including them in this take.

Not familiar with the coaches of the schools, their recruiting strategies, and how they get along with youth coaches in the area.  I am sure that is the biggest factor.  I do know a couple of kids who went to each of those schools and met with different degrees of success.  But everyone has those stories.

That's my thinking at least.  Not sure if it is right or fleshed out completely, but it is what it is now.  Would like for someone to convince me otherwise so I don't ask myself that question every time they come up in conversation.

[Ejay]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

This is a conference that is one where I ask, why aren't the teams better?  So much going for these schools.

SC, can you say a little more?  What strikes you as attractive about them?  They don't get talked about much here, other than occasional passing references to Catholic, and E'town in context of its rivalry with Messiah.

Sure.  I can't speak for Susquehanna.  My only familiarity with it is I had a colleague from years ago ... who went there.  I am thinking in the context here of the other three schools.  Not talking about academics because ultimately that's something beyond the control of coaches, etc.

So lets start with Elizabethtown.  They have a long history of success, including a national championship.  Central PA with access to some premier level talent ... think PA Classics, FC Continental, Delco, Lehigh Valley, and I haven't even gone west yet.  Competitively, they contend with Messiah, Gettysburg, maybe Muhlenberg, for talent.  I would actually suggest Scranton is in the same situation.

Drew is in a similar position.  Great location in New Jersey.  Probably compete with more schools in the area for talent, but they  have access to top clubs like PDA, STA, Cedar Stars, and a number of other clubs that I would categorize as second tier.  And if a kid is good enough, he has to choose from RU-Newark, Rowan, RU-Camden, maybe Stockton.  From a soccer perspective, TCNJ is no longer in the mix as I don't think the coach cares one way or another.  So unless a kid is going out of state, those are his choices. 

And then Catholic.  Right in DC on a beautiful campus, 10 minutes from the White House.  In the middle of some incredible soccer as well.  All the Baltimore clubs, the NOVA Clubs ... no shortage talent.  Frankly in my mind, I don't see why they are not in the Top 20 conversation year in and year out.

I don't know much about Juniata, Goucher, and Moravian, so not including them in this take.

Not familiar with the coaches of the schools, their recruiting strategies, and how they get along with youth coaches in the area.  I am sure that is the biggest factor.  I do know a couple of kids who went to each of those schools and met with different degrees of success.  But everyone has those stories.

That's my thinking at least.  Not sure if it is right or fleshed out completely, but it is what it is now.  Would like for someone to convince me otherwise so I don't ask myself that question every time they come up in conversation.

I'm intimately familiar with many of these schools and that's a decent take on the situation.  The Landmark schools should be on par with the Centennial schools, the only difference is they don't have the name brand recognition.  For example, many people know Gettysburg and Muhlenberg, but not many know Drew or Scranton - which are more or less peer institutions.

What's even more interesting is that half of the Landmark schools have no football teams, so you would think soccer would be THE sport. And at times it was, though not consistently. The 2003 Drew team was 20-2-3 and gave up 6 goals all season, including 17 straight clean sheets which was an NCAA record.  They lost to Trinity in the NCAA final 2-1. Scranton was a powerhouse in the 80's, rarely losing more than 2-3 games and went deep in the Tournament several times. 

The recruiting comment is interesting.  As SC noted, the NJ, Eastern PA and DC area is a hotbed for recruiting.  I just think there are too many options in the area, and the school themselves don't really have anything unique to distinguish themselves so the talent pool gets diluted among all the schools.

I'd love to see a unique thread that talks about programs which should be better, or were once really good but no longer are, and what happened.  The prime example being TCNJ.  No reason whatsoever that program shouldn't be fielding a Top 20 team every year, as they do in almost every other sport beside men's soccer. As a NJ guy, it's such a shame to see.

[Hopkins92]

Actually, JHU plays the winner of Gettysburg (#5) and Swarthmore (#4) in Baltimore on Friday. F&M (#3) plays Washington College (#2) in Chestertown. Semi-winners play in Baltimore on Sunday.

Thanks man. I was going by the standing on the CC website but it didn't really feel right.

[backheel18]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

This is a conference that is one where I ask, why aren't the teams better?  So much going for these schools.

SC, can you say a little more?  What strikes you as attractive about them?  They don't get talked about much here, other than occasional passing references to Catholic, and E'town in context of its rivalry with Messiah.

Sure.  I can't speak for Susquehanna.  My only familiarity with it is I had a colleague from years ago ... who went there.  I am thinking in the context here of the other three schools.  Not talking about academics because ultimately that's something beyond the control of coaches, etc.

So lets start with Elizabethtown.  They have a long history of success, including a national championship.  Central PA with access to some premier level talent ... think PA Classics, FC Continental, Delco, Lehigh Valley, and I haven't even gone west yet.  Competitively, they contend with Messiah, Gettysburg, maybe Muhlenberg, for talent.  I would actually suggest Scranton is in the same situation.

Drew is in a similar position.  Great location in New Jersey.  Probably compete with more schools in the area for talent, but they  have access to top clubs like PDA, STA, Cedar Stars, and a number of other clubs that I would categorize as second tier.  And if a kid is good enough, he has to choose from RU-Newark, Rowan, RU-Camden, maybe Stockton.  From a soccer perspective, TCNJ is no longer in the mix as I don't think the coach cares one way or another.  So unless a kid is going out of state, those are his choices. 

And then Catholic.  Right in DC on a beautiful campus, 10 minutes from the White House.  In the middle of some incredible soccer as well.  All the Baltimore clubs, the NOVA Clubs ... no shortage talent.  Frankly in my mind, I don't see why they are not in the Top 20 conversation year in and year out.

I don't know much about Juniata, Goucher, and Moravian, so not including them in this take.

Not familiar with the coaches of the schools, their recruiting strategies, and how they get along with youth coaches in the area.  I am sure that is the biggest factor.  I do know a couple of kids who went to each of those schools and met with different degrees of success.  But everyone has those stories.

That's my thinking at least.  Not sure if it is right or fleshed out completely, but it is what it is now.  Would like for someone to convince me otherwise so I don't ask myself that question every time they come up in conversation.

I'm intimately familiar with many of these schools and that's a decent take on the situation.  The Landmark schools should be on par with the Centennial schools, the only difference is they don't have the name brand recognition.  For example, many people know Gettysburg and Muhlenberg, but not many know Drew or Scranton - which are more or less peer institutions.

What's even more interesting is that half of the Landmark schools have no football teams, so you would think soccer would be THE sport. And at times it was, though not consistently. The 2003 Drew team was 20-2-3 and gave up 6 goals all season, including 17 straight clean sheets which was an NCAA record.  They lost to Trinity in the NCAA final 2-1. Scranton was a powerhouse in the 80's, rarely losing more than 2-3 games and went deep in the Tournament several times. 

The recruiting comment is interesting.  As SC noted, the NJ, Eastern PA and DC area is a hotbed for recruiting.  I just think there are too many options in the area, and the school themselves don't really have anything unique to distinguish themselves so the talent pool gets diluted among all the schools.

I'd love to see a unique thread that talks about programs which should be better, or were once really good but no longer are, and what happened.  The prime example being TCNJ.  No reason whatsoever that program shouldn't be fielding a Top 20 team every year, as they do in almost every other sport beside men's soccer. As a NJ guy, it's such a shame to see.

I agree that many of these schools are in prime recruiting locations (other than Juniata), but also agree with the assessment that there are so many schools on the eastern seaboard that it dilutes recruiting.

Not sure why so many of those schools are down, maybe not being able to bring as many recruits on campus during Covid?. Scranton really struggled this year and Catholic did not look like the slick passing team that they normally are under Travis. I watched some of their match over the weekend and they allowed the game to be a track meet up and down the field. They may have out shot Juniata by a wide margin, but were also dangerously close to giving up a goal late to lose.

I have known a number of people that have gone to each of the schools, and have heard little other than how wonderful they are. However, the confrence should be putting out better soccer as a whole. Especially given the duration of time most of the coaches have had. Skip has been at Etown since the dawn of time and Lenny has been at Drew since the 90s. Other than Juniata and Moravian, the other 6 schools have not changed coaches in more than a decade.

At least Scranton's women make the conference look good.

[NEPAFAN]

Landmark playoffs set for Tue.

#4 Susquehanna (3-2-2; 9-7-2) @ #1 Catholic (5-1-1; 9-6-2)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Catholic

#3 Elizabethtown (4-2-1; 9-5-2) @ #2 Drew (5-1-1; 8-7-1)
First meeting was 2-1 in OT to Drew

This is a conference that is one where I ask, why aren't the teams better?  So much going for these schools.

SC, can you say a little more?  What strikes you as attractive about them?  They don't get talked about much here, other than occasional passing references to Catholic, and E'town in context of its rivalry with Messiah.

Sure.  I can't speak for Susquehanna.  My only familiarity with it is I had a colleague from years ago ... who went there.  I am thinking in the context here of the other three schools.  Not talking about academics because ultimately that's something beyond the control of coaches, etc.

So lets start with Elizabethtown.  They have a long history of success, including a national championship.  Central PA with access to some premier level talent ... think PA Classics, FC Continental, Delco, Lehigh Valley, and I haven't even gone west yet.  Competitively, they contend with Messiah, Gettysburg, maybe Muhlenberg, for talent.  I would actually suggest Scranton is in the same situation.

Drew is in a similar position.  Great location in New Jersey.  Probably compete with more schools in the area for talent, but they  have access to top clubs like PDA, STA, Cedar Stars, and a number of other clubs that I would categorize as second tier.  And if a kid is good enough, he has to choose from RU-Newark, Rowan, RU-Camden, maybe Stockton.  From a soccer perspective, TCNJ is no longer in the mix as I don't think the coach cares one way or another.  So unless a kid is going out of state, those are his choices. 

And then Catholic.  Right in DC on a beautiful campus, 10 minutes from the White House.  In the middle of some incredible soccer as well.  All the Baltimore clubs, the NOVA Clubs ... no shortage talent.  Frankly in my mind, I don't see why they are not in the Top 20 conversation year in and year out.

I don't know much about Juniata, Goucher, and Moravian, so not including them in this take.

Not familiar with the coaches of the schools, their recruiting strategies, and how they get along with youth coaches in the area.  I am sure that is the biggest factor.  I do know a couple of kids who went to each of those schools and met with different degrees of success.  But everyone has those stories.

That's my thinking at least.  Not sure if it is right or fleshed out completely, but it is what it is now.  Would like for someone to convince me otherwise so I don't ask myself that question every time they come up in conversation.

I'm intimately familiar with many of these schools and that's a decent take on the situation.  The Landmark schools should be on par with the Centennial schools, the only difference is they don't have the name brand recognition.  For example, many people know Gettysburg and Muhlenberg, but not many know Drew or Scranton - which are more or less peer institutions.

What's even more interesting is that half of the Landmark schools have no football teams, so you would think soccer would be THE sport. And at times it was, though not consistently. The 2003 Drew team was 20-2-3 and gave up 6 goals all season, including 17 straight clean sheets which was an NCAA record.  They lost to Trinity in the NCAA final 2-1. Scranton was a powerhouse in the 80's, rarely losing more than 2-3 games and went deep in the Tournament several times. 

The recruiting comment is interesting.  As SC noted, the NJ, Eastern PA and DC area is a hotbed for recruiting.  I just think there are too many options in the area, and the school themselves don't really have anything unique to distinguish themselves so the talent pool gets diluted among all the schools.

I'd love to see a unique thread that talks about programs which should be better, or were once really good but no longer are, and what happened.  The prime example being TCNJ.  No reason whatsoever that program shouldn't be fielding a Top 20 team every year, as they do in almost every other sport beside men's soccer. As a NJ guy, it's such a shame to see.

I agree that many of these schools are in prime recruiting locations (other than Juniata), but also agree with the assessment that there are so many schools on the eastern seaboard that it dilutes recruiting.

Not sure why so many of those schools are down, maybe not being able to bring as many recruits on campus during Covid?. Scranton really struggled this year and Catholic did not look like the slick passing team that they normally are under Travis. I watched some of their match over the weekend and they allowed the game to be a track meet up and down the field. They may have out shot Juniata by a wide margin, but were also dangerously close to giving up a goal late to lose.

I have known a number of people that have gone to each of the schools, and have heard little other than how wonderful they are. However, the confrence should be putting out better soccer as a whole. Especially given the duration of time most of the coaches have had. Skip has been at Etown since the dawn of time and Lenny has been at Drew since the 90s. Other than Juniata and Moravian, the other 6 schools have not changed coaches in more than a decade.

At least Scranton's women make the conference look good.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/AQDIdni3pu1tn/

Landmark Championship preview...

[Ejay]

EJay's prediction:
Susquehanna upsets Catholic 2-1 with a late game winner
Drew takes Elizabethtown 2-1 in OT

[backheel18]

EJay's prediction:
Susquehanna upsets Catholic 2-1 with a late game winner
Drew takes Elizabethtown 2-1 in OT

I'm wondering if the grass field at Etown throws Drew off enough for Etown to get a win. 

I will go Etown over Drew 1-0 in OT and Catholic 2-0 over Susquehanna....although, I could see Susquehanna shocking Catholic at home. The only time Juniata made it into the Landmark tourney, they were 4 and went to Catholic and upset them 3-1. Defend well wide and get in behind their outside backs.

[Ejay]

EJay's prediction:
Susquehanna upsets Catholic 2-1 with a late game winner
Drew takes Elizabethtown 2-1 in OT

I'm wondering if the grass field at Etown throws Drew off enough for Etown to get a win. 

I will go Etown over Drew 1-0 in OT and Catholic 2-0 over Susquehanna....although, I could see Susquehanna shocking Catholic at home. The only time Juniata made it into the Landmark tourney, they were 4 and went to Catholic and upset them 3-1. Defend well wide and get in behind their outside backs.

Drew is home on turf against Elizabethtown

[backheel18]

EJay's prediction:
Susquehanna upsets Catholic 2-1 with a late game winner
Drew takes Elizabethtown 2-1 in OT

I'm wondering if the grass field at Etown throws Drew off enough for Etown to get a win. 

I will go Etown over Drew 1-0 in OT and Catholic 2-0 over Susquehanna....although, I could see Susquehanna shocking Catholic at home. The only time Juniata made it into the Landmark tourney, they were 4 and went to Catholic and upset them 3-1. Defend well wide and get in behind their outside backs.

Drew is home on turf against Elizabethtown

Not the first, nor last time I will be wrong.