Mid-Atlantic Region

[Hopkins92]

So, to answer PN's direct question:

Hops' main PK kicker is one of their best players, Francis Meyer. That's his style. My (absolute) guess is that the guys on the team see his style being so successful in mock competitions and in the actual game that they have been convinced to emulate the style.

(The backup PK kicker, Cui, also employed this style for his one PK take this year.)

[Hopkins Walk-On]

The Hopkins PK style was developed by Coach Appleby after the 2022 PK debacles and players are instructed in how to do it and practice it. Meyer has been the designated PK taker in games but he did not come up with it. He's just the best at it.

I am not sure how deep the pool of kickers is that can employ that style and hope I don't have to find out.

[PaulNewman]

The Hopkins PK style was developed by Coach Appleby after the 2022 PK debacles and players are instructed in how to do it and practice it. Meyer has been the designated PK taker in games but he did not come up with it. He's just the best at it.

I am not sure how deep the pool of kickers is that can employ that style and hope I don't have to find out.

Now that is funny.

[Hopkins92]

I mean, I'd like to claim that I came up with it, but I didn't leave a special notebook in my locker or anything.

[SimpleCoach]

Hopkins with the win in PKs.

I used to spend a lot of idle practice time (we didn't have a goalie coach) taking PKs with my fellow goalies. The no run up was my favorite way to take a PK, because it gives the goalie almost zero feel for where the kick is going because to do that, you need to see the hip positioning and what the guy does with his plant foot. I won't go on and on, but there are ways you can read things during the run up.

Hopkins just won on PKs with all 5 kickers doing that. It was pretty f'ing cool to watch that, and I wouldn't want to be messing with the Jays during the tournament if it gets to PKs. That was amazing.

(Also, we talk about this on the board and make note... Hop used a specialist for it's GK. Kind of paid off, as he stoned the first one... But the Muhles made the next three in a row... Still not sure I buy the specialty PK thing.)

SimplePlayer#3 started using the no run up. Goalkeepers have no idea how to react to it.

Congrats to Hopkins!

SC.

[Hopkins92]

The Hopkins PK style was developed by Coach Appleby after the 2022 PK debacles and players are instructed in how to do it and practice it. Meyer has been the designated PK taker in games but he did not come up with it. He's just the best at it.

I am not sure how deep the pool of kickers is that can employ that style and hope I don't have to find out.

I meant to tip my cap to this... Great insight!

[Hopkins92]

Wow. I hadn't really dug into this until just now... York, man, those guys must be in pure agony. They finished one NPI slot in FRONT of Messiah, and at 35 they were 3 slots out (or maybe 4, I don't feel like looking it up) from getting an at-large.

Digging deeper:

14-2-5 - Those two losses are at Grantham.

Ties (NPI in parens):

Carnegie Mellon (61)
@Washington (51)
Lancaster Bible (279)
@Juniata (78)
Widener (132)

I'm not sure if flipping just Widener and Lancaster Bible would do it. And there's no shame (this year) in tying Juniata, and WAC just came off a final four and while the UAA is down Carnegie is always a gamer.

But, still, the what-ifs for those guys are brutal.

[pinball]

I watched both games for York/Messiah - definitely could feel and tell the despair at the conclusion of Sunday's game for York.  I was completely unimpressed the first time they played as I was expecting more of a match but it was like York just sat back and took a beating.

Sunday's match was more competitive but it was still not really close.  York's goal came from a handball in the box that was an unlucky bounce straight up hitting the Messiah defenders arm.  (Well slotted PK though - with a run-up).  They really didn't create many chances at all, and didn't have the ball much.

They were better than Lancaster Bible, and Widener and that's where they missed out.

[Hopkins Walk-On]

Meyer from Hopkins is Centennial Conference DPOY. Iwowo from Dickinson is OPOY. Dewamena from Dickinson is ROY. Red Devils coaching staff is coaching staff of the year.

Selection for players of the year and all-conference teams are all reasonable and I don't disagree with any of them but I think Appleby and staff deserved the coaching award. In my mind, they were the prime movers behind the changes that enabled the Jays to win the conference regular season and tournament titles after a somewhat rocky start.

[Hopkins92]

Also happy to see the guy I highlighted a few times, Mikkel Andersen, getting a first team CC nod. Dude is all over the field and is slightly overshadowed by Meyer.

As noted before, another D1 transfer into Hop that took a few games for everyone to figure out where he fit.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Meyer from Hopkins is Centennial Conference DPOY. Iwowo from Dickinson is OPOY. Dewamena from Dickinson is ROY. Red Devils coaching staff is coaching staff of the year.

Selection for players of the year and all-conference teams are all reasonable and I don't disagree with any of them but I think Appleby and staff deserved the coaching award. In my mind, they were the prime movers behind the changes that enabled the Jays to win the conference regular season and tournament titles after a somewhat rocky start.

Agree all the up to coaching staff. While Hop had a good season, Dickinson has been a doormat for many years and has never won the award since 2008. Hop not so much and you just highlighted two players who played D1! A lot easier path for Hop than team who has had no success for several years.  Who did you expect to get to the NCAAs?

[Hopkins92]

I agree about Dickinson deserving the award this year. Hop has sort of made it's own bed the last few years with the grad student round.

(Hop Walk-On... I almost feel like the way they changed tactics against the Dips and Haverford and a few other games has us both thinking it was one of their better years. But the bigger picture is that the Red Devils coming into a top 10 perch is pretty astounding.)

[jball]

Meyer from Hopkins is Centennial Conference DPOY. Iwowo from Dickinson is OPOY. Dewamena from Dickinson is ROY. Red Devils coaching staff is coaching staff of the year.

Selection for players of the year and all-conference teams are all reasonable and I don't disagree with any of them but I think Appleby and staff deserved the coaching award. In my mind, they were the prime movers behind the changes that enabled the Jays to win the conference regular season and tournament titles after a somewhat rocky start.

Agree all the up to coaching staff. While Hop had a good season, Dickinson has been a doormat for many years and has never won the award since 2008. Hop not so much and you just highlighted two players who played D1! A lot easier path for Hop than team who has had no success for several years.  Who did you expect to get to the NCAAs?

Meyer did not play d1

[SierraFD3soccer]

Meyer from Hopkins is Centennial Conference DPOY. Iwowo from Dickinson is OPOY. Dewamena from Dickinson is ROY. Red Devils coaching staff is coaching staff of the year.

Selection for players of the year and all-conference teams are all reasonable and I don't disagree with any of them but I think Appleby and staff deserved the coaching award. In my mind, they were the prime movers behind the changes that enabled the Jays to win the conference regular season and tournament titles after a somewhat rocky start.

Agree all the up to coaching staff. While Hop had a good season, Dickinson has been a doormat for many years and has never won the award since 2008. Hop not so much and you just highlighted two players who played D1! A lot easier path for Hop than team who has had no success for several years.  Who did you expect to get to the NCAAs?

Meyer did not play d1

My bad, he is one of 6 grad students on the team of which 3 were D1.

[Hopkins Walk-On]

Meyer from Hopkins is Centennial Conference DPOY. Iwowo from Dickinson is OPOY. Dewamena from Dickinson is ROY. Red Devils coaching staff is coaching staff of the year.

Selection for players of the year and all-conference teams are all reasonable and I don't disagree with any of them but I think Appleby and staff deserved the coaching award. In my mind, they were the prime movers behind the changes that enabled the Jays to win the conference regular season and tournament titles after a somewhat rocky start.

Agree all the up to coaching staff. While Hop had a good season, Dickinson has been a doormat for many years and has never won the award since 2008. Hop not so much and you just highlighted two players who played D1! A lot easier path for Hop than team who has had no success for several years.  Who did you expect to get to the NCAAs?

Meyer did not play d1

My bad, he is one of 6 grad students on the team of which 3 were D1.

Notably, Andersen was also the only grad transfer starting by the end of the season. He has played every minute of every game for the last six games. Three of the "grad" students (Meyer, Falzarano, and Dunphy) played their entire careers at Hopkins and are using their COVID year.

I understand why the Dickinson staff was recognized and they have elevated the program well above its previous level but when I look at how Dickinson and Hopkins finished the season and their results in head-to-head play, I think Appleby and staff outcoached the Devils.

Looking forward to next year, Dickinson is going to be a handful. Their best [first and second team all-conference] players (Iwowo, Jarden, Dwamena, and Omoniwa) will all be back. Hopkins will lose all of their best players [Meyer, Andersen, Sangpachatanaruk, Falzarano]. F&M's best are also all seniors [Kaliebe, Anderko, Green].