The Big Dance

[Mr.Right]

What a shame...Brandeis did start to look gassed but man that is a tough goal to give up...As good as Woodhouse has been all year and I mean he was great all year he made 2 bad mistakes today.I was impressed with #15 Walter today but I thought Brandeis gave Messiah just a little to much space on the ball..I really feel for the Brandeis Seniors...They lose a TON of good players....They had the lead twice in the game and TBH with 10 minutes left and a 1 goal lead you gotta HOLD ON somehow someway...just could not hold on...I feel gutted and I am not even a Deis supporter...That is a tough loss for Margolis..

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Great game all around.  Congrats to Messiah, who is now favored to win title 11 tomorrow. 

I will be surprised if Messiah wins playing like that tomorrow . . .

[PaulNewman]

Great goal by Brautigam. Dagger to the Judges, but fair play to the Falcons on a great game.

A nice shot, but not a great goal.  Woodhouse too far off his line, and D just backing up too much for the last half hour of the game.  Contrary to announcers' calls, not one of Woodhouse's better games.

I feel like Brandeis D after Vinson and Hennesey just wasn't quite good enough, unless the midfield packed it in and stayed compact to help them.  To Deis' credit, they were going for it, but couldn't afford to get stretched like they did.

Agree.  Can't let Messiah score so soon after each goal, especially the second time, but everybody for Messiah is dangerous when you let them get a hit.  I thought Brandt was unsung hero for Messiah.  Played a great game.  Very good D3 player who never should have left Messiah.  Hennessey was great on Thomas but Vinson also outstanding.  Tufts would have had a little more than Brandeis in terms of matching Messiah's overall talent, but Brandeis had an excellent showing and very easily could have taken it.

[blooter442]

I'm not sure I would call that a great goal. Woodhouse was WAY out of position. That ball had no pace on it and was right in the center of the goal. Woodhouse let Brandeis down today in a major way. 2 goals because of bad positioning/decision making on his part.

Kudos to Messiah on the gritty win. It's not easy to go down twice in a national semifinal and comeback to win.

It can be a great goal even if he could have done better. Just look at Rooney's goal against West Ham this week. Disagree that he was WAY out of position, though -- I actually think he wasn't that far off his line -- it was just that well struck.

A nice shot, but not a great goal.  Woodhouse too far off his line, and D just backing up too much for the last half hour of the game.  Contrary to announcers' calls, not one of Woodhouse's better games.

I feel like Brandeis D after Vinson and Hennesey just wasn't quite good enough, unless the midfield packed it in and stayed compact to help them.  To Deis' credit, they were going for it, but couldn't afford to get stretched like they did.

Agree with most of what you said, except, again, I disagree that he was that far off his line. First goal, absolutely could have done better. That said, the second goal killed them. Vinson and Hennessy were very good, but not the best games from Handler and Walter.

[1970s NESCAC Player]

I'm not sure I would call that a great goal. Woodhouse was WAY out of position. That ball had no pace on it and was right in the center of the goal. Woodhouse let Brandeis down today in a major way. 2 goals because of bad positioning/decision making on his part.

Kudos to Messiah on the gritty win. It's not easy to go down twice in a national semifinal and comeback to win.

It can be a great goal even if he could have done better. Disagree that he was WAY out of position, though -- I actually think he wasn't that far off his line -- it was just that well struck.

A nice shot, but not a great goal.  Woodhouse too far off his line, and D just backing up too much for the last half hour of the game.  Contrary to announcers' calls, not one of Woodhouse's better games.

I feel like Brandeis D after Vinson and Hennesey just wasn't quite good enough, unless the midfield packed it in and stayed compact to help them.  To Deis' credit, they were going for it, but couldn't afford to get stretched like they did.

Agree with most of what you said, except, again, I don't think he was that far off his line. First goal, absolutely could have done better. That said, the second goal killed them. Vinson and Hennessy were very good, but not the best games from Handler and Walter.

Bloots, it's ok; you can admit once in a while that a player on your team made a mistake. Woodhouse did not do well on the winner, and I'm sure he would agree if you asked him.

[deiscanton]

Great game all around.  Congrats to Messiah, who is now favored to win title 11 tomorrow. 

I will be surprised if Messiah wins playing like that tomorrow . . .

Messiah has never lost a national title game in d3 men's soccer.  Chicago or North Park will have their work cut out for them, but kudos if they can pull it off.

[blooter442]

Bloots, it's ok; you can admit once in a while that a player on your team made a mistake. Woodhouse did not do well on the winner, and I'm sure he would agree if you asked him.

Hahahaha if you don't think I admit my own team's players making mistakes then you haven't been paying attention. I absolutely thought he made a huge gaffe on the first one. Surprised that you would say that. -K

[Mr.Right]

No I do not think Tufts would have done better than Deis today...Brandeis went straight up with them and Tufts would not have...Deis gave us a very entertaining game..I will say Tufts would have been better with the lead than Brandeis were

[PaulNewman]

Brandeis was tired.  Needed to win in regulation.  A lot of focus on Woodhouse on the goal, and I thought he had no business being caught out, but a little lucky too as Messiah player hit ball only place Woodhouse probably can't get it and not sure that was intentional.  Bigger mistake was letting Robbins drift all the way across the field with the ball but at that point Brandeis was holding on (but still getting decent counter chances).

[PaulNewman]

No I do not think Tufts would have done better than Deis today...Brandeis went straight up with them and Tufts would not have...Deis gave us a very entertaining game..I will say Tufts would have been better with the lead than Brandeis were

Agree that on the day Brandeis was right there.  Just don't think Tufts would have tired.

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Bloots, it's ok; you can admit once in a while that a player on your team made a mistake. Woodhouse did not do well on the winner, and I'm sure he would agree if you asked him.

Hahahaha if you don't think I admit my own team's players making mistakes then you haven't been paying attention. I absolutely thought he made a huge gaffe on the first one. Surprised that you would say that. -K

Just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.  Yes, I know you are not afraid to criticize your own team.

Tough way to go out for the Ocels.  I've known them for 15 years, and it's a shame they came so close without getting to a final.

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Bloots, it's ok; you can admit once in a while that a player on your team made a mistake. Woodhouse did not do well on the winner, and I'm sure he would agree if you asked him.

Hahahaha if you don't think I admit my own team's players making mistakes then you haven't been paying attention. I absolutely thought he made a huge gaffe on the first one. Surprised that you would say that. -K

You were a little quick on the karma trigger there.  It's all in good fun, and I guess you don't know me that well either. No offense taken -- but I did reciprocate.

[firstplaceloser]

I have a feeling this next game will have a good amount of goals too. good luck to whoever has to play Messiah tomorrow being 10/10 in final games. it's possible but you need some luck and of course heart. Messiah is too experienced to let them hang around like that tonight. it happened in 2013 with Loras(although I have yet to see another team press and annoy teams like they did ) you get complacent and one mistake causes what just happened

[blooter442]

You were a little quick on the karma trigger there.  It's all in good fun, and I guess you don't know me that well either. No offense taken -- but I did reciprocate.

Perhaps, but the Internet is a bad purveyor of intent, and your post -- or at least the wording -- I thought was uncalled for. That said, I agree it is all in good fun, and I did not take any offense to your reciprocation.

Hopefully the next game brings a similar number of goals.

[PaulNewman]

Messiah could be tired tomorrow too.  They got pushed hard.  Credit to the Falcons for coming back twice.  Thomas was pretty chippy today.  Is that usual for him?  Couple of very hard (dangerous?) tackles, especially once on Ocel, and complained a ton to the refs.