The Big Dance

[Mr.Right]

Kudos to Mr. Blooter on the game recaps.  Incredible detail with great balance.  And per usual a great job by blooter and RH on the semifinal previews.

I'd like to add my appreciation for Mr.Right's NESCAC team look-ahead breakdowns as well.  Few other than blooter could have come close to pulling that off, and I can't imagine that any of us could have come close to duplicating that effort for any other conference. 

Loose ends....

I wish NPU well tonight and apologize if my comment seemed unkind.  I fully expected NPU to show much better last night, and perhaps they will today as we all would appreciate a very competitive final.  The Vikings prevailed, which of course is what counts, but just based on yesterday they looked like the weakest team in the field.  Can't imagine why a team wouldn't show up with their best effort for a NCAA semifinal.  If I was a Chicago fan I'd be more than salty....thoroughly dominated the game with the exception of a brief spell late in regulation and the 1st OT and had a good goal taken away.  I suspect Messiah will feel very relieved and fortunate to be in the final after escaping the Brandeis threat, and I would guess the Falcons will play even better in the final. 

At the risk of more anonymous karma shots, I'm assuming I'm not the only viewer wondering, and I'd just like to know.  What is the deal with the heavy beards and long hair for Messiah?  Seems like some sort of tradition but I have no clue what it is about.  Looks like some Woodstock attendees got lost and found their way into Messiah uniforms.

Thank you...I saw enough Nescac games this year to be able to do the recaps...Bloots fantastic job on the recaps..+k...I will say North Park looked overmatched last night BUT they did show well defensively and DID take Lopez completely out of the game..He was invisible all night and North Park did very well on him especially on set pieces..They bodied him up very well..They will be defending all night tonight but if they sit 10 behind the ball they will have a shot. They work hard, defend and are a very physical bunch so they might frustrate Messiah..Here's hoping at least so we have a good close Final..They just have nothing going forward IMO..They will have a chance on the counter tonight as Messiah will be taking way more chances in attack than Chicago did and will be sending #'s forward so maybe North Park will show better going forward..They MUST get to Halftime 0-0 though..Should be interesting

[Mr.Right]

Do we have a link to the Final 4 pressers last night?  Would like to hear all 4 coaches and players and their thoughts

[blooter442]

Much appreciated, gents. Well, after a disappointing result yesterday, today is a better day, namely because I am currently here.

(I'm aware my obsession may be unhealthy, both mentally and physically. That said, you always want what you can't have, so most trips down south yield such a diversion.)

[2xfaux]

Kudos to Mr. Blooter on the game recaps.  Incredible detail with great balance.  And per usual a great job by blooter and RH on the semifinal previews.

I'd like to add my appreciation for Mr.Right's NESCAC team look-ahead breakdowns as well.  Few other than blooter could have come close to pulling that off, and I can't imagine that any of us could have come close to duplicating that effort for any other conference. 

Loose ends....

I wish NPU well tonight and apologize if my comment seemed unkind.  I fully expected NPU to show much better last night, and perhaps they will today as we all would appreciate a very competitive final.  The Vikings prevailed, which of course is what counts, but just based on yesterday they looked like the weakest team in the field.  Can't imagine why a team wouldn't show up with their best effort for a NCAA semifinal.  If I was a Chicago fan I'd be more than salty....thoroughly dominated the game with the exception of a brief spell late in regulation and the 1st OT and had a good goal taken away.  I suspect Messiah will feel very relieved and fortunate to be in the final after escaping the Brandeis threat, and I would guess the Falcons will play even better in the final. 

At the risk of more anonymous karma shots, I'm assuming I'm not the only viewer wondering, and I'd just like to know.  What is the deal with the heavy beards and long hair for Messiah?  Seems like some sort of tradition but I have no clue what it is about.  Looks like some Woodstock attendees got lost and found their way into Messiah uniforms.

I am a 70 year old Messiah fan who was at Woodstock and I don't remember seeing any of these kids there but it was a big crowd so you might be right,

[Gregory Sager]

Ah, they've already made up their minds. They've written off NPU. Let them.

No one wrote off NPU before the semifinal game, in fact everyone was pretty sure it would be a great match-up, with many split opinions on who would advance. People are mostly reacting in disappointment to the fact that the Vikings were dominated for 100 minutes and felt UChicago was the superior side. It's not personal animus. Until this year's breakout, most people nationally didn't have an opinion on NPU for good or ill.

I didn't take it as personal animus, blue_jays. I was reacting to some very openly-expressed thoughts in this room that NPU didn't have a chance against Messiah. The motivation behind those posts was not my concern.

NPU fans can feel defensive about the reaction to their advancement, as is their right. If they go out and beat Messiah, the kudos will come in droves. Making the Final Four for any team is a massive achievement that can't be cheapened by comments on a message board.

Agreed.

Simultaneously, Chicago supporters will be rightfully salty forevermore about the called-off goal and the accurate feeling that they should be in the final instead. You can't begrudge them that opinion either. NPU did not look impressive in the semifinal (it's one game, it happens), and their great goalie pulled them through the fire. NPU can be both good and lucky - both are required to advance to this stage.

I begrudge them nothing, because I fully agree that Chicago supporters have that right. In fact, I implied as much in my earlier post about how the Maroons acted with class after the match was over, as per NPU head coach John Born's statement in the press conference.

Everybody who supports NPU is fully aware of the situation. There are no partisan blinders at work here. The Vikings were badly outplayed for all but about fifteen of the 110 minutes of soccer last night, and they only advanced because in this sport a great performance by the goalkeeper can flip an otherwise-earned outcome in a way that really doesn't happen in other sports (aside from hockey). NPU got such a performance from Stulen, and that's why they're going to take the pitch tonight instead of the Maroons. And the Vikings will be a decided underdog to Messiah, based upon the respective performances of the two sides last night, and NPU fans are aware of that as well.

You won't find a Vikings fan anywhere who disagrees with any of these assessments, so no lectures are necessary.

[Mr.Right]

Sager,

you mentioned last night that you saw the Chicago and North Park press conferences after the game...Do you have a link for them?

[Gregory Sager]

No, I only saw the NPU press conference. It's posted on the Facebook page of the North Park University Alumni Association.

[PaulNewman]

Kudos to Mr. Blooter on the game recaps.  Incredible detail with great balance.  And per usual a great job by blooter and RH on the semifinal previews.

I'd like to add my appreciation for Mr.Right's NESCAC team look-ahead breakdowns as well.  Few other than blooter could have come close to pulling that off, and I can't imagine that any of us could have come close to duplicating that effort for any other conference. 

Loose ends....

I wish NPU well tonight and apologize if my comment seemed unkind.  I fully expected NPU to show much better last night, and perhaps they will today as we all would appreciate a very competitive final.  The Vikings prevailed, which of course is what counts, but just based on yesterday they looked like the weakest team in the field.  Can't imagine why a team wouldn't show up with their best effort for a NCAA semifinal.  If I was a Chicago fan I'd be more than salty....thoroughly dominated the game with the exception of a brief spell late in regulation and the 1st OT and had a good goal taken away.  I suspect Messiah will feel very relieved and fortunate to be in the final after escaping the Brandeis threat, and I would guess the Falcons will play even better in the final. 

At the risk of more anonymous karma shots, I'm assuming I'm not the only viewer wondering, and I'd just like to know.  What is the deal with the heavy beards and long hair for Messiah?  Seems like some sort of tradition but I have no clue what it is about.  Looks like some Woodstock attendees got lost and found their way into Messiah uniforms.

I am a 70 year old Messiah fan who was at Woodstock and I don't remember seeing any of these kids there but it was a big crowd so you might be right,

Touche!  Excellent reply.

[Mr.Right]

Just a note that if you happened to hear the announcers last night talking quickly about Arcadia leaving the MAC here is the article to which they were referring and other schools leaving and joining new conferences.

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2017/06/new-conference-shuffle-coming

[Mr.Right]

Watching Messiah's 1st goal it came off a quick set piece that Brandies was not ready for. Brandeis was preparing for a shot from 25 yards and messiah put the ball down and played quickly wide and caused the defensive breakdown and led to 2 guys on the back post wide open..That was a definite communication breakdown defensively for Brandeis and yes Woodhouse gambled but it is split second stuff like that especially on set pieces that lead to goals. Woodhouse or even Walter needed to communicate faster..

[Mr.Right]

Brandeis 2nd goal with 10 minutes left was a fantastic counter..I will say Messiah's #21 Brautigam was at fault bigtime..He failed to tackle a Brandeis player at midfield that led to the counter..He went in "soft" and just flat out did not want to get stuck in..Then he tracked back and the ball got deflected to him and gave a POOR ball to #4 Quintin(Who btw I thought was such a dangerous player last night) who had to stretch out for it and toe poke it back to #6 Ruiz Plaza. Ruiz Plaza just flat out gave the ball away right back to Brandeis which led to the play out wide and then the eventual cross and goal. #21 B rautigam lazily tracked back and that led to 2 WIDE open Brandeis players on the 6 yard line. #21 and #6 really lazily tracked back on the play especially #6 who gives the ball away and then is basically ball watching on the play as he was limping? back....Interesting breakdown though


I will say of course #21 Brautigam mpre tha made up for it with his dagger in the 105th minute...

[Mr.Right]

Just a note that if you happened to hear the announcers last night talking quickly about Arcadia leaving the MAC here is the article to which they were referring and other schools leaving and joining new conferences.

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2017/06/new-conference-shuffle-coming

We knew Castleton State was joining the Little East next year which should be very interesting but it also looks like Thomas More is leaving its conference but it does not say what conference they will be joining..


Did not know Eastern Nazerene leaving the CCC for the NECC which should be a better fit for them athletically as at least in Men's Soccer the NECC is one of the worst in the country. The CCC has been on the upswing the past 10 years or so in Men's Soccer with Endicott, Gordon and Roger Williams plus WNEC..I will say that Mitchell out of the NECC played very well in this years NCAA's v St.Joe's

[Mr.Right]

Let's hope the Men's Final is as entertaining as this Women's Final...Great game

[PaulNewman]

Is the game at 5:00 or 7:00???

[Saint of Old]

We will have a worthy champion.
North Park does not have that record by chance, and they are playing with the knowledge that if they win it they are cemented in History.

They will be the squad that set the standard for what will likely be a strong program for years to come hopefully.

Wile the Messiah boys will look for their 11th, it just never gets old.
What a program they are.
I played them once back in the day, and they played back then as they do now, hard, clean and with skill.

Congrats to the King, it has been a great year.