The Big Dance

[swibbles]

The best team lost.

[Jim Matson]

All the teams are staying in the same hotel... really nice Sheraton actually. Wish I could convince myself to spend the money to stay there. LOL

You should have been put there! You did a great job today. I really enjoyed your broadcast. It was good to hear Ira too.

[Gregory Sager]

Bummer for Chicago and Brandeis. Congrats to NPU and Messiah. Hate to see referees miss a game-deciding call. Also hate penalties. I like the idea of pulling off one player every five minutes until someone scores.

Agree with you on both counts, Ryan. NPU caught a big break with that blown offsides call. And I ferociously hate PK shootouts. I'd like to see players pulled off and the match played out until a winning live goal, too.

NPU will have to be better tomorrow. Can't let two great teams pepper you for 180 220 minutes and not concede...unless you were  Middlebury in 2007 (I think).

Agree with you even more about this. NPU can't simply rely upon Stulen standing on his head in order to bring the Big Doorstop back home to the North Side. The Vikings will have to play much, much better than they did tonight. I was seriously impressed by what I saw from Messiah tonight.

BTW, congratulations to the Maroons on a fantastic season. I'd probably be pretty salty if I was a U of C player after that result, but from John Born's remarks in the postgame interview it sounded like the Chicago players and coaches handled the situation with total class.

[Gregory Sager]

I just can't watch sports any more.  Didn't even care that much but both teams I was rooting for lost.  And Chicago never should have lost that game (not advanced).  Sports are so devastating.  I suspect Mr. Right is right.  Messiah is home free.

Well, I guess that NPU might as well head for the airport tomorrow morning rather than even bothering to show up at UNCG Stadium tomorrow night.

[tjcummingsfan]

I just can't watch sports any more.  Didn't even care that much but both teams I was rooting for lost.  And Chicago never should have lost that game (not advanced).  Sports are so devastating.  I suspect Mr. Right is right.  Messiah is home free.

Well, I guess that NPU might as well head for the airport tomorrow morning rather than even bothering to show up at UNCG Stadium tomorrow night.

Seriously!

Can NP get some credit.  They kept the best forward in the country off the scoresheet tonight.  They clearly didn't have their A game (really not even their B or C game) until the last 5-10 minutes of regulation and overtime, and still they advance.  It's not a fluke that they're here.  Tomorrow should be another really difficult, really close match. 

[Gregory Sager]

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

[Falconer]

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

Let the record show that I never write off any Falcon opponents. And, I am not starting now.

I am excited about how well this group has been playing since early October, but that doesn't mean that I view any opponent as sliced bread. Especially one that has hasn't lost since early September. nPU is better than I had thought a few weeks ago, when I questioned their top regional ranking.  They could very well bring it home tonight. A scary thought since they are so young in terms of academic standing if not necessarily age.

For me, the most impressive feature of this Falcon team is their toughness. They just aren't as talented as the team that Tufts beat four years ago, but they have not been shut out all season and have come back to win or got the only goal very late several times. The classic Falcon powerhouses didn't do that often--they didn't have to. They obliterated even top teams. For example in the final one year NYU didn't get one single shot--shot, not SOG. These guys have o battle all the way.
/

[Dubuquer]

Admittedly I was not paying full attention to the game but I feel like I heard Koh and Adeosun's names called all night, but I barely remember hearing Lopez mentioned. Am I wrong in thinking that?  Brandeis keeper may have been caught out but it wasn't as bad as the way Loras lost their 2013 semi in overtime to RUC via a 60 yard floater that carried in the San Antonio breeze. That one still hurts in Dubuque.

[blooter442]

Admittedly I was not paying full attention to the game but I feel like I heard Koh and Adeosun's names called all night, but I barely remember hearing Lopez mentioned. Am I wrong in thinking that?  Brandeis keeper may have been caught out but it wasn't as bad as the way Loras lost their 2013 semi in overtime to RUC via a 60 yard floater that carried in the San Antonio breeze. That one still hurts in Dubuque.

You would be correct — Lopez had a couple of efforts in the air but Adeyosun and Koh were the main Maroon sources of danger.

[blue_jays]

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.

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.

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.

[blooter442]

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.

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.

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.

Excellent points. I personally thought Chicago would win, but that it would be a close game decided in OT. As for the game, I think the Maroons were quite unlucky and got hosed on the blown call, but ultimately they had enough chances to put the game away in regulation that they didn't take advantage of.

While I think that North Park does have a chance tonight, it will have to step up its performance level. Messiah is extremely good in possession -- better than Chicago IMHO -- so they will have to be at their best to keep the Falcons out.

[4samuy]

Admittedly I was not paying full attention to the game but I feel like I heard Koh and Adeosun's names called all night, but I barely remember hearing Lopez mentioned. Am I wrong in thinking that?  Brandeis keeper may have been caught out but it wasn't as bad as the way Loras lost their 2013 semi in overtime to RUC via a 60 yard floater that carried in the San Antonio breeze. That one still hurts in Dubuque.

You would be correct — Lopez had a couple of efforts in the air but Adeyosun and Koh were the main Maroon sources of danger.

And all three are back next year.  Wow.

[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.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

All the teams are staying in the same hotel... really nice Sheraton actually. Wish I could convince myself to spend the money to stay there. LOL

You should have been put there! You did a great job today. I really enjoyed your broadcast. It was good to hear Ira too.

We are responsible for our own travel arrangements and expenses. I also discovered the "hotel" list from UNCG well after the fact (two or so days ago). Something that never seems to be shared with individuals like myself, the crew, etc. when we are making arrangements. Could have saved a little more money as well.

That said, the Sheraton is across I40 from me... so I am basically in the same area as the teams.

[PaulNewman]

One correction for the announcing crew.  Messiah was never down to Stevens.  Falcons were up 2-0, then 2-1, then 3-1 and Stevens added one late to close to 3-2.