UAA 2018

[WUPHF]

It is HIS JOB to see everything he can and be aware of what is going on around him. Basically, he needs to anticipate what is going to happen before it happens like every other player on the field. He is at fault for horrible positioning,

I agree, I am just saying he was in position to make the play, but had a bit of bad luck with that angle.  I am not blaming No. 15, but I think he should have gone for the ball as you said.

[blooter442]

It is HIS JOB to see everything he can and be aware of what is going on around him. Basically, he needs to anticipate what is going to happen before it happens like every other player on the field. He is at fault for horrible positioning, I think I used the word "sucked" to describe his positioning last night. The goal was his fault but it was a fantastic thru ball and it looks like Gans should have closed the kid before he played it and Walter could have read the run before Sproule went. Walter also could have gotten his foot on the ball to tackle Sproule before the shot went off. It was a hell of a balancing act for Sproule but he is a fantastic player.


As NEsoccerfan stated Brandeis has had WAY to many GK'ing blunders all year that have cost them games. I would have started Irwin which I said before kickoff. He is not a great GK but more reliable than Cohen IMO and I am guessing has his teammates confidence more than Cohen does and that is more important than you think. I would tend to agree that Woodhouse would have gotten them into the NCAA's but I do not think they would have gone to far as there is blame to go around everywhere. Brandeis midfield defensively is piss poor right now as Glass does fine but Gans is an attacking midfielder not a holder. I love Alex Walter's toughness and courage but I think he makes to many mental mistakes for a CB and I would like to see him holding. The other issue is some injuries as while I am not the biggest fan of Hennessy he is a decent player and has not played in a couple games. DePietto has been injured for the past 2 years as he has not played since the Babson game and they miss him big time. Brandeis losses DePietto to graduation along with Andrew Allen,Josh Handler and Miskin. Reserve player Devan Casey is also gone but that is it so Margolis should be able to rebound next season without a problem as the past 2 years the graduation losses have been to much to handle this season. His biggest priority is to bring in a GK. Then he needs some grit especially in midfield and up top. A goalscorer would be nice as well but returning players will be improved and should score goals in 2019. You talk about Irwin and Rutgers well Nardizzi was gettin heavy minutes and starting some games for D1 UNCW so I have no answers for his lack of production against UAA teams as he has not scored a Goal in UAA play. He did hit a rocket v Amherst and his a very technical player but I would like to see him put his body out there and really get his nose in the middle of things. Also, compared to Brandeis striker of the past few years he does not work. He needs to be busting his ass up top all game not just here an there. Think about say a Zach Viera who wasn't as technical as Nardizzi but pressed and worked his ass off all game and would find goals sometimes out of nothing.  I guess I am just used to Brandeis strikers and everyone on their teams in the past to be scrappers and workers. I also took for granted how many solid GK'ers they have had in the past as this year is not even comparable.

Interestingly, Brandeis is 7-7-2 and 90% sure they are finished so how do they come out and play at Chicago? Do they give max effort? Or do they throw in the towel? Does Margolis give his young guns a run to get them some experience? Or do way see the same system with the same players? I will say that Brandeis is 90% done because I am not sure they are definitely finished. If they happened to defeat Chicago and NYU they would finish 9-7-2 BUT have a RvR of 6-5-1 which is UNREAL and a SOS of probably close to .675-.680 which is thru the roof. 6 Ranked Wins is very impressive and if folks are still giving Emory a good chance at 0-5-0 in the UAA then certainly if Brandeis finished with 2 Wins at Chicago and at NYU they will be on the bubble. 9-7-2 records are usually not good enough unless you are in the ACC in D1 but who knows. Either way I do not think Brandeis can Win these next 2 games the way they are playing right now but they have the talent to do it if they play together and FOCUS.

Honestly agree with almost 100% of what you said, particularly the two sentences at the end of the second paragraph. I have lamented time and time again about the lack of steel and physicality, so no need for me to rehash those points. I'm pretty sure that they are cooked as far as NCAA chances go, and I take no pleasure in saying that, but seven losses is just too many. If they finished with four or five losses and missed out I'd go "that's rough," but seven (and that total could increase) is a different ballgame, even considering that Capital did get in with seven last year.

I remember saying before the season that I didn't think this side would score a ton but that I did think they would be solid defensively, which makes the defensive situation all the more confounding. After watching him the last two years and particularly this season I think Walter is one of those guys who is a very solid CB but needs a leader next to him. He played very well last year next to Vinson and started well with DePietto but after DePietto (who is a very good leader) got hurt there was no leader to call the shots next to Walter. I am not sure who has been playing CB alongside him the last few games but I am pretty sure that they aren't using a natural CB. The goalkeeping situation is confounding, but I do have to say that -- while I agree with the observations of many that Brandeis as a team needs more size -- I don't completely buy the justification that the 'keepers' underperforming has come as a result of being undersized. They are 5'10" and 5'11". Not big by any stretch, but not 5'6" like the (very good) RUN goalkeeper, either. One may remember Greenwood was 5'11" and for all the flak I gave him on set pieces he was an excellent goalkeeper and was the leader on Tufts' second national title run. Anyway, both 'keepers have made mental mistakes this year but Irwin did look solid last year during his appearances while Woodhouse was out injured so it is puzzling that he has struggled. Cohen's year started badly with the Gordon game, where he was at fault for 2 goals, and I think that and being subbed at halftime of that game did not help his confidence. The mistake for Clark's second goal kind of epitomized his lack of composure. I also don't think rotating 'keepers did Irwin many favors, either, and I wonder if that combined with the loss of a defensive leader in Vinson made him more shaky than he was last year.

The manner of the defeats this year have more often than not seemed avoidable, usually stemming from a lack of focus. I remember the Gordon loss and going "wow, that will wake them up, maybe that's what they need to get going." The Babson loss, too, was somewhat excusable, as it was at Babson and Babson has always played 'Deis tough even when 'Deis was streets better in recent years. Even the WPI game was decided on a rocket of a goal, but that was the one where the alarm bells started going off for me. That was a game that Brandeis would have at least seen out for a draw in recent years, but a lack of discipline cost them. That lack of focus also let to one-goal defeats against Tufts, Rochester, and Amherst, and in both the Tufts and Amherst games the pressure told (at home) inside the first two minutes. Just like I've opined that losing in the last minute of 2OT is poor game management, so is letting opponents walk right into your end in the first two minutes, particularly when those two sides have won three of the last four national titles. You have to know they're going to come out hard and try to get that momentum swing, so keep the game tight at least to start with. Easier said than done, but, again, that's what separates the decent sides from the top sides.

All this being said, I am optimistic that they will back next year, but there will have to be some improvement and some changes.

[4samuy]

A lot of frustration for Deis.  How bout I cheer you up a bit.  IMO Brandeis will get a result at Chicago.

Chicago has not been the same team since Koh's injury at Carnegie.  I believe it was a lower body injury. From what I gather he wasn't going to go at all at Case Western, but started, could only go 20 minutes and didn't start and played limited minutes vs Carthage.  I was able to catch some of the NYU game and he clearly didn't have the burst that makes him special.

Over the past couple of years, Chicago has run much of their offense thru Koh, getting him in open space on the flanks and having him create opportunities toward the end lines by beating his defender with his initial burst and speed.  Not sure where he is at in his recovery, but he wasn't quite there Friday night IMHO.

[PaulNewman]

This CWRU team is legit.....2-0 up on Emory halfway thru 1st half.  The Spartans have a couple of lethal finishers and they don't need a lot of chances.

CMU and UR knotted at 1-1 late 1st half.  CMU with 4 yellows in first 35 minutes.  IIRC these two teams/coaches do not have a lot of love....nasty game couple or three years ago in Pittsburgh with UR yelling for someone to get the Athletic Director.  Anyway, CMU is feisty and a win today (or even a draw) should have CMU sitting pretty in Great Lakes.

Spoke too soon....UR gets another in 42nd min, up 2-1 at half.

[Buck O.]

And WashU takes an early lead on NYU with a PK in the 8th minute.

[Buck O.]

A lot of frustration for Deis.  How bout I cheer you up a bit.  IMO Brandeis will get a result at Chicago.

Chicago has not been the same team since Koh's injury at Carnegie.  I believe it was a lower body injury. From what I gather he wasn't going to go at all at Case Western, but started, could only go 20 minutes and didn't start and played limited minutes vs Carthage.  I was able to catch some of the NYU game and he clearly didn't have the burst that makes him special.

Over the past couple of years, Chicago has run much of their offense thru Koh, getting him in open space on the flanks and having him create opportunities toward the end lines by beating his defender with his initial burst and speed.  Not sure where he is at in his recovery, but he wasn't quite there Friday night IMHO.

Chicago leading 2-0; Koh has two goals in the first 15 minutes.  Looks like he's back.

[WUPHF]

NYU is very good. They have the 30-45 mph winds at their back. They are going to need to score quickly in the next 15 min.

[NEsoccerfan]

A lot of frustration for Deis.  How bout I cheer you up a bit.  IMO Brandeis will get a result at Chicago.

Chicago has not been the same team since Koh's injury at Carnegie.  I believe it was a lower body injury. From what I gather he wasn't going to go at all at Case Western, but started, could only go 20 minutes and didn't start and played limited minutes vs Carthage.  I was able to catch some of the NYU game and he clearly didn't have the burst that makes him special.

Over the past couple of years, Chicago has run much of their offense thru Koh, getting him in open space on the flanks and having him create opportunities toward the end lines by beating his defender with his initial burst and speed.  Not sure where he is at in his recovery, but he wasn't quite there Friday night IMHO.

Chicago leading 2-0; Koh has two goals in the first 15 minutes.  Looks like he's back.

Yet another goal given up in the first 2 minutes. Simply inexcusable for Brandeis. 

[PaulNewman]

Emory on verge of losing back to back home games by cumulative score of 5-0.  And 0-6 in the UAA.

CMU may be sweating a little about whether need any result next weekend versus Case but should be OK.

Wash U is gonna be ranked, and could get a bid if close out NYU and get a result versus Chicago.

[WUPHF]

NYU scores on a gorgeous free kick just outside the box. This has been quite a game. 1-1 and likely headed to OT.

[Gregory Sager]

Wash U and NYU battle to a 1-1 draw.

[Mr.Right]

It is HIS JOB to see everything he can and be aware of what is going on around him. Basically, he needs to anticipate what is going to happen before it happens like every other player on the field. He is at fault for horrible positioning, I think I used the word "sucked" to describe his positioning last night. The goal was his fault but it was a fantastic thru ball and it looks like Gans should have closed the kid before he played it and Walter could have read the run before Sproule went. Walter also could have gotten his foot on the ball to tackle Sproule before the shot went off. It was a hell of a balancing act for Sproule but he is a fantastic player.


As NEsoccerfan stated Brandeis has had WAY to many GK'ing blunders all year that have cost them games. I would have started Irwin which I said before kickoff. He is not a great GK but more reliable than Cohen IMO and I am guessing has his teammates confidence more than Cohen does and that is more important than you think. I would tend to agree that Woodhouse would have gotten them into the NCAA's but I do not think they would have gone to far as there is blame to go around everywhere. Brandeis midfield defensively is piss poor right now as Glass does fine but Gans is an attacking midfielder not a holder. I love Alex Walter's toughness and courage but I think he makes to many mental mistakes for a CB and I would like to see him holding. The other issue is some injuries as while I am not the biggest fan of Hennessy he is a decent player and has not played in a couple games. DePietto has been injured for the past 2 years as he has not played since the Babson game and they miss him big time. Brandeis losses DePietto to graduation along with Andrew Allen,Josh Handler and Miskin. Reserve player Devan Casey is also gone but that is it so Margolis should be able to rebound next season without a problem as the past 2 years the graduation losses have been to much to handle this season. His biggest priority is to bring in a GK. Then he needs some grit especially in midfield and up top. A goalscorer would be nice as well but returning players will be improved and should score goals in 2019. You talk about Irwin and Rutgers well Nardizzi was gettin heavy minutes and starting some games for D1 UNCW so I have no answers for his lack of production against UAA teams as he has not scored a Goal in UAA play. He did hit a rocket v Amherst and his a very technical player but I would like to see him put his body out there and really get his nose in the middle of things. Also, compared to Brandeis striker of the past few years he does not work. He needs to be busting his ass up top all game not just here an there. Think about say a Zach Viera who wasn't as technical as Nardizzi but pressed and worked his ass off all game and would find goals sometimes out of nothing.  I guess I am just used to Brandeis strikers and everyone on their teams in the past to be scrappers and workers. I also took for granted how many solid GK'ers they have had in the past as this year is not even comparable.

Interestingly, Brandeis is 7-7-2 and 90% sure they are finished so how do they come out and play at Chicago? Do they give max effort? Or do they throw in the towel? Does Margolis give his young guns a run to get them some experience? Or do way see the same system with the same players? I will say that Brandeis is 90% done because I am not sure they are definitely finished. If they happened to defeat Chicago and NYU they would finish 9-7-2 BUT have a RvR of 6-5-1 which is UNREAL and a SOS of probably close to .675-.680 which is thru the roof. 6 Ranked Wins is very impressive and if folks are still giving Emory a good chance at 0-5-0 in the UAA then certainly if Brandeis finished with 2 Wins at Chicago and at NYU they will be on the bubble. 9-7-2 records are usually not good enough unless you are in the ACC in D1 but who knows. Either way I do not think Brandeis can Win these next 2 games the way they are playing right now but they have the talent to do it if they play together and FOCUS.

Honestly agree with almost 100% of what you said, particularly the two sentences at the end of the second paragraph. I have lamented time and time again about the lack of steel and physicality, so no need for me to rehash those points. I'm pretty sure that they are cooked as far as NCAA chances go, and I take no pleasure in saying that, but seven losses is just too many. If they finished with four or five losses and missed out I'd go "that's rough," but seven (and that total could increase) is a different ballgame, even considering that Capital did get in with seven last year.

I remember saying before the season that I didn't think this side would score a ton but that I did think they would be solid defensively, which makes the defensive situation all the more confounding. After watching him the last two years and particularly this season I think Walter is one of those guys who is a very solid CB but needs a leader next to him. He played very well last year next to Vinson and started well with DePietto but after DePietto (who is a very good leader) got hurt there was no leader to call the shots next to Walter. I am not sure who has been playing CB alongside him the last few games but I am pretty sure that they aren't using a natural CB. The goalkeeping situation is confounding, but I do have to say that -- while I agree with the observations of many that Brandeis as a team needs more size -- I don't completely buy the justification that the 'keepers' underperforming has come as a result of being undersized. They are 5'10" and 5'11". Not big by any stretch, but not 5'6" like the (very good) RUN goalkeeper, either. One may remember Greenwood was 5'11" and for all the flak I gave him on set pieces he was an excellent goalkeeper and was the leader on Tufts' second national title run. Anyway, both 'keepers have made mental mistakes this year but Irwin did look solid last year during his appearances while Woodhouse was out injured so it is puzzling that he has struggled. Cohen's year started badly with the Gordon game, where he was at fault for 2 goals, and I think that and being subbed at halftime of that game did not help his confidence. The mistake for Clark's second goal kind of epitomized his lack of composure. I also don't think rotating 'keepers did Irwin many favors, either, and I wonder if that combined with the loss of a defensive leader in Vinson made him more shaky than he was last year.

The manner of the defeats this year have more often than not seemed avoidable, usually stemming from a lack of focus. I remember the Gordon loss and going "wow, that will wake them up, maybe that's what they need to get going." The Babson loss, too, was somewhat excusable, as it was at Babson and Babson has always played 'Deis tough even when 'Deis was streets better in recent years. Even the WPI game was decided on a rocket of a goal, but that was the one where the alarm bells started going off for me. That was a game that Brandeis would have at least seen out for a draw in recent years, but a lack of discipline cost them. That lack of focus also let to one-goal defeats against Tufts, Rochester, and Amherst, and in both the Tufts and Amherst games the pressure told (at home) inside the first two minutes. Just like I've opined that losing in the last minute of 2OT is poor game management, so is letting opponents walk right into your end in the first two minutes, particularly when those two sides have won three of the last four national titles. You have to know they're going to come out hard and try to get that momentum swing, so keep the game tight at least to start with. Easier said than done, but, again, that's what separates the decent sides from the top sides.

All this being said, I am optimistic that they will back next year, but there will have to be some improvement and some changes.

All excellent points and I would have to agree. Hopefully, Margolis brings in a talented class. I will post this story from NE Soccer Journal as if Margolis can steal this kid Swanbeck that would be a major bonus.....


https://www.nesoccerjournal.com/tyler-swanbeck-phillips-exeter-hebron-academy/


Nesoccer Journal has really upped its game the past few years as the coverage has been excellent of the Preps/Colleges/Academy and Clubs......

[NEsoccerfan]

Mr. Right, I just did some digging and it looks like Swanbeck is planning on taking a post grad year off before college.

[Buck O.]

Mr. Right, I just did some digging and it looks like Swanbeck is planning on taking a post grad year off before college.

He's already doing a PG year this year.  (He graduated from Hebron earlier this year.)  So he's doing a second PG year?

[PaulNewman]

Fascinating final weekend in the UAA....

Chicago and CWRU vying for the title/AQ.  Chicago the past few years has had overall good results versus Wash U, albeit in tight games.  Wash U I would think MUST get a win at home to have any shot at a bid, which seems possible given that the SoS is going to astronomically high, and the Central region looks relatively weak.  How bad will Chicago want this game?  CWRU is on a roll and I assume would love to keep the momentum going.  They likely are already hosting and they face what I'm sure will be a highly motivated Carnegie Mellon squad that may have a bid but surely would feel far more comfortable with another ranked win or at least a draw versus CWRU.  Losing could make CMU very vulnerable especially if more conference faves don't earn AQs.

NYU's chances for a bid would seem to be very good especially if they can close out with a win at home versus Brandeis.  It's hard to predict how hard Brandeis will fight, but based on at least the recent past one would expect the Judges to compete (and maybe the Judges think there is an outside chance they could be in the discussion for a bid at .500 with a high number of ranked wins and a stratospheric SoS.

One would think Emory is finally done, but who knows.  I believe the Eagles are away at Rochester, but I could see the Yellow Jackets coasting in this one (although Rochester also may be in a good spot to host so that might be motivation).