The Big Dance

[Brother Flounder]

Well, kind of a letdown today after expecting two superb games.

Tomorrow is a massive one.  Calvin is absolutely determined to get the title and Tufts is closing in on 3 titles in 5 years.  Both have solidified their positions as two of the top three programs in the country currently.

I was happy that another UAA made the Final 4 — unfortunately the conference remains winless in Final 4 games — but I really wanted to see a Tufts-Messiah Final 4...ah well, c'est la vie.

I was happy also and thought Chicago would do well....  I guess not and I don't hear much from the UAA folks who were all over the place a few days ago.  It's a good conference that still has something to prove...

[blooter442]

Paoletta on crutches at the end of the game.  He is definitely Tufts' defensive leader and his absence could well be the difference.  Who replaced Paoletta for the last 20+ minutes?

FY Will Raphael.

Another n00b question from someone who knows the game but didn't play: does someone being on crutches pretty much mean they're  "done"? Or is it precautionary? I guess it all depends on who, and what the injury is, but curious to hear perspectives.

I was happy also and thought Chicago would do well....  I guess not and I don't hear much from the UAA folks who where all over the place a few days ago.  It's a good conference that still has something to prove...

Yeah, I still believe the UAA needs to win the big one before any talk of it being superior can be taken seriously.

[Brother Flounder]

Paoletta on crutches at the end of the game.  He is definitely Tufts' defensive leader and his absence could well be the difference.  Who replaced Paoletta for the last 20+ minutes?

FY Will Raphael.

Another n00b question from someone who knows the game but didn't play: does someone being on crutches pretty much mean they're  "done"? Or is it precautionary? I guess it all depends on who, and what the injury is, but curious to hear perspectives.

I was happy also and thought Chicago would do well....  I guess not and I don't hear much from the UAA folks who where all over the place a few days ago.  It's a good conference that still has something to prove...

Yeah, I still believe the UAA needs to win the big one before any talk of it being superior can be taken seriously.

Bloots, at this point it's speculation.... only The Shadow really knows 

[truenorth]

THAT IS WHAT I AM TALKIN ABOUT.....Braun just fluffs a 1v1 with GK....should be 2-0.....

Yeah he blew that one. That looked like game right there.

Braun scores off a corner with his head and that is why he is an AA. However, if he had any legit skill and touch he could have had maybe 2 more goals. The kid is a stud athlete and uses his body to his advantage BUT he is not the most skilled. You have to body him up on set pieces and time your jumps as other than set pieces Braun should be able to be neutralized by good defenses.

Prior to Marcucci winning NESCAC PoY I remember hearing from someone that they thought Braun would win it and I thought "he had a good season but not sure about NESCAC PoY." Then he was named a 1st Team AA last night, which surprised me a bit. After all Santos scored the same number of goals (10) in the national title year playing out wide and he didn't even get a sniff of AA, let alone 1st Team. As for Braun, I thought he was in the running for AA but 3rd or maybe 2nd Team, certainly didn't think 1st Team. After all, he didn't even start the first four games of the year for Tufts — Jacobs got the nod initially — which I took to be Shapiro testing out different guys at CF not being confident of any one person starting there at the start of the season. Braun obviously won the job but I hardly thought that was a vote of confidence. Since starting though he has scored 9 goals so it's safe to say he's repaid Shapiro's faith.

Then again as far as AA forwards go, I can't really say who else besides the obvious names like Lopez/Koh/McCaw/Nick West that I'd choose over him. He has scored a number of big game-winners, more than many others, so he deserves the plaudits.

Yeah, I mentioned in an earlier post that I thought that Niang should have been NESCAC POY, and in my opinion is more deserving than Braun for 1st team AA consideration.  But, to me, it looks like the AA selections favor players and teams who made the NCAA tournament.  That may not in fact be true, but it kinda looks that way...

[NEsoccerfan]

I'm really excited to watch the Braun V. Vegter physical match-up tomorrow.

Today, I saw Vegter get the better of 3 time AA, Lopez in physical match-ups on at least 3 occasions. Lopez is no Braun, but he is quite a sizeable forward himself.

On the other hand, today, I saw Braun score 1 off a header and absolutely manhandle UR's left back to lead to the second goal. I obviously can't say for sure, but something tells me if Vegter was marking Braun on that corner, he might not have gotten a clear shot off. Further yet, it's obviously personal opinion, but I'm quite confidant that the second goal would not have happened if that was Braun v. Vegter.

[jumpshot]

Am at all games today. Calvin big, strong, especially defenders, quick and skilled, pressure the ball, more cohesive today. Tufts unselfish, finish well, skilled, perhaps honed by tough schedule. UR flat today. Did not play their best game for sure. Tomorrow will be highly competitive, Calvin really hungry for a title.

First half of first game today really fun to watch as has been pointed out.

[Hopkins92]

Paoletta on crutches at the end of the game.  He is definitely Tufts' defensive leader and his absence could well be the difference.  Who replaced Paoletta for the last 20+ minutes?

FY Will Raphael.

Another n00b question from someone who knows the game but didn't play: does someone being on crutches pretty much mean they're  "done"? Or is it precautionary? I guess it all depends on who, and what the injury is, but curious to hear perspectives.

I've NEVER seen a situation where a player needs crutches and then turns around and plays the very next day. I've seen a Saturday injury that turned out to me nothing and a guy can play next Tues/Weds. But less than 24 hours later?

Nah.
I was happy also and thought Chicago would do well....  I guess not and I don't hear much from the UAA folks who where all over the place a few days ago.  It's a good conference that still has something to prove...

Yeah, I still believe the UAA needs to win the big one before any talk of it being superior can be taken seriously.

[PaulNewman]

Admittedly I haven't been paying attention as closely the last couple of weeks....but....the UAA folks were talking all over the place within the past few days and now are oddly silent???

I don't recall any UAA fans bragging obnoxiously, or unabashedly pushing certain players for AA slots, or commenting on AA players from other teams that they know little about, etc, etc.  For the most part, at least as a correlate to their success and high profile, there are very few UAA posters...like I can't recall a single one for Emory or NYU or CMU...and only one from Rochester who just posted for the first time in the last few days.

The UAA is a great conference.  They don't have to win a title to get that designation.  Two teams in the final four two years in a row speaks for itself.  The criticism used to be that the UAA couldn't get any teams past the Sweet 16....now the final four isn't good enough.  Sure, titles count, and every program wants one, but given that only one team per year can win one, I don't think a title is required to be considered a top-tier conference or program.  Losing in OT or PKs can be twisted into something that actually sounds substantial?

There's plenty of room in the world for both the NESCAC and UAA to be viewed as very attractive.

And before we start proclaiming what tomorrow's result means for the annals of history (and personal egos), can we agree that what both of these programs -- Calvin and Tufts -- have done over the past handful of years is pretty stunning.  Both have marched through the NCAA tourney yet again, and today both dismantled very worthy semifinal opponents. 

[Brother Flounder]

Admittedly I haven't been paying attention as closely the last couple of weeks....but....the UAA folks were talking all over the place within the past few days and now are oddly silent???

I don't recall any UAA fans bragging obnoxiously, or unabashedly pushing certain players for AA slots, or commenting on AA players from other teams that they know little about, etc, etc.  For the most part, at least as a correlate to their success and high profile, there are very few UAA posters...like I can't recall a single one for Emory or NYU or CMU...and only one from Rochester who just posted for the first time in the last few days.

The UAA is a great conference.  They don't have to win a title to get that designation.  Two teams in the final four two years in a row speaks for itself.  The criticism used to be that the UAA couldn't get any teams past the Sweet 16....now the final four isn't good enough.  Sure, titles count, and every program wants one, but given that only one team per year can win one, I don't think a title is required to be considered a top-tier conference or program.  Losing in OT or PKs can be twisted into something that actually sounds substantial?

There's plenty of room in the world for both the NESCAC and UAA to be viewed as very attractive.

And before we start proclaiming what tomorrow's result means for the annals of history (and personal egos), can we agree that what both of these programs -- Calvin and Tufts -- have done over the past handful of years is pretty stunning.  Both have marched through the NCAA tourney yet again, and today both dismantled very worthy semifinal opponents.

Good post Mr. Newman...

[Buck O.]

Admittedly I haven't been paying attention as closely the last couple of weeks....but....the UAA folks were talking all over the place within the past few days and now are oddly silent???

I don't recall any UAA fans bragging obnoxiously, or unabashedly pushing certain players for AA slots, or commenting on AA players from other teams that they know little about, etc, etc.  For the most part, at least as a correlate to their success and high profile, there are very few UAA posters...like I can't recall a single one for Emory or NYU or CMU...and only one from Rochester who just posted for the first time in the last few days.

The UAA is a great conference.  They don't have to win a title to get that designation.  Two teams in the final four two years in a row speaks for itself.  The criticism used to be that the UAA couldn't get any teams past the Sweet 16....now the final four isn't good enough.  Sure, titles count, and every program wants one, but given that only one team per year can win one, I don't think a title is required to be considered a top-tier conference or program.  Losing in OT or PKs can be twisted into something that actually sounds substantial?

There's plenty of room in the world for both the NESCAC and UAA to be viewed as very attractive.

And before we start proclaiming what tomorrow's result means for the annals of history (and personal egos), can we agree that what both of these programs -- Calvin and Tufts -- have done over the past handful of years is pretty stunning.  Both have marched through the NCAA tourney yet again, and today both dismantled very worthy semifinal opponents.

Brother Flounder may be referring to me.  As for where I've been:  The second semifinal ended about four hours ago, and since then I've been (1) doing regular life things, like driving home from work, and (2) watching WashU's women in their semifinal, which sadly they also lost.  (It's been a bad day for the UAA.)  So my apologies if I didn't post quickly enough.

Anyway, the point that I made back in Reply #509 was that "If the question is which has been the top conference over the last two years, which is the way that NESoccerFan posed it, then I think it's obvious that it's the UAA, even if neither Chicago or Rochester wins the tournament.  Over the last two years, the UAA has claimed seven Elite Eight spots out of a total of 16 available, and four Final Four spots out of a total of eight available.  In contrast, the NESCAC has claimed only two Elite Eight spots and one Final Four spot."  Now we know that in fact, neither Chicago nor Rochester will win the tournament, but as I said at the time, I felt that the UAA's advantage was significant enough that it would hold even if a UAA team did not win the tournament.  In the event that Calvin wins tomorrow, I do think it would be particularly strange to argue that the UAA wasn't the strongest league over the last two years because Messiah and Calvin won the championships in those years. 

OTOH, if the question is which league has been stronger over a longer period of time, then obviously the UAA's case weakens and the NESCAC's strengthens.  But that wasn't the question I addressed.

Now I'm off to watch the other women's semifinal, in which I'm rooting for the NESCAC team, since two of the Williams players went to my son's high school and I know their parents.  Go Ephs!

[Brother Flounder]

Admittedly I haven't been paying attention as closely the last couple of weeks....but....the UAA folks were talking all over the place within the past few days and now are oddly silent???

I don't recall any UAA fans bragging obnoxiously, or unabashedly pushing certain players for AA slots, or commenting on AA players from other teams that they know little about, etc, etc.  For the most part, at least as a correlate to their success and high profile, there are very few UAA posters...like I can't recall a single one for Emory or NYU or CMU...and only one from Rochester who just posted for the first time in the last few days.


The UAA is a great conference.  They don't have to win a title to get that designation.  Two teams in the final four two years in a row speaks for itself.  The criticism used to be that the UAA couldn't get any teams past the Sweet 16....now the final four isn't good enough.  Sure, titles count, and every program wants one, but given that only one team per year can win one, I don't think a title is required to be considered a top-tier conference or program.  Losing in OT or PKs can be twisted into something that actually sounds substantial?

There's plenty of room in the world for both the NESCAC and UAA to be viewed as very attractive.

And before we start proclaiming what tomorrow's result means for the annals of history (and personal egos), can we agree that what both of these programs -- Calvin and Tufts -- have done over the past handful of years is pretty stunning.  Both have marched through the NCAA tourney yet again, and today both dismantled very worthy semifinal opponents.

Brother Flounder may be referring to me.  As for where I've been:  The second semifinal ended about four hours ago, and since then I've been (1) doing regular life things, like driving home from work, and (2) watching WashU's women in their semifinal, which sadly they also lost.  (It's been a bad day for the UAA.)  So my apologies if I didn't post quickly enough.

Anyway, the point that I made back in Reply #509 was that "If the question is which has been the top conference over the last two years, which is the way that NESoccerFan posed it, then I think it's obvious that it's the UAA, even if neither Chicago or Rochester wins the tournament.  Over the last two years, the UAA has claimed seven Elite Eight spots out of a total of 16 available, and four Final Four spots out of a total of eight available.  In contrast, the NESCAC has claimed only two Elite Eight spots and one Final Four spot."  Now we know that in fact, neither Chicago nor Rochester will win the tournament, but as I said at the time, I felt that the UAA's advantage was significant enough that it would hold even if a UAA team did not win the tournament.  In the event that Calvin wins tomorrow, I do think it would be particularly strange to argue that the UAA wasn't the strongest league over the last two years because Messiah and Calvin won the championships in those years. 

OTOH, if the question is which league has been stronger over a longer period of time, then obviously the UAA's case weakens and the NESCAC's strengthens.  But that wasn't the question I addressed.

Now I'm off to watch the other women's semifinal, in which I'm rooting for the NESCAC team, since two of the Williams players went to my son's high school and I know their parents.  Go Ephs!

I wasn't referring to you or anyone in particular...and the UAA is an excellent conference with great results...I actually like the Maroons and was rooting for them. They'd make a great story winning the Championship.... It's just people were posting like it was a given that the UAA were going to easily win the cahampionship.  As for tomorrow it's a great match up that either team could win...

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Just a quick aside, announcers talking about NESCAC and UAA being dominant in the Director's Cup standings. Which, of course, is an accurate statement.

Just noting that The Hop currently leads D3. :Did

Don't get too excited yet, Hop92, Williams wins the Director's Cup every year!

[blooter442]

In regards to the other matches going on in Greensboro, the women's final is an all-NESCAC affair...Williams won the regular season game but Middlebury won the NESCAC Final and the conference title...should be a good'un.

[WUPHF]

Williams wins the Director's Cup every year!

My favorite UAA team almost got Williams two years, holding the lead until the final results, but alas...

Williams may never be unseated from the Director's Cup again.

[jumpshot]

WUPHF: Scoring criteria for Directors's Cup has been modified to accommodate sponsor's wish that different colleges win it. Specifically, both men and women soccer and basketball are mandatory numbers. Concern is lack of advertising impact from sole dominance. Award less relevant now than ever before. What is important are academics, participation, fun. Already visible are a number of colleges with limited resources, various cultures, and different  best interests moving to fewer and major/minor sports simply to preserve some options and enrollment marketing presence.

WashU does a great job with what it chooses to do well, and doesn't need sking, wrestling, lacrosse, etc. or focus on chasing Directors's Cup.