Big Dance

[PaulNewman]

My "bracket buster" (if they can be considered as such) is Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. They haven't given up many goals this year, which tends to bode well for tournament success. On top of that, they are battle-tested with a good non-conference schedule where they ended up coming out on top a majority of the time. They have a LB (I believe he was an all american last year), William Birchard, who has elite ability from dead ball situations both in terms of service from corners and deeper free kicks, as well as shooting situations. Taking advantage of set pieces can make or break teams in the tournament, and they have the ability to do so. I definitely like their odds getting into the sweet 16, which sets up a potential matchup with John Carroll, in which I think they could sneak a W.

Good call....We tend to not see teams from the West as potential bracket busters or sleepers or whatever.  We tend to not think of them at all, almost as though the Trinity pod is some sort of little JV tournament or like the March Madness play-in games before the real tournament starts.  JCU is deservedly a favorite in that quadrant, but the vast majority of their games are 1 goal affairs.  They are beatable.  Centre or Kzoo could beat them.  And what about hard-charging Texas Lutheran?  They smacked Trinity and Colorado Coll around back to back, so CMS will have their hands full with Texas Lutheran.

[Hopkins92]

Today's slate of games, all times EST:

Chicago - Dominican 2:30
Hope - OWU 5:00
https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/msoc/2019-20/schedule

Calvin - Wis. Whitewater 1:00
ONU - St. Norbert 3:30

The Calvin game is tied at the half 0-0. Funkiness on the stream, can't seem to figure it out.

[Hopkins92]

https://livestream.com/calvin-university/events/6314584

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Absolutely gorgeous day here in the DMV for the Catholic hosted pod.

I'm guessing the visiting teams have arrived and are training on the field today, including Hopkins? Is Hopkins staying down in DC tonight?

It's a good question. I posted earlier, it's a REALLY short drive. You could get down there in 45 minutes, train for 60-90 and be back home in time for an early dinner. Just not sure the AD would spring for an overnight at that point.

This ALL assuming no traffic. And as anyone in this region would know, traffic is VERY likely even on a good day. It is more like an hour on a good day and could be two hours easily - especially since for Hopkins they would have to go through Baltimore or go around the beltway to and from their campus.

Furthermore, the NCAA pays for hotel rooms for traveling teams. Not something the AD has to worry about technically paying for (unless they go over the allotment given by the NCAA).

One of the biggest reasons NOT to bring the team back to Hopkins... the fact that three separate regional are being hosted by Hopkins: women's volleyball, women's soccer, and field hockey. Plus other sports (though, football and one or two others is on the road). There would be NO practice time available for the men's soccer team on the turf.

Better to just stay in DC.

[Hopkins92]

Good intel on the rooms being paid for.
If coach Appleby can keep the kids together and away from distractions, of course he'll do it.

[OldNed]

https://livestream.com/calvin-university/events/6314584

Brrr.  Looks cold and windy there, but at least it's sunny.

[Hopkins92]

Yeah, this Calvin game is another advertisement for turf. Guys are on skates out there. Calvin absolutely dominating (1-0) but it's hard to make the killer move when the rug gets pulled out every time you cut. Game should be 2-3-4 to nothing, but for the opposing keeper and the field conditions.

[Hopkins92]

Intrigue in Holland, folks! Dominican ties it up 1-1 in the first half.

I'm pretty sure it was 2 v. 5 or 6. Pretty bad defending from Chicago there. And totally against the overall run of play.

[PaulNewman]

If you have to play on turf that Hope set-up is the way to go.  Beautiful pitch with no football lines (or lacrosse or field hockey).  Some impressive snow just barely off the field.

And now Chicago 2-1.

[Hopkins92]

Yeah, I don't see this gaming going any other way than 3 or 4-1. One way traffic, despite that weird Dominican goal midway through.

The Calvin win was off an own goal, but holy wow does that not tell the story of domination in that game. Gotta be close to 20 Shots (8-10 SOGs) for the Knights and but for some brilliant goaltending and a spot of luck, that game was headed towards a blowout.

[Medicated Pete]

  Is there not a stream for the St. Norb's v. Polar Bears match today??
Seems odd

[TheGreenKnight920]

Is there not a stream for the St. Norb's v. Polar Bears match today??
Seems odd

I'm looking for it, too. At the end of the last broadcast, the commentators said they would be back with us in about 30 minutes, so I would assume it'll go up?

[Hopkins92]

Yeah, I put up a bunch of links in the streaming thread.

The way it works is you go to the host of the pods schedule page, and then click on Watch Video. The streaming option will come up there. https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/msoc/2019-20/schedule

But here's a direct link to their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/hopeathletics

It will pop up as an option closer to game time.

(The vast majority of the schools use the Stretch platform, which is a little more intuitive and also lists both games for that pod, leaving the confusion and guesswork out of the equation.)

[TheGreenKnight920]

Yeah, I put up a bunch of links in the streaming thread.

The way it works is you go to the host of the pods schedule page, and then click on Watch Video. The streaming option will come up there. https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/msoc/2019-20/schedule

But here's a direct link to their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/hopeathletics

It will pop up as an option closer to game time.

(The vast majority of the schools use the Stretch platform, which is a little more intuitive and also lists both games for that pod, leaving the confusion and guesswork out of the equation.)

SNC v ONU is in Calvin's pod. Calvin uses Vimeo for their streams, and the website is all over the place. For example, they had the previous game under Men's soccer 2018, so who knows.

[Hopkins92]

Yeah, I put up a bunch of links in the streaming thread.

The way it works is you go to the host of the pods schedule page, and then click on Watch Video. The streaming option will come up there. https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/msoc/2019-20/schedule

But here's a direct link to their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/hopeathletics

It will pop up as an option closer to game time.

(The vast majority of the schools use the Stretch platform, which is a little more intuitive and also lists both games for that pod, leaving the confusion and guesswork out of the equation.)

SNC v ONU is in Calvin's pod. Calvin uses Vimeo for their streams, and the website is all over the place. For example, they had the previous game under Men's soccer 2018, so who knows.

Yeah, sorry for the slight confusion, I actually posted the link on here upthread, ^^^
but didn't want to junk up this thread with a bunch of links, so moved the full list over to the streaming thread.

It definitely took more work to figure that one out.