Big Dance

[Mr.Right]

UMM STRIKE OF THE YEAR......

[jknezek]

W&L up 1-0 at half. Missed the strike. Happened on the 28th minute. Never was able to get that far.

[blooter442]

Screamer.

Also, I know anything can happen in Sweet 16 games but RPI...wow. First Elite 8 in school history. Amherst are still favorites for that game of course but RPI just knocked out a team that hadn't failed to win since mid-September.

[blooter442]

Calvin's first goal a great finish; the second a well-executed counter. 2-0 at half.

[blooter442]

Tufts starting to back W&L in...still 1-0.

[blooter442]

Just like that, 1-1.

[blooter442]

Big Tufts chance with a really nice give-and-go resulting in a Lane shot that the keeper saved. A yard to the left and it would have been top corner, but it was straight at the GK who gathered at the second attempt.

Braun then nicks the bar on a header from a corner.

[Mr.Right]

mo idea how they did not finish on any of those chances in 2nd Half...I would say about 5-6 legitimate chances

[blooter442]

Tufts gets the winner 1:15 into OT. Tough on W&L who played well but Tufts was resilient and had just a bit more.

[Mr.Right]

yup knew that was coming..it was a great effort by W&L but again by the 70th minute they just blew a gasket...they were ABSOLUTELY gassed at the end.....now this sets up an Elite 8 Tufts v Conn....

quick matchup advantage-------IMO Tufts will be full throttle going at Freddy Stiokes with that knee brace or whatever and his lack of pace to either keep up with Lane or Tasker...Either player will blow by him..He is an important part of CC backline as he is a physical player they need out there but maybe a little more speed at wingback tomorrow will be necessary for Conn.


Still this is a perfect game for Conn..They know the opponent and will be absolutely pumped tomorrow. Both teams are Senior heavy but Conn can be a gritty team and Butera is a gamer even with his crap play today he will be ready tomorrow. Donelan is key in the back. Should be interesting

[PaulNewman]

This tournament will drive a stake into your heart every time...unless you're the last team standing. 

At the beginning of the season I didn't even expect Kenyon to make the tournament but once they had such a good season and got hosting this weekend, well, another year of great opportunity ends in bitter disappointment.  Not sure why Kenyon came out slow, although they did have to adjust to speed and athleticism of Montclair.  Kenyon dominated most of the match after MSU scored and certainly had enough chances, outshooting MSU 23 (10) to 10 (4) with a edge in corners as well.  Finally with just under 10 minutes left Max Taylor hit a sublime free kick and the Lords had life and a lot of momentum.  Carson with 2 minutes left in regulation had an almost open net from 6-8 yards out but hit the underside of the bar and the ball didn't go in.  The Kenyon dominated OT 1 and had at least a couple of good chances but should have done better on those.  And of course the game ends on a free kick after another foul and I couldn't see what happened other than MSU celebrating.  Reading the box score was extra painful as it says the ball went through the GK's hands.  Whenever a game goes to OT you are tempting fate.  Kenyon's good fortune for this season ran out.

Congratulations to Montclair.  They played a smart, in control game, although I did wonder if they started trying to milk the clock way, way too soon and could have used another goal before Kenyon leveled. 

Nothing worse than an Elite 8 game on your own field when you aren't playing.  Only 9 months or so before the 2020 Season Preview video!

Good luck to all the remaining teams.  I will try to recede into that good night.

[Ejay]

Nice post PN. Best of luck next year to Kenyon.

[Gregory Sager]

Calvin's first goal a great finish; the second a well-executed counter. 2-0 at half.

Calvin wins, 3-0. The stats, which favored Luther, are extremely deceptive, because the game was as lopsided in Calvin's favor as the score indicates. The Knights had the clear run of play throughout, and their pace made the Norse look like they were standing still.

I interviewed Calvin coach Ryan Souders after the game, and I sure hope that he knew I wasn't serious when he mentioned how familiar he was with Hedstrand Field from his CCIW days and I jokingly responded by referring to that as time he spent as "the enemy". He seemed rather taken aback. I'm not sure that Wheaton folks always catch on that when we NPU types call them "the enemy" we're kidding.

(Well, mostly.)

[MaturinNYC]

JESUS----Amherst backs are just HOOFING...I mean not even looking up to see where it is going...Amherst midfield tryin to play and Cutler Coleman again busting his ass to play one more day...

Made me laugh and reminded me of a Sweet 16 game a couple of years ago. UofR was playing Amherst at Messiah and after they got an early goal off a CK the rest of the game was just that, hoof it - didn't matter where on the field the ball was, it was getting a big boot. Even after Rochester went ahead 2-1 in the 2nd, the tactics didn't change and i remember the excellent Messiah commentators at one point saying "It's like they don't WANT the ball!"  Impressive and willing athletes, and they've won a lot (including a national title), but the game plan seems a little anachronistic.

[Another Mom]

Amherst appears to be crushing RPI 3-0 in the 1st 30 minutes of the game