2021 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[Another Mom]

All that said, you must be pleased about W&L as you seem to have more than a fleeting interest in that emergent powerhouse.  Imo, Centre getting to 2019 Final Four was a bit of a fluke, but I would love to see a W&L, F&M, Hopkins, Trinity, or the like break through and spoil the brackets for those who already had Tufts, Messiah, North Park, Amherst, Calvin, etc penciled in two months ago.

Yes, I am pleased with how W&L are playing :-) It will be interesting to see how the season progresses. They have one of their toughest opponents this weekend.

[jknezek]

Since we are feeling a bit squeaky about polls... anyone want to do a fan poll? If we can get 5-10 voters maybe do a national top 15 or 20? I'll organize and collate it if we can get the voters. I'm pronanly not nationally knowledgeable enough to be a voter. Let me know by private message if you are interested.

[Another Mom]

All that said, you must be pleased about W&L as you seem to have more than a fleeting interest in that emergent powerhouse.  Imo, Centre getting to 2019 Final Four was a bit of a fluke, but I would love to see a W&L, F&M, Hopkins, Trinity, or the like break through and spoil the brackets for those who already had Tufts, Messiah, North Park, Amherst, Calvin, etc penciled in two months ago.

It is good to see another W&L fan on the boards. We are few and far between across all sports! This could be the Generals breakthrough year, but I am very, very interested in Friday's CNU game.  I think we will learn as much about both teams as can be learned in a single soccer game. I am also hoping the last two games opened the scoring floodgates. The Generals looked strong after the Emory game, but finishing chances seems to be very hit or miss this early in the season.

Aren't "finishing chances hit or miss" true for just about every d3 team?? I am encouraged that they aren't reliant on only one goal scorer -- they have a few!

[jknezek]

All that said, you must be pleased about W&L as you seem to have more than a fleeting interest in that emergent powerhouse.  Imo, Centre getting to 2019 Final Four was a bit of a fluke, but I would love to see a W&L, F&M, Hopkins, Trinity, or the like break through and spoil the brackets for those who already had Tufts, Messiah, North Park, Amherst, Calvin, etc penciled in two months ago.

It is good to see another W&L fan on the boards. We are few and far between across all sports! This could be the Generals breakthrough year, but I am very, very interested in Friday's CNU game.  I think we will learn as much about both teams as can be learned in a single soccer game. I am also hoping the last two games opened the scoring floodgates. The Generals looked strong after the Emory game, but finishing chances seems to be very hit or miss this early in the season.

Aren't "finishing chances hit or miss" true for just about every d3 team?? I am encouraged that they aren't reliant on only one goal scorer -- they have a few!

For every team everywhere. But if you want to be a top 10 in D3 and breakthrough in the late stage playoffs you have to consistently score when chances come. Leaving the first game at Emory aside, first games are just that, it was a grind against Ogelthorpe, Lynchburg and even Hanover. Good teams do win grinds, they have to, but too many grinds and you will get unlucky against someone you shouldn't. That is the difference between the very top of D3 and the 8-25 type teams where W&L has generally lived since Coach Singleton started kicking butt and taking names.

I had a great relationship with Coach Piranian, long ago now, but I love what Singleton has done. Hopefully this year will be that next, massively difficult, step from consistently great to elite.

[Another Mom]

Agree with your thoughts @jknezek. The team seems to have decent depth, which is good. But the upcoming game could be telling!

[PaulNewman]

Easy for me to say, but as long as they don't come out flat I would not expect W&L to have too much trouble versus CNU.  I think CNU plays a style that allows goals.  I think the question for W&L will be whether they can get through Sweet 16 and/or Elite 8 games versus a Tufts, Amherst, Messiah, Calvin, Hopkins, Oneonta, Rochester, etc 1-0 or 2-1.

I wish W&L good fortune (as long as it's not at Kenyon's expense, which could happen).   Where W&L is at reminds me of where Kenyon was 2013-2019ish....knocking on the door and within a ball slipping under a defender's foot, a missed 2OT winner by a foot, a 109th minute very avoidable catastrophe, etc of reaching the Final Four.  The pressure to break through may be as big of an opponent as the formidable opponents themselves.  Anyway, I think Singleton has what it takes and I definitely could see W&L breaking through.

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Why does the USC bother with polls?

MCLA, 1-4, and fresh off a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of......Husson, I'm guessing for the first time in the history of the program has jumped into the RV category.

And I hope F&M had some Dramamine before their free fall from #2 all the way down to #24 within a week after one loss.

Agreed...but MCLA(or North Adams State) were a decent program in the late 1970's and 1980's and made a couple of NCAA Final Four's in the 1970's. Admissions became much harder for athletics when the school switched "names" and raised standards. Men's Hockey was dumped in the early 2000's. The President wanted a different direction in the mid 1990's and looking back he was right because believe me the city of North Adams, MA has benefitted. Of course, Mass Moca and the mayor should be congratulated. Damn that mayor was a horse's ass but he bullied, pushed and prodded to use eminent domain as a threat or sadly a reality. MCLA also started purchasing more land, buildings, etc. Moving historical house after historical house to fit their every need. Sorry a little off track.

That is interesting.  I would have never guessed that MCLA (or North Adams State) had been anywhere near a Final Four even 50 years ago.

Look up Tony Crescitelli.  One of the greatest ever to play in D3.  He went to North Adams State.

[PaulNewman]

Why does the USC bother with polls?

MCLA, 1-4, and fresh off a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of......Husson, I'm guessing for the first time in the history of the program has jumped into the RV category.

And I hope F&M had some Dramamine before their free fall from #2 all the way down to #24 within a week after one loss.

Agreed...but MCLA(or North Adams State) were a decent program in the late 1970's and 1980's and made a couple of NCAA Final Four's in the 1970's. Admissions became much harder for athletics when the school switched "names" and raised standards. Men's Hockey was dumped in the early 2000's. The President wanted a different direction in the mid 1990's and looking back he was right because believe me the city of North Adams, MA has benefitted. Of course, Mass Moca and the mayor should be congratulated. Damn that mayor was a horse's ass but he bullied, pushed and prodded to use eminent domain as a threat or sadly a reality. MCLA also started purchasing more land, buildings, etc. Moving historical house after historical house to fit their every need. Sorry a little off track.

That is interesting.  I would have never guessed that MCLA (or North Adams State) had been anywhere near a Final Four even 50 years ago.

Look up Tony Crescitelli.  One of the greatest ever to play in D3.  He went to North Adams State.

LOL....I will look him up.  In my very weak defense, in the 70s I was on a tennis court somewhere in NC or another southern state or searching for crayfish (or golf balls) in a creek.  I could have never guessed I'd grow up to waste a ton of time on a D3 soccer website (although to be fair 'website' wasn't in my lexicon back then either).  I have the same reaction to North Adams State as when I hear someone reference Boston State or Metropolitan State College.

[Gregory Sager]

All that said, you must be pleased about W&L as you seem to have more than a fleeting interest in that emergent powerhouse.  Imo, Centre getting to 2019 Final Four was a bit of a fluke, but I would love to see a W&L, F&M, Hopkins, Trinity, or the like break through and spoil the brackets for those who already had Tufts, Messiah, North Park, Amherst, Calvin, etc penciled in two months ago.

It is good to see another W&L fan on the boards. We are few and far between across all sports! This could be the Generals breakthrough year, but I am very, very interested in Friday's CNU game.  I think we will learn as much about both teams as can be learned in a single soccer game.

I can tell you everything you want to know about the Captains, because I learned it the hard way on Sunday. Their commitment is to the air game, because they're very, very good at it. CNU, as far as I can tell, has always taken great pride in being a defense-oriented power (it must've stung them to no end to give up three goals in the second half to Chicago last Friday), and the Captains hew to that principle this season with a four-man backline that sits deep and is very disciplined. As far as how the Captains work the ball upfield is concerned, they have both the size and what I call the "smart physicality" to absolutely dominate you all day long on 50/50s and second balls, and they use that to get the ball from the backline to midfield, and frequently from midfield to the edge of the 18 as well. Everybody can target well, everybody can get airborne and fetch very well, they're technical enough to settle quickly and minimize heavy body touches ... your Generals would be well served to offer sacrifices to the soccer gods for strong winds in Lexington on Friday.

[jknezek]

I can tell you everything you want to know about the Captains, because I learned it the hard way on Sunday. Their commitment is to the air game, because they're very, very good at it. CNU, as far as I can tell, has always taken great pride in being a defense-oriented power (it must've stung them to no end to give up three goals in the second half to Chicago last Friday), and the Captains hew to that principle this season with a four-man backline that sits deep and is very disciplined. As far as how the Captains work the ball upfield is concerned, they have both the size and what I call the "smart physicality" to absolutely dominate you all day long on 50/50s and second balls, and they use that to get the ball from the backline to midfield, and frequently from midfield to the edge of the 18 as well. Everybody can target well, everybody can get airborne and fetch very well, they're technical enough to settle quickly and minimize heavy body touches ... your Generals would be well served to offer sacrifices to the soccer gods for strong winds in Lexington on Friday.

Dear lord it sounds like my middle school soccer coach from 30 years ago... cones in the back, athletes up front. Cones kick as hard as you can, athletes go and get it. My desire to watch this game just plummeted.

[Gregory Sager]

It ain't pretty, but it works for them. At least they're not dump-and-chase with the longball, the way so many D3 teams are.

As I said, CNU targets well, so when they put it in the air it almost always comes down within a two-yard radius of where the intended recipient was standing when the ball was launched.

[Hopkins92]

Guess I need to be more present to get Hopkins on people's brains. ;-)

Pretty big win in Baltimore tonight over #3 St. Mary's. 3-2 on the turf. Game was 3-1 with under 5 when SMC put one away that made the final few moments tense, but without any true danger.

I'll have to catch another few games, but there seems to be something a little different with The Hop and their possession at all costs style. Didn't get to watch more than a self-driven highlight version of the game, but they seemed a lot more willing to kick out wide in transition than they have in past years. Again, I need to watch more game tape, but Hopkins just looked a little more willing to skip over players rather than tediously pass the ball through every player on the backline and then do the same thing through the midfield. 

(If anyone has paid any attention to my grumbling, it is that Appleby had them playing possession but to no real dangerous end much of the time. Seems to have, perhaps, decided to go on the attack a bit more.)

St. Mary's remains winless in the all time series, stretching to 24 or 25 matches without a win. But this team seems really dangerous going forward and fairly well organized in the middle. Can't really get on them too much for the three goals... Maybe for a lack of urgency in their marking on the third. Way too much time at the top of the box, allowing for a banger in the upper 90.

[jknezek]

I'll give this one more go. If anyone is interested in doing a fan poll for D3 soccer let me know. Only got one taker last time.

[SimpleCoach]

I'll give this one more go. If anyone is interested in doing a fan poll for D3 soccer let me know. Only got one taker last time.

I'm Game.

[PaulNewman]

I'll give this one more go. If anyone is interested in doing a fan poll for D3 soccer let me know. Only got one taker last time.

Not exactly sure how this will work but willing to give it a go.