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[PaulNewman]

Congrats to Denison!  Whether one was impressed with the strategy/tactics or not, not many teams in the country could pull a Delaware/Gambier double in two big games, holding two high powered offenses scoreless for 180 minutes.  Very impressive.  And Brown just cannot beat Bianco in a big spot.  The ref let them play, which was to Denison's advantage, but the calls (or lack of them) were consistent and fair.  The ref called the first foul of the game in the 25th minute.  For the whole game, which was quite physical and chippy, only 8 fouls for Denison and 5 for Kenyon.  The Lords started out crisply but as so often happens did not score in the initial barrage and made a huge, unforced error in the back directly resulting in the Denison goal...completely self-inflicted.  Kenyon continued to make similar mistakes throughout the game despite dominating possession and having a ton of corners and short throw-ins.  Kenyon had 70+ minutes to level and go ahead but did not.  Just a miserable performance and outcome for Kenyon.

The player of the game was the Denison GK, offensively and defensively, but especially offensively as he was Denison's offense.  He never played short and bombed punts and goal kicks into the Kenyon final third which created a bunch of bouncing balls that Kenyon struggled to settle.  Brown (the GK) also controlled the tempo beginning in the first half....always talking his time, methodical, using as much clock as possible without seeming totally egregious.  He had a couple of good saves but more all the possession and chances the Lords didn't put a lot of credible shots on goal.  Tons of forays across the 18 and into the box only to shoot balls 15 yards both high and wide or weakly right into the GK.

I could go on and on critiquing Kenyon's performance, but bottom line is a major program-affirming win for Denison and a deserved NCAA AQ bid and a terribly disappointing day for Kenyon in front of a very large crowd that never got a chance to help out.  Hard not to overreact so I'm just gonna overreact.

[midwest]

@PaulNewman -- you have always been a fair, reasonable observer of this game we love, and I'm sorry that you and your son are disappointed tonight. When my kid went through recruiting, the Kenyon coaching staff was quite clear that a national championship was the goal, and I'm confident that is on the horizon for the Kenyon team. As the parent of a Denison soccer alum, I'm happy that there is finally a strong coach leading the program. My kid chose the school, rather than the soccer program and, as a result, suffered through some lousy days and seasons. But like other young men at D3 schools across the country, he carries with him the great friendships and memories of 4 years as a D3 soccer player.

[SimpleCoach]

Congrats to Denison!  Whether one was impressed with the strategy/tactics or not, not many teams in the country could pull a Delaware/Gambier double in two big games, holding two high powered offenses scoreless for 180 minutes.  Very impressive.  And Brown just cannot beat Bianco in a big spot.  The ref let them play, which was to Denison's advantage, but the calls (or lack of them) were consistent and fair.  The ref called the first foul of the game in the 25th minute.  For the whole game, which was quite physical and chippy, only 8 fouls for Denison and 5 for Kenyon.  The Lords started out crisply but as so often happens did not score in the initial barrage and made a huge, unforced error in the back directly resulting in the Denison goal...completely self-inflicted.  Kenyon continued to make similar mistakes throughout the game despite dominating possession and having a ton of corners and short throw-ins.  Kenyon had 70+ minutes to level and go ahead but did not.  Just a miserable performance and outcome for Kenyon.

The player of the game was the Denison GK, offensively and defensively, but especially offensively as he was Denison's offense.  He never played short and bombed punts and goal kicks into the Kenyon final third which created a bunch of bouncing balls that Kenyon struggled to settle.  Brown (the GK) also controlled the tempo beginning in the first half....always talking his time, methodical, using as much clock as possible without seeming totally egregious.  He had a couple of good saves but more all the possession and chances the Lords didn't put a lot of credible shots on goal.  Tons of forays across the 18 and into the box only to shoot balls 15 yards both high and wide or weakly right into the GK.

I could go on and on critiquing Kenyon's performance, but bottom line is a major program-affirming win for Denison and a deserved NCAA AQ bid and a terribly disappointing day for Kenyon in front of a very large crowd that never got a chance to help out.  Hard not to overreact so I'm just gonna overreact.

@Paul Newman.  If we can't overreact about soccer, not sure we can about anything.  Overreact, by all means.

[PaulNewman]

LOL...appreciate that @midwest and @SC.

Believe me, my overreaction is in high gear, but don't want to distract any more than I already have from Denison.  I don't know why I like Bianco so much, but I do.  Developed a lot of respect for what he did with the CWRU program which had usually been at the bottom of the tough UAA.  As soon as Denison hired him I think I was first or second on this board praising the hire.  Some asked why you would leave CWRU for Denison....well, could be a lot of reasons...like $$$, family, etc...but also because Denison has everything to be a consistently high level program.  And I like that he seems to relate to and care about his players and thinks about "how am I going to win this game" or at least give his team their best chance to win.  And while I 'm sick to my stomach tonight, the NCAC is a much better league with more than two top teams, and this is a great start for Denison.  And that said, I wouldn't mind if Kenyon (assuming they get in) draws Denison 1st or 2nd round.

A lot of teams, especially if they are in an unfamiliar position, react by trying to do what they've already been doing but just with a little force.  But when you've already maxed out on full force, maybe have a Plan B and a Plan C...something I think Shapiro was great at with Tufts.  So here's a random thought for the Kenyon coaching staff.  Maybe sit in and counter once in a while so teams aren't loaded up defensively for 90 straight minutes.

And, lol, my son probably doesn't even know Kenyon lost yet.

[SimpleCoach]

A lot of teams, especially if they are in an unfamiliar position, react by trying to do what they've already been doing but just with a little force.  But when you've already maxed out on full force, maybe have a Plan B and a Plan C...something I think Shapiro was great at with Tufts.  So here's a random thought for the Kenyon coaching staff.  Maybe sit in and counter once in a while so teams aren't loaded up defensively for 90 straight minutes.

You hit on one of my big issues with a lot of coaches.  They only know one way.  And I think there is a lot of nuances in a game that requires teams to be a bit nimbler.

[PaulNewman]

A lot of teams, especially if they are in an unfamiliar position, react by trying to do what they've already been doing but just with a little force.  But when you've already maxed out on full force, maybe have a Plan B and a Plan C...something I think Shapiro was great at with Tufts.  So here's a random thought for the Kenyon coaching staff.  Maybe sit in and counter once in a while so teams aren't loaded up defensively for 90 straight minutes.

You hit on one of my big issues with a lot of coaches.  They only know one way.  And I think there is a lot of nuances in a game that requires teams to be a bit nimbler.

Exactly.  Bianco played 4 years for Jay Martin.  He knows how to play attractive soccer, and that will improve as Denison's talent level increases.  But he realizes the biggest thing right now is winning as much as possible.  I assume this was intentional on his part but they seemed very focused on limiting Kenyon's dangerous right back, Muther, who didn't get his normal amount of penetrating runs down the right side where he can play balls across the box from the touchline area.  Muther also like some others made some highly uncharacteristic mistakes...almost all soft passes totally unforced that put the defense in a bind where there was nothing.

[southsidejet]

Attended the John Carroll / Otterbein OAC final on Saturday, great game! JCU controlled much of the game tempo and moved the ball well. They deserved the W but it was a good, hard-fought match that could have easily gone to pks. Otterbein had a few dangerous chances on set pieces /corners but JCU was able to shut those down. I had also attended the regular season matchup between these two in Westerville and felt JCU stepped up their game and looked a bit more poised the second time around. Both squads will be a dangerous draw early on in the upcoming NCAAs.

[PaulNewman]

Well, SimpleCoach, your guy Muther was named NCAC Defensive POY. 

OWU, Kenyon, and Denison dominated the selections, with Jaggar and Gomez getting Offensive POY and Midfielder POY.  Martinez for Kenyon also Newcomer of Year.  Brown won COY in what I would consider almost an upset over Bianco (who I would have voted for) but Kenyon was 9-0-0 for the regular season.  Dylan Brown for Denison was 1st team GK which seems right.

I would have thought Jaggar and Burns for Kenyon would have been in the running as sophs for Newcomer.  Burns made the 2nd team as a defender with Hosmer-Quint.

Hosmer-Quint and forward Gaese named Academic All District.  Hosmer-Quint must be quite a young man, having done internships with an international reforestation group and at a migrant shelter in AZ.

Link to the NCAC info below...

https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/v/0/p7o0n1tgyrhg70/All-NCAC_Men-s_Soccer_21.pdf

[PaulNewman]

https://owu_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/files/ms/2022/2022%20NCAC%20Men's%20Soccer%20Preseason%20Poll.pdf

Pleased and relieved to see the Lords (I mean Owls) are returning most if not all of the key players who I was worried might not use their last year of eligibility.  Muther, Upton, Carson all back as well some key underclassmen.  This is of course based on the press release being accurate.

Bottom line...Kenyon along with OWU should be very much in the mix nationally.

And I just figured out the that Lords are the Owls...

https://youtu.be/XEtCmG-ouJs

Btw, Owls looks eerily a little too much like OWU..

[PaulNewman]

And Allegheny officially begins a new era outside the NCAC.  The Gators were relatively competitive until about 8-9 years ago.  Not sure what happened.  Wonder how long Hiram can hold on.

[College Soccer Observer]

Their sports nosedived across the board.  Recruiting has been awful.  I played at Allegheny when it joined the NCAC, and I am deeply disappointed they returned to the PAC.  It just seems like striving for excellence in athletics is not part of their mission statement.

[SimpleCoach]

Their sports nosedived across the board.  Recruiting has been awful.  I played at Allegheny when it joined the NCAC, and I am deeply disappointed they returned to the PAC.  It just seems like striving for excellence in athletics is not part of their mission statement.

That's sad to hear.  They used to be a reference program for us back in the 80s.  Good soccer all around, great field.

SC.

[D3Dad]

Denison finishes the preseason with 1 win and 1 tie after a 2-2 tie with Ohio Northern yesterday

Any update on the Kenyon V Otterbein game ?

[PaulNewman]

Denison finishes the preseason with 1 win and 1 tie after a 2-2 tie with Ohio Northern yesterday

Any update on the Kenyon V Otterbein game ?

I haven't heard or seen anything.  I tend to agree with those suggesting these preseason/exhibition tilts mean very little and are almost akin to NFL preseason games.  I am now curious, though, about ONU as the Polar Bears are the first opponent for Kenyon this Thursday.  Especially after my comments in another thread, I was interested to see that ONU just had a 10 day trip to England/Scotland at the beginning of August.  So one would think ONU is further along than many teams because of that very recent additional time together.  Big game for both teams.  Kenyon can't afford to be 0-1 heading into an away match with John Carroll.

[D3Dad]

Denison had a similar trip to Portugal , Denny led  2-0 late into the second half before ONU equalized but I agree these don't mean a ton but it's better to play well going into game 1 than struggling and trying  to figure things out