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[JFPIV]

A 3-0 loss saw my Little Giants over run through the midfield by the Hope Dutchmen.  It was not pretty.

[Domino1195]

Caught a few games Sat, even those that were almost impossible to watch.

Such as Otterbein at Hanover. Hanover's video has always been a challenge as the camera is set in the next county. Sat's broadcast featured a monochrome feed - ranging from a light lime green to chartreuse. It was during this time that Hanover was awarded a PK and a RC issued to the Bein player. I rewatched the sequence several times and can't figure out what the card was for. The defender appeared to fall forward towards the attacker, no contact, attacker got the shot off. After the CR signaled for the PK, he gave the card and the player truly looked dumbfounded. All I can surmise is his hand touched the ball - extremely harsh card if so - or he said something. Hanover converts and takes a 1-0 lead into halftime.  Second half - if you didn't know which team was playing a man down you'd assume it was Hanover. Otterbein had several spells of total ball control and equalized off a set piece, getting the game winner a few minutes later. Great comeback win, playing 70 minutes a man down.

Similarly Capital went down 1-0 at half, scoring twice in the second half for the win. Cap was missing their leading point man, Kossoudji, and a starting CB, using a freshman and sophomore in their stead - both showed very well. 

Commented on JCU elsewhere but a great game to watch. It might sting a bit to drop two straight but I don't think JCU has any fundamental issues to address. The OAC appears to me at least: MTU and JCU battling out for 1st and 2nd; Bein, Cap and ONU (another game plagued by broadcast issues - never aired due to technical difficulties) fight for the next three spots. Then there's the rest . . .

NCAC: Denison played Case fairly evenly for the portions of the game I saw. They and OWU look like the only "sure" teams for the NCAC tourney - the other two up for grabs. I have not seen Kenyon since the Hanover game, but they were not impressive then. Compared to past teams this year's squad was less technically competent, it does not have the dominant midfield I've seen in years past. I may attend the first half of tomorrow's game - Cap hosting OWU is the priority. Everything can change come conference play.

Also saw Mt. Aloysius vs Alfred - which appear to be the front runners for the AMCC regular season title. Alfred's second minute goal off a corner lasted almost 60 minutes until a PK for MTA ties it up. With exactly 17 minutes to play #10 for MTA hits a golaso bomb from 25+ yards - from the right side to the upper corner, left post. Dipping, crushed - a beauty.  Got chippy to be sure - not a fan of the CR's mgmt style - lots of stoppages to "talk" to players. Rabbit ears got the best of him as he gave a YC and a RC to Alfred after the game ended.

PAC - Grove City already 2-0 in conference play, significant win vs contender Franciscan. Conference play for most everyone else begins Sat. Got Cap/OWU tomorrow; Denison at Bein Wednesday- weather for Wednesday looks very dicey. Haven't had rain for two weeks out here so I guess we're due. I will say driving a golf ball 270+ yards on bowling alley fairways has been fun; trying to land a wedge on concrete greens - not so much.

[oacalum]

I wanted to wait until the non-conference portion was completed before giving my overview of Region VII.

AMCC - This conference will most likely come down to Behrend and Mount Aloysius. Alfred St could be a sneaky contender as they are sitting on a decent record. I don't see any ranked teams from this conference, unless Behrend or MAC wins out and sneaks into the bottom of the rankings, as SOS will be a major issue for most of these teams.

PAC - Similar SOS issues as AMCC. This will probably come down to Franciscan and Grove City, with Grove City already grabbing a 3-1 win against Franciscan. Once again, don't believe any ranked teams here.

HCAC - I'd think Rose Hulman is the favorite. They scheduled some good games and pulled out a big win against ONU. Hanover should be in the mix with RHIT but they seem down a step compared to previous years.

UAA - Case Western has impressed me so far. Good results against good competition. Carnegie Mellon, on the other hand, have a great record against lower competition. Lost to John Carroll and tied against MAC in their toughest games of the year. UAA play will help us figure out where they rank.

NCAC - Denison, Kenyon, or Ohio Wesleyan? I think this year is very even at the top. All of these game against each other will be crucial and, I think come tournament time, it could go any direction.

OAC - Favorites have to be JCU and Mount Union at this point. Thought Mount could be pretenders, then they beat Calvin and Case Western. They will be tested at ONU this Saturday. JCU has played a very tough non-conference schedule and could easily have been 7-1-1 if not for a 1 minute slip up against Denison. Next group would include ONU, Otterbein, and Capital. ONU has also played a very tough schedule and had a tough 4 game stretch with results. Capital and Otterbein seem to have some talented players that can punish you if caught on and off day. These top 5 seem very solid, so I'm excited to see how it all shakes out shortly!

[PaulNewman]

Oacalum, you nailed that.

On the NCAC, feels like the top dogs have come back closer to the pack.  The presumed top 3 are all flawed...good to very good instead of the floor/ceiling being very good to outstanding.

Keep forgetting to mention (because denial is a powerful thing) that I finally heard the Kenyon announcer say that Gerardo Martinez is out for the season.  He gave Messiah fits as a frosh 2 years ago, and when healthy is one of the more talented playmaking midfielders in the country. Most of the injured players have returned, although 2 key guys did not play against Centre.

It's too bad that injuries play such an outsized role in what we all know is a very compressed season.

[Domino1195]

Concur with OAC alum: not really going to pay attention to the three lesser conferences until their respective conference tourneys.

Seems playing a tougher NC schedule may have prepared Grove City better for conference play - their 3-0 win over Franciscan, who most likely represents their most significant challenge for a NCAA bid. A rematch in the conference tourney final would be a neutral's wish.

It's between RHIT and Hanover, both played a challenging NC schedule, probably for the AQ. I've seen Hanover a couple times - 1 goal losses at Kenyon and OWU, at home versus Otterbein. Bounced back in conference play after their collapse vs Otterbein. Set piece goals seem to be their Achilles heel.

OAC: MTU and JCU - first and second. MTU's back four are maybe the strongest in the conference - at a minimum equal to JCU. JCU with a ridiculously difficult NC should start 3-0 before facing ONU away. The MTU game is Oct 25 at MTU - must see tv!  MTU got the win at Wooster - not a great field so they didn't look sharp. Luckily all but two OAC teams play on turf, which better suits their game. I'm concerned about their keeper's decisions - the Wooster goal - it wasn't necessary for him to leave the 6 - didn't get the ball - goal. There are going to be a few 1 goal wins amongst the top 4 OAC teams - can't afford mistakes like this in the big games.

Otterbein and ONU- 3rd and 4th. Bein's come  from behind victories against Hanover and Denison, tying Wash & Lee after being down 2-0 and 3-2, show their level of compete, especially late in games (after 70 minutes). The Denison game was like watching a tennis match between two players engaged in baseline to baseline volleys. This game went back and forth from 18 to 18 with little being allowed by either defense once entering the 18. A vicious OG - hard cross off the face of an Otterbein - gave Denison the lead; a PK and goal off a corner with 30 seconds left for Otterbein's win. Both teams very strong across the back - nothing either keeper could do about the three goals.  Wednesday's game at ONU for a third place showdown.

ONU also had a difficult NC schedule against what might turn out to be 5-6 ranked teams by season's end. They have all three top contenders at home this year, beginning with MTU this Saturday. Both ONU or Otterbein have a realistic chance to finish second.

Capital - fifth at best. They have an above average keeper - the Case final score could have been 3 or 4-0 if it weren't for him. Talented players but no real cohesion when attacking. Injuries to senior backs has forced a couple of freshman to start - including one at CB who's played very well. They may nick a point that they probably didn't deserve, but if they continue to show up 20 minutes late to every game it will be a long season. See OWU result for the kind of beating they'll get vs JCU, ONU and possibly MTU if they're not ready by the opening whistle.

NCAC: that OWU performance at Capital was a complete and thorough ass kicking. From jump street. If they play that way in conference they will finish with maybe one loss. Their talent on offense is the best in the NCAC; there are teams like Denison that play great defense and are opportunistic on offense, but I haven't seen a team in the NCAC who can attack like they can. But as we saw in the JCU game their defense can let them down. But on an average day they have attacking prowess, the grit to grind out tougher games. Start the season off with a bang at Kenyon, end the season at home vs Denison.

Denison probably 2nd. Only saw them once vs Otterbein, saw Kenyon twice. Edge to Denison on defense and technical skill. Kenyon lost a lot of talent from last year's side, and quite honestly this year's team is not as skilled. Shanked kicks, poor passing - much sloppier than any Kenyon side I've seen in the past 9 years.  Not sure about the 4th place team but the bottom three should be Oberlin, Hiram and Wittenberg, leaving DePauw, Wabash and Wooster to duke it out. Wooster is a feisty team - gave MTU and Case spells of tough play before eventually making crucial defensive errors.

Conference play - here we come

[Domino1195]

No surprises in the early games. Strengths and weaknesses previous discussed were all evident in these games.

[PaulNewman]

Kenyon got a good, important road win at DePauw...and I will slide right over the fact that the Owls were not very impressive.  With Kenyon up 2-0, DePauw goes down to 10 men when maybe their star player got red for I'm not sure what since the aftermath of the play was a fairly dangerous free kick for the Tigers.  And of course the Kenyon D in cahoots with GK Pedreschri made a total mess of a clearance and it was 2-1, making things dicey again until Duratovic got a 3rd (his 8th of the season).  The Owls have given up 3 goals in a half and a half of a half against 10 men.  They do not seem able to manage a game properly...and Pedreschi has been pretty solid for 3 years but seems to be struggling more this year.  Would help when he realizes he isn't Messi.  And I realize rolling the ball five yards to your right or left right around the six yard box to play out of the back is all the rage...but sometimes you don't need to be playing tikky-tac inside the 18 with 10 passes. 

Kenyon's season can go one of two ways now...the next two games will likely determine whether the Owls can get back into NCAA contention...OWU in Gambier midweek and then away at Denison next Saturday.  Imo, Kenyon really needs to win both but could probably live with 1-0-1.

I should add that the next two obviously are important for the NCAC race and for home field for the NCAC tournament, but even more importantly, these are likely Kenyon's last opportunities to grab ranked wins...unless meeting one of them (and winning) in a NCAC semifinal.

[Domino1195]

Mom post, so take it for what it's worth. I have a Jr. Kenyon player, and a freshman OWU player. Marinating on this week - OWU v. Kenyon on Wednesday. Going to be elated and deflated at the same time. Play your best boys.

One of my son's teammates had a brother who played for Otterbein - he at Capital. Their mom had a custom sweatshirt made - half purple, half red with Capbein printed on the front. She paced the entire game when we played them.

[PaulNewman]

We'll see what happens Saturday, but rumors of Kenyon's demise might have been a little overdone.  OWU now has not beaten Kenyon in the regular season since.....2012.

I would have given the edge to OWU in the first half by a small margin.  Kenyon probably had a little more possession but could not get close to getting through the very good OWU backline.  OWU just seemed a little more difficult and dominant physically. West is an outstanding CB and a beast to get by.  OWU several times in the first half managed to get deep into Kenyon territory and had the better chances imo.  That said, the Owls kept Jaggar and Guerra pretty much in check.  Somehow hear the end of the half a Kenyon frosh dribbled quite a distance down to the touchline, looked like he was gonna be stripped at least a couple of times but kept going and somehow got the ball into the net.

I thought Kenyon outplayed OWU in the second half.  They didn't get caught out of position so often as in recent previous matches and managed well after going up 2-0 on a gorgeous cross from Cortez to Dujakovich who finished clinically with a powerful header.  OWU did not allow Duratovic to get many clean looks.

[Kuiper]

Denison tying Oberlin 0-0 seems like a surprising result, right?  Denison did go down a man with a red card, but that was with only a few minutes left in the game.  Seems like a game you have to get the full three points given the other places where you may drop points in the NCAC.

[Rcjh2245]

Mom post, so take it for what it's worth. I have a Jr. Kenyon player, and a freshman OWU player. Marinating on this week - OWU v. Kenyon on Wednesday. Going to be elated and deflated at the same time. Play your best boys.

One of my son's teammates had a brother who played for Otterbein - he at Capital. Their mom had a custom sweatshirt made - half purple, half red with Capbein printed on the front. She paced the entire game when we played them.

Went with the neutral shirt, also a pacer, spent time on both sides of the field and loved the student peanut gallery for each team - sometimes it's the best part of the game.

[PaulNewman]

Speaking of trap games and favorites that deserved to lose....Kenyon miraculously got out of Wooster with a 2-1 win...finally scoring on a Duratovic free kick in the 82nd minute and a goal off a corner with 8 seconds left.  Wooster had a brilliant game plan that prevented the Owls from connecting any penetrating passes, and despite clogging up the middle of the pitch and also containing the wings, Wooster had its fair share of chances and were almost even on shots attempted...and Wooster overall had the more dangerous chances.  Kenyon was very sloppy and playing lazy passes in their own third and trying to beat tow or three Wooster players in their own third.  Nguyen was not good, Duratovic was not good (except for the free kick) and actually gave Wooster a chance by committing a ridiculous foul with 3.8 seconds on the Wooster kickoff after the second Owls score.  Ramirez, who is a very good player, keeps trying to snake through guys in his own third too and he manages most of the time to draw fouls by falling on top of the ball.  One of these times, or more than once, he's not gonna get those calls.  Burns also tends to get himself in similar jams.  Anyway, kudos to Wooster.  They deserved better...at worst a draw.  The Owls didn't deserve a draw or a win.

[PaulNewman]

Despite the harsh review above which imo was mostly fair while wanting to fully credit Wooster, Kenyon did extend their NCAC regular season unbeaten streak to 55 games.  Last conference regular season loss was in 2016 (I think to DePauw).

Despite some rocky outings and still trying to figure out rotations,Travis Wall has the Owls where they would want to be with wins over their biggest rivals back to back and with a team still missing 2-3 key players that has a ceiling significantly lower than in recent seasons.

[oacalum]

I wanted to wait until the non-conference portion was completed before giving my overview of Region VII.

AMCC - This conference will most likely come down to Behrend and Mount Aloysius. Alfred St could be a sneaky contender as they are sitting on a decent record. I don't see any ranked teams from this conference, unless Behrend or MAC wins out and sneaks into the bottom of the rankings, as SOS will be a major issue for most of these teams.

PAC - Similar SOS issues as AMCC. This will probably come down to Franciscan and Grove City, with Grove City already grabbing a 3-1 win against Franciscan. Once again, don't believe any ranked teams here.

HCAC - I'd think Rose Hulman is the favorite. They scheduled some good games and pulled out a big win against ONU. Hanover should be in the mix with RHIT but they seem down a step compared to previous years.

UAA - Case Western has impressed me so far. Good results against good competition. Carnegie Mellon, on the other hand, have a great record against lower competition. Lost to John Carroll and tied against MAC in their toughest games of the year. UAA play will help us figure out where they rank.

NCAC - Denison, Kenyon, or Ohio Wesleyan? I think this year is very even at the top. All of these game against each other will be crucial and, I think come tournament time, it could go any direction.

OAC - Favorites have to be JCU and Mount Union at this point. Thought Mount could be pretenders, then they beat Calvin and Case Western. They will be tested at ONU this Saturday. JCU has played a very tough non-conference schedule and could easily have been 7-1-1 if not for a 1 minute slip up against Denison. Next group would include ONU, Otterbein, and Capital. ONU has also played a very tough schedule and had a tough 4 game stretch with results. Capital and Otterbein seem to have some talented players that can punish you if caught on and off day. These top 5 seem very solid, so I'm excited to see how it all shakes out shortly!

Mid-conference check up.

AMCC - Nothing to really note here. Should be Mount Aloysius or Behrend. MAC having the more consistent results (except a loss to Behrend) and Behrend has some interesting results. Neither running away with it, but MAC has at least been sneaking into the bottom of the USC regional rankings.

PAC - Geneva with a 7-0 conference record out of nowhere and a game against second place Franciscan coming up midweek. Grove City not doing as well as I would have imagined, so this should really be a toss up in the conference tournament.

HCAC - Another surprise at the top with Manchester. Rose Hulman dominated the shots stats and Manchester scored their own shot on goal. I would think RHIT can avenge their loss, but could potentially have to do so on the road.

UAA - Case Western with a so-so start to conference play, and Carnegie Mellon starting to drop some games. They both play Washington St. Louis and Chicago this weekend.

NCAC - I thought the three at the top would be pretty even, although I might've ranked Kenyon third pre conference. Big wins against Ohio Wesleyan and Denison sets them up to host their way through the tournament as long as they take care of business in their remaining games. The Denison-OWU game could potentially be big for hosting.

OAC - John Carroll taking care of business and have some big games versus Otterbein, Capital, and Mount Union in a row. A good week this week would all but see them lock up the top seed. The top 4 of JCU, Otterbein, Mount Union, and ONU have separated themselves from the rest of the conference.

[Shooter McGavin]

Regional ranking thoughts:

Region 7
1. John Carroll
2. Mt. Union
3. Kenyon
4. OWU
5. Case Western
6. Denison
7. Otterbein

Others: Manchester, CMU, Mt. Aloysius, ONU