Go WEST young man (and NORTH)

[College Soccer Observer]

Agreed.  Both teams could lose multiple key players because of this game, from injury and suspensions.  Trinity, Colorado College, and Southwestern are going to be watching the SCAC Commissioner's office closely on this one.

Incidentally, did anyone else hear someone speaking loudly near the commentator at one point during the second half? It sounded like a coach telling a player he was off the team he questioned his coaching decisions again. (Of course, given the state of youth soccer today, it was just as likely a parent talking to his 7 year-old about this morning's game!)

Yes they do.  NCAA suspensions are mandatory minimums, and the conference can impose additional discipline as it sees fit.

Before the conference office gets involved, it will depend on how the referee wrote up the ejections.  The two head butts, and the strike to the face at the end of the game could easily be considered either Violent Behavior II or fighting ejections, which are a mandatory two game suspension.

True, although does the league have the ability to review the Veo or the streamed game footage?

[PaulNewman]

Still no STU recap, which wouldn't seem odd except for there being one that was taken down.  But the video is still flowing freely.  Can't imagine this whole thing isn't going to be a pretty big deal.

[Kuiper]

Still no STU recap, which wouldn't seem odd except for there being one that was taken down.  But the video is still flowing freely.  Can't imagine this whole thing isn't going to be a pretty big deal.

I half wonder if UST does their recaps with chatGPT and the AD took a look at it and realized it wasn't going to fly and removed it to write a better one.  On the other hand, taking down the video might be the first step if the AD was involved and wanted to reduce some of the attention on the game.

[jaysoccer]

I don't think anyone in SCAC-land is surprised by the St. Thomas antics.

That was an embarrassment to D3 soccer, SCAC and both schools. My son who plays for a SCAC team was able to watch the back half of the game. He said the dirty challenge definitely broke the TLU player's leg. To me, 2 game suspensions don't send enough of a message. My son also said refereeing left a HUGE amount to be desired.

[College Soccer Observer]

@jaysoccer I have no real familiarity with either team.  St. Thomas may have been the more guilty of the two teams, but TLU's behavior left plenty to be desired too.

[Gregory Sager]

@jaysoccer I have no real familiarity with either team.  St. Thomas may have been the more guilty of the two teams, but TLU's behavior left plenty to be desired too.

Agreed. The lunging foul that led to the severe injury was particularly egregious, but that was only one particularly guilty UST player. The problem was that there were multiple players on that pitch, both UST and TLU, who were in thug mode yesterday, so UST shouldn't be singled out for "antics" when both teams (and their coaches) need to take a long, hard look in the mirror in the wake of that fiasco.

[SKUD]

Does anyone think the broadcaster accurately depicted the Ref or was it a fool's errand and he had no chance?

[College Soccer Observer]

The broadcaster was correct, but for the wrong reasons. He kept complaining that the game was getting out of control and then complained about cards being given out like chiclets. Ref was just not focused or proactice enough early, and things got out of hand quickly.

[Kuiper]

Games of interest to me in Region X Wednesday and Thursday:

Wednesday 10/11:

Chapman @ Cal Tech

Chapman is 2-2-3 and in 5th place in the SCIAC, two points behind CMS for the fourth and final playoff spot.  If it's going to climb back into the playoffs, it needs to get all three points against Cal Tech.  Same with Cal Tech, which is right behind Chapman and can jump ahead of them with a win.

Cal Lutheran @ Pomona-Pitzer

Cal Lu is currently in third in the SCIAC and can solidify its spot with a win.  P-P's chances took a hit with the tie against La Verne, but a win here could put it back in the chase.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Occidental

This is the big game in the SCIAC.  Oxy, currently in first, has been foundering a little and CMS, in fourth, just got a big victory over Cal Tech. 

Redlands @ La Verne

If Redlands can beat La Verne, which it should do, and CMS beats Oxy, than Redlands will jump to first in the SCIAC.

Willamette @ Linfield

Willamette was just crushed by Pacific Lutheran.  It badly needs to beat Linfield to keep its NWC hopes alive.  Linfield is on a 4 game losing streak and should be able to accommodate.

Thursday 10/12:

UT Dallas @ Concordia

Concordia just suffered a bad loss to Howard Payne, while UTD has won six in a row.  Both are tied for third in conference with 6 points in the ASC.  The winner of this game can jump to a tie for first depending upon what happens between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Ozarks.

Ozarks @ Mary Hardin-Baylor

MHB just had a bad tie against Sul Ross State, while Ozarks lost to UTD after winning three in a row.  MHB needs to win to keep its top spot in the ASC.  It should do so at home.

[Gregory Sager]

The broadcaster was correct, but for the wrong reasons. He kept complaining that the game was getting out of control and then complained about cards being given out like chiclets. Ref was just not focused or proactice enough early, and things got out of hand quickly.

Agree completely.

Talk to just about any coach in any sport, and they'll say the same thing about officiating: Call the game evenly and consistently from start to finish, and you'll get no complaints from me. Call it erratically or incorrectly with regard to rules, without fairness, and/or with wild swings in terms of what you deem permissible and what you don't, and I'm going to get in your ear about it.

[SKUD]

Thanks to both of you.  Great point about announcer asking for more ref and then less cards

[PaulNewman]

There is plenty of blame to go around, and there may have been other unknown subplots that we won't be privy to.  That said, I'm gonna lean towards STU owning a larger portion.

The Celts came into the game reeling a bit after two straight losses at home to Colorado Coll and Southwestern.  STU came into the season with sky-high expectations and in a favorite role regarding all of Region 10.  I had noted that STU started dissembling towards the latter stages of the Southwestern loss, culminating in a 90th minute end of game red card for one of STU's key players.  So STU already was starting the game without another key player and this was a must-win type of game against one the hottest teams in the country sporting a record with no blemishes.  TLU goes up 1-0 in the 11th minute, increasing the frustration/desperation for STU.  The Celts equalize around the 60th minute, and then about 10 minutes later the first fracas erupts with two STU players and the TLU GK tossed while TLU after a long delay converts the PK to go back up 2-1.  Apparently the nasty challenge by the STU player happens about another 10 minutes later, leaving STU down to 8 men against 10 after an even longer delay.  TLU seems to be trying to run out the clock with the 10v8 advantage but nearly score a few times including a missed PK.  I suppose STU has nothing to lose at that point but there was little to suggest STU would score even once in the last 90 seconds, much less twice.  10v8 sounded like an unsurmountable advantage, but as a result of only having 8 men, and despite causing a devastating season-ending injury to a TLU player, STU maybe bizarrely had won back the "we've been aggrieved" advantage.  TLU certainly were not choir boys, and by the end of the match TLU surely had narrowed the gap on blame, but TLU really didn't have reason to turn the game into a debacle until the last minute or two.  They were not the squad reeling from frustration/desperation.  I do think TLU should have been better prepared for what was coming as these teams knew the stakes and each other well, and I can't imagine how the TLU coaching staff didn't stop their GK from crossing midfield and injecting himself into the fracas.  Also (since the camera had been adandoned) we have no idea how TLU allowed STU to break open and get in a position to draw a foul right at the edge of the box (even if it was an iffy call).  I would think both coaches have a lot of explaining to do with their ADs and potentially school Presidents.

The abandoned camera is worthy of its own story.

STU recap still not up and the link to it on the 'schedule' page also now gone.

[Kuiper]

I noticed that the box score for the St. Thomas - Texas Lutheran game has been updated/corrected:

https://ustcelts.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/boxscores/20231008_53g9.xml

It now includes TLU getting three red cards (including the double yellow), not two as originally listed on the box score and is still reported in TLU's game recap.  So, at least the official scorer has been going over this game again to make sure everything is correct.  Even then, there is still a yellow for UST at the 45th and for TLU at the 90th that don't identify recipients.  Does that mean it's for bench or coaches?

[PaulNewman]

I watched the last foul call several times and here's a referee question.  The STU player had already touched the ball and deflected the ball into the box before the TLU player made any contact.  To the extent there was contact, it did not appear violent, and I suppose it didn't have to be to earn a 2nd yellow.  Then after the referee made the call and dished out the second yellow the STU player #13 is visibly arguing to the referee that it should be a PK. 

Also watched the final goal multiple times and I just don't see evidence of the ball getting all the way around the post.  The strongest argument made so far imo is that the TLU players (other than possibly the GK who already was a mess after conceding the equalizer) really did not seem to contest or act outraged about the call.

[CC United]

No. 25 for St Thomas, Daniel Malheiros, is not on the 2023 web page roster for St Thomas. He's the player who received the red card for the nasty challenge on the TLU player with about 11 minutes left in the game. Daniel Malheiros is listed on the 2022 St Thomas roster as a Freshman from Brazil. He has no statistics for this year. I have no idea what this means. I was only looking because I was interested in his yellow and red card history.