2022 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[Kuiper]

Saturday

11:00 am -- Carnegie Mellon @ Brandeis (Must win for both? CMU is coming off a home loss to NYU and after Brandeis have Chicago on the road.  The Tartans cannot afford an 0-3 start in the UAA.  Brandeis has had a disappointing season thus far outside of a win over Babson and in the Judges' first UAA outing got smoked by CWRU.)

12:00 pm -- Emory @ Chicago (Emory is also 0-1 in the UAA thanks to a loss at home versus Wash U.  The Eagles desperately need an upset win over the Maroons to ignite a turnaround, but I don't see that happening.  Chicago probably will pick up a blemish over the next couple of weeks, although peeking at the rest of their schedule there's a fair chance the Maroons could run the table.)

12:00 pm -- Colby @ Middlebury (Midd needs to build off of recent momentum and especially at home should snare a win.  Colby, coming off a string of draws with Williams, Amherst, and at Tufts, has reason to be confident.  Not quite prepared to put an upset alert tag on this one, but it is tempting.)

12:00 pm -- Oneonta St @ Brockport St (Oneonta is starting to show some kinks in the armor with a loss at home to Geneseo and a draw at home with Potsdam. Meanwhile, Brockport may be closing in on Pool C range at 7-1-4 and 5-0 in conference.  The Golden Eagles still have a couple of tough games to close the regular season, but a win here would put them in an attractive position, not to mention just regular 'ol growing confidence that they can stand up to the big boys.  I'm gonna guess that pedigree will prevail, even on the road...Oneonta 3, Brockport 1.)

1:00 pm -- MSOE @ Dominican (This one has lost the luster it never had after MSOE drops one to Concordia (Wis) and Dominican stumbles to a home loss to NACC mid-table Marian.)

1:00 pm -- Kenyon @ Wabash (In 2014 the then Lords were 12-0 and #2 in the country behind only Messiah but a small crack in the foundation was detectable on MRI scan after escaping a blemish at Denison with a last minute 2OT goal.  The Little Giants had no interest in contributing to Kenyon euphoria and earned a 1-0 upset at Mud Hollow Stadium in Crawfordsville off a header served up from a 2nd half corner.  Kenyon didn't lose again until the Sweet 16.  Wabash in 2022 is 9-2-1 in the context of a relatively soft schedule, and will be pumped up to grab a major signature win that would go a long way towards insuring a place in the NCAC playoffs. Speaking of which, the Little Giants likely have stewed over last year's NCAC semi in Gambier where they got thumped by the tune of 8-0.  I am contractually prohibited from placing an upset alert here but others might be interested.)

2:00 pm -- Conn Coll @ Williams – (Great dynamics at play in Williamstown.  Defending national champ searching to revive last year's form going against a resurgent Williams highly invested in putting the Ephs back where they are supposed to be...at or at least near the top of the NESCAC standings.  I deem this game prediction-wise uncallable.)

2:00 pm -- Vassar @ Skidmore (Another excellent LL match that will be over by the time I try to tune in, as some of these conferences like the LL and SUNYAC seem to have weekday 4:00 games and then early-mid-afternoon weekend fixtures.  These teams are similar in that they probably fall just barely below the line of most believing they are really good and not just good.)

3:00 -- Wesleyan @ Amherst (The Wesleyan dream season is in jeopardy.  Two straight losses after soaring up the polls, one to Midd that was very understandable, and then a second not so understandable unless pollsters are inclined to offer a mulligan because of harsh weather.  The pollsters won't do that because they'll say they'd be setting a precedent for everybody.  Amherst needs this game very badly as well.  Otherwise, the Mammoths will find themselves drifting around in very unfamiliar waters.)

4:00 pm -- Hopkins @ Washington College (Last call at the Chestertown Saloon.  The Shoreman cannot afford another loss, especially if they want a decent chance of maintaining a top 4 Centennial finish.  I'm tempted to go with an upset alert, but it's seeming more and likely that Wash College simply doesn't have the horses this season.  As for Hopkins, the pundits want more...like a 3-0 or 4-0 victory.)

4:00 pm -- CWRU @ NYU (Sneaky huge game.  The winner, should there be one, will be feeling really good about ending the regular season strong.  Vital game to bolster hopes for a potential Poll C bid.)

6:00 pm – W&L @ Christopher Newport (I just don't trust CNU in a big spot.  Sometimes the Captains seem almost like a poor man's version of other teams that chronically disappoint me.  I feel a bit better about this one having some real juice because CNU rebounded so well from the Messiah game. Not a must-win for W&L but very important to keep momentum growing, especially after just drawing with rival Lynchburg.)

7:00 pm -- Calvin @ Hope (Toss out the record books for this one.......and Calvin will still win.)

7:00 pm -- F&M @ Gettysburg (A Saturday game under the lights in Gettysburg in early October against a key rival with both hoping to keep pace with each other and current top dog Johns Hopkins.  Very similar records...F&M at 8-1-2 and Gettysburg at 7-1-2 where SoSs for both imo are OK but do not provide clear insight about the relative strength of these squads. Great opportunity for the Bullets to impress the pollsters.)

7:00 pm -- Rowan @ Montclair St (Rowan is 5-4-3 and seemingly living through their season slipping away from them.  I thought the monster schedule might pay dividends as the season progressed but a 6-0 loss to NJ City ended that thesis.  Rowan either starts a 5 or 6 game win streak here or they're probably done.  Montclair hasn't been spectacular either, but they still are a heavy favorite in the NJAC and in good position.)

10:00 pm -- Pomona-Pitzer @ C-M-S (Kuiper time.)

Not sure what is up, but the Pomona-Pitzer @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps game (AKA the "Sixth Street Derby") is listed as cancelled on both school's websites with no explanation.  The two teams' soccer fields are just a few minutes away from each other across Sixth Street, so it's easy to reschedule, but the available Wed/Sat dates are all gone before the SCIAC playoffs.  They are also scheduled to play Oct 22, but it would be very odd to give up a conference game and they are supposed to play twice.

[PaulNewman]

2019 Final 4 participant Centre College is 0-9-2. 

[Gregory Sager]

Centre has gone from being Colonel Chamberlain to being Colonel Klink.

[camosfan]

2019 Final 4 participant Centre College is 0-9-2.

Gee! I remember a NJ kid on that team, his father told me he was going to a game in Ohio and for two week he was all over the place.

[PaulNewman]

Southwestern on verge of an upset of St Thomas in the gorgeous little city of Georgetown, TX.

Seems like every Texas field I see looks great, and fast.  One of the announcers said the field is very hard.

Southwestern 1-0 Final

The announcers said stay tuned for broadcast of the nightcap Southwestern women vs Trinity.  I don't know if that is a rare as I think but doubleheaders are such a great idea especially in places where they can draw from the community....two mens games, two womens, one men and one womens...nice atmosphere on a warm Texas night.

[camosfan]

double headers are frequent, most times the women play first.

[PaulNewman]

double headers are frequent, most times the women play first.

Frequent for night doubleheaders?

[4samuy]

The Emory at Chicago game tomorrow, due to a home football game, will be the first time Chicago will be playing a home game on the Stagg field grass pitch. An interesting side note is that CB Griffin Wada ( for unknown reasons) did not play in the second half in the win at Carthage on Wednesday.

[Kuiper]

Southwestern on verge of an upset of St Thomas in the gorgeous little city of Georgetown, TX.

Seems like every Texas field I see looks great, and fast.  One of the announcers said the field is very hard.

Southwestern 1-0 Final

The announcers said stay tuned for broadcast of the nightcap Southwestern women vs Trinity.  I don't know if that is a rare as I think but doubleheaders are such a great idea especially in places where they can draw from the community....two mens games, two womens, one men and one womens...nice atmosphere on a warm Texas night.

They've had several doubleheaders in the SCIAC already this year with the men's and women's teams from a school traveling together to take on their counterparts from the other school.  Both Redlands and Cal Lutheran have hosted doubleheaders on Sat night games recently.

[blue_jays]

The Emory at Chicago game tomorrow, due to a home football game, will be the first time Chicago will be playing a home game on the Stagg field grass pitch. An interesting side note is that CB Griffin Wada ( for unknown reasons) did not play in the second half in the win at Carthage on Wednesday.

Not quite. Just the first time on home grass since 2017, which was also against Emory. That game saw Emory win 3-0 as the Maroons were out of sorts on the surface. Coach Babst avoided grass like the plague after that game, as he believed the surface was a mental barrier for his team. Which I'm inclined to agree with. Just the previous year in 2016, the Maroons saw their undefeated season come to an end in one of the most brutal games I've ever seen. UChicago was ranked #1 at the time with the best defense in the country (15 shutouts) and gave up 3 bad goals that day. Wind gusts well over 30 MPH played havoc with every ball put into the air, including the deciding goal, which saw UChicago's GK send an ill-conceived clearance straight into the jet stream. The ball basically came straight back down (maybe traveled 7-10 yards at most) and Redlands scored easily. Lopez had the potential tying goal sent to his head in the final minute of the game, but his diving header smacked the post and bounced away.
Before 2017, UChicago played on the Stagg grass all the time, that was their primary field for years.

[4samuy]

Blue jay

My bad.  Should have made my point more clear that I was speaking of this year only.  I remember that Redlands game vividly.  I was standing right at the goal line when Lopez had the point blank header that he somehow pushed off the post that would have tied the game. Unreal.

[PaulNewman]

Welp...the thesis that currently there are two great teams remains intact.  There may be a few very good teams, and another couple of handfuls of good teams who could become very good, but right now Chicago and Messiah (pick your own order between those two) are head and shoulders above everyone else. 

ALL of the teams below them have shown vulnerability, some more than others, but high rankings will be intact for some because so many others have faltered.

Watched the last 20-25 minutes of Hopkins and Wash Coll.  I don't know the details about Hopkins' players and of course the coach knows better than the rest of us, but I just don't see how 1-0 wins are sustainable especially to win six straight in the tournament.  On video looked like Hopkins got a terrible PK call against them but when you play the margin that tight you are at risk for a bad call, a bad bounce, a misplay, etc.  The #4 or #5 team in the country shouldn't have to basically park the bus to try and maintain a 1 goal lead against a team (even a good one) struggling around .500.

I've already talked about Kenyon.  Stevens has shown some cracks.  Wesleyan is in a nosedive. Hamilton drew at home with Bates.  I do trust Calvin and North Park a fair amount, but I can't put them with the top two.  No one is gonna want to hear this, but, sitting here TODAY, after the top two, I confess I'd probably trust the NESCAC foursome of Amherst, Tufts, Midd, and Conn the most of anyone else.  Let's see what W&L does.  They may be as good of a third pick as anyone.

Big win for CWRU at NYU.

[PaulNewman]

Only in D3....W&L player doing a throw in with two dogs yipping at his ankles.

Conn @ Midd tomorrow now the game we would have predicted....a big one.  Should be a fantasic game.

[Kuiper]

Thinking beyond rankings, for all the teeth gnashing over the decline of traditional powers, it's interesting to note that some of the traditional powers are returning to their normal place at the top of their conference standings in the early stages of conference play.  For example, out west, Trinity (TX) is leading the SCAC, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is on top of the SCIAC (although there are a number of teams close behind), and Williamette is on top of the Northwest with Pacific Lutheran right behind them (and at 10-2 overall currently, in position for a possible bid even if they don't win their conference).

[PaulNewman]

Thinking beyond rankings, for all the teeth gnashing over the decline of traditional powers, it's interesting to note that some of the traditional powers are returning to their normal place at the top of their conference standings in the early stages of conference play.  For example, out west, Trinity (TX) is leading the SCAC, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is on top of the SCIAC (although there are a number of teams close behind), and Williamette is on top of the Northwest with Pacific Lutheran right behind them (and at 10-2 overall currently, in position for a possible bid even if they don't win their conference).

Exactly.  And OWU will finish first or second in the NCAC.