Big Dance 2022 - Let's Go!

[Gregory Sager]

North Park bows out in the second round at Ohio Northern on PKs after a scoreless draw.

The game itself was as even as the score indicates over the course of the full 110 minutes, although the Polar Bears did get the best two chances to score in the contest. In fact, NPU really stayed level only because of freshman GK Sebastianus Uribe, who made a great save on a rebound shot while lying on his side in the first half and snuffed out a PK attempt in the second. But in the shootout, ONU's strategy of sticking to simple ground shots hit at too fast a pace for Uribe to get down and stop them ultimately paid dividends that allowed the hosts to advance to the next weekend.

All in all, this feels like a disappointing season for NPU, which ends up at 15-3-3. But in the bigger picture, that just says something about how high the expectations have legitimately become on an annual basis at North Park. That, in and of itself, is something for Vikings fans to celebrate. I don't take the program's success lightly, and I'm always grateful for the hard work that the players. as well as Kris Grahn and his coaching staff, put in to keep the program at such a high level.

[Domino1195]

I'm not trying to say the Blue Streaks are a dirty team... They are not.

But 13-5 in fouls. Ref carded Centennial DPOY Treinen very early and it took him until almost the end of the half to card JCU. He needs to keep an eye on that... Persistent fouling should lead to cards. Should not reward the BS's for stopping Hopkins from breaking out on the attack.

Then let me paraphrase for you: northern Ohio soccer is heavily influenced by Eastern European cultures, therefore soccer up there is also similarly influenced. I reffed for 30 years in this state - Ohio South - but the **** they allowed in games up there - Ohio North: I bought life insurance for my kid when he played tourneys up there, starting at U9.

They are taught to run through people and see what the ref calls. Referees up there think WW2 was a "dust up"

[LL_Alum]

St Lawrence 2 Amherst 4

Sadly work interfered with my viewing in part, but I came away with nothing but respect for the way Saints play and the pro-Saints posters have every reason to be proud of their team. Nevertheless, it's not the first time Amherst has started hot and on the first goal, there were two other players who were ready to score.  The 3-0 scoreline was as much about momentum and Saints really took over about 30 minutes in and at 3-1, I felt nervous, knowing the potency of their attack. The 4th Amherst goal calmed the nerves, but everyone knew it wasn't going to finish 4-1.

4-2 not long into the second half and the Saints' tails were up and the Mammoths were pushed back.  It wasn't always pretty, but ultimately in my clearly biased view it felt like there wasn't lots of dangerous play in Amherst's area.  But of course, it only takes a moment to change that and Saints clearly have players who can unlock that particular door.  Amherst did create chances too and ultimately were rewarded for the ones they did take

Not sure what comes next and it's hard to believe we have seen the last of the upsets. 

Foul count was 26/12 and 4/3 in yellows, well above pace for Amherst.

I was on the RPI team that played Amherst in the Elite 8 in 2019 and had an eerily similar experience. I had never really seen anything like the intensity that Amherst brought to every aspect of the game. My impression of Serpone was that he was kind of an a-hole but that he had his guys firing on all cylinders and operating at their most intimidating. When we played them it was like 40 degees, pouring down rain, their grass field as essentially an unplayable mudpit, but these guys were fired up and swaggering. They had this palpable arrogance about them, like they knew they were the #2 team in the country and they were going to put us down, it was unreal. They scored their first goal and the kid did like a 15 foot knee slide right in front of our bench, and it was just over at that point.

They actually moved the game to the turf at halftime (don't get me started) and we got a goal back and arguably had the run of play in our favor the last 55 minutes or so, but I've got firsthand experience of seeing how their mentality, reputation, and intensity can catch teams off guard and get you boat-raced before you even know what hit you, even in a massively important match. I'm assuming it's a NESCAC thing, that the rivalries there are so intense and the conference is so high-quality that a) the intensity is just at peak levels and b) the top NESCAC teams come out of that conference with a certainty that they're better than anything else in the country has to offer.

[Chargers96]

CNU / Catholic was pretty even in my opinion.  Overall, I thought CNU had the slightly better possession, but Catholic never stops running and took advantage of a bad defensive give away in OT.  Just prior, there was a loud shout for a penalty on the Catholic keeper as it looked like he essentially tackled the CNU player in the box as he shielded the ball -- no call and then Catholic pounces.  Seeing Siahpoosh live, he is a very crafty player.

[Chargers96]

CNU / Catholic was pretty even in my opinion.  Overall, I thought CNU had the slightly better possession, but Catholic never stops running and took advantage of a bad defensive give away in OT.  Just prior, there was a loud shout for a penalty on the Catholic keeper as it looked like he essentially tackled the CNU player in the box as he shielded the ball -- no call and then Catholic pounces.  Seeing Siahpoosh live, he is a very crafty player.

Just watched the video replay -- horrendous no call on the penalty shout in OT -- Catholic keeper absolutely tackled the CNU player after misjudging the ball.

[LetteroftheLaw]

CNU / Catholic was pretty even in my opinion.  Overall, I thought CNU had the slightly better possession, but Catholic never stops running and took advantage of a bad defensive give away in OT.  Just prior, there was a loud shout for a penalty on the Catholic keeper as it looked like he essentially tackled the CNU player in the box as he shielded the ball -- no call and then Catholic pounces.  Seeing Siahpoosh live, he is a very crafty player.

Just watched the video replay -- horrendous no call on the penalty shout in OT -- Catholic keeper absolutely tackled the CNU player after misjudging the ball.

I like to think what goes around comes around..... my career ended at Muhlenburg in 2014 on an absolutely egregious no call in the first OT when their center back misplayed a ball that led to a one on one with the keeper who completely took out our forward and the ref swallowed his whistle. Onto Hop....

[PaulNewman]

Messiah and Western CT both finish 20-0-2. 

[oacalum]

I give Hopkins credit for their play. They've totally stunted any of JCU's offense... but I can't stand the flopping they do all game and continue to get rewarded for it by the ref.

Wow.

That's an interesting take.

You watched that and didn't notice Hopkins manipulating the ref? They used it to their advantage and knew he was would call anything.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Williams 6th 0-0 tie on the season sets an NCAA record. (previous was Drew in 2014).

Not surprisingly, they have also passed the record for ties in a season (9), with 11.

[LetteroftheLaw]

Messiah and Western CT both finish 20-0-2.

So in hindsight, Lynchburg, Wisc-Platteville, and CMU were the three pool C berths that you could question whether or not they deserved to get in over Western CT.

[Hopkins92]

I give Hopkins credit for their play. They've totally stunted any of JCU's offense... but I can't stand the flopping they do all game and continue to get rewarded for it by the ref.

Wow.

That's an interesting take.

You watched that and didn't notice Hopkins manipulating the ref? They used it to their advantage and knew he was would call anything.

1) My Screenname tells you where I'm coming from. Yours is slightly less obvious.

2) Beyond all that, I'm a pretty objective observer... Just don't see what you saw.

Maybe look up-thread as to why you're take on this game differs from mine. You aren't allowed to body a player off   the ball in soccer unless it's shoulder to shoulder. This isn't rugby

[Buck O.]

Williams 6th 0-0 tie on the season sets an NCAA record. (previous was Drew in 2014).

Not surprisingly, they have also passed the record for ties in a season (9), with 11.

The national championship game should be their kryptonite, then, since it cannot finish in a tie.

[Hopkins92]

Yetafshefski (i don't feel like it!) just beasted a goal for a UofC 2-0 lead.

[oacalum]

I give Hopkins credit for their play. They've totally stunted any of JCU's offense... but I can't stand the flopping they do all game and continue to get rewarded for it by the ref.

Wow.

That's an interesting take.

You watched that and didn't notice Hopkins manipulating the ref? They used it to their advantage and knew he was would call anything.

1) My Screenname tells you where I'm coming from. Yours is slightly less obvious.

2) Beyond all that, I'm a pretty objective observer... Just don't see what you saw.

Maybe look up-thread as to why you're take on this game differs from mine. You aren't allowed to body a player off   the ball in soccer unless it's shoulder to shoulder. This isn't rugby

I'm an alum of one OAC school and have a sibling currently on JCU. But the ref was calling the nit picky things and the Hopkins players were (smartly) using that to their advantage to get calls. To use the foul advantage as calling it rugby is by no means what was happening in the game, but if you want to believe it it's fine.

Hopkins totally outworked and was more clinical than JCU, but I am unimpressed in the manner of doing so.

[PaulNewman]

I have no dog in this one, but my honest take is almost the opposite.  Imo JCU got outworked, did not win enough fifty balls, and did not put JHU under pressure while JHU pressed JCU offensively and defensively.  JHU was just the better, more physical team today...and I say that while having a high opinion of JCU.

And I've been on both ends of after game posting with an opponent supporter...more often unfortunately on the losing end.