Sectional snapshots

[PaulNewman]

Started a new thread just so these won't get buried...while knowing that eventually they'll get buried lol.


PN's Snapshot – Chicago Sectional


Chicago
I'm not gonna go on and on about Chicago as the Maroons have been talked about probably more than any team in the country and are the favorite instead of co-favorite while noting that the gap between them and a handful of other teams has narrowed.  Chicago, coached by now New York Times famous Julianne Sitch, is built around its 1st team AA pair of senior CBs, #4 Griffin Wada and #3 Richard Gillespie.  On the off chance that something does get through them, waiting there will be 1st team UAA selection, #0, junior GK, Will Boyes.  The focus on Chicago's super-talented, stingy defense tends to mask the quality of the super-talented offensive machine, anchored and often initiated by #15, senior CDM Naz Kabbani.  #24 soph Lyndon Hu and #13 junior Robbie Pino help Kabbani pull the strings, surrounded by a trio of speedy, skilled, and dangerous attackers...#14 junior Ryan Yetishefsky, and a pair of frosh, #7 Kai Walsh and #9 Alex Lee.  The Maroons have another six to seven players who are superb.  The one lingering question is whether Chicago takes their defensive posture and preference for counter-attacking a bit too far, in effect sometimes ironically keeping opponents in the match instead of overwhelming foes with offensive prowess while trusting the highly decorated backline to have their back.

St Thomas (TX)
The Celts (apparently pronounced Kelts) are the fresh face on the scene and kind of a wild card that is hard to predict.  St Thomas is led by a super-experienced coach, Ian Clerihew, who took over for the 2017 campaign and guided the Celts through the D3 application and transition process.  This is the first year the Celts were eligible for NCAA tourney play and they're in the Sweet 16. Coach Clerihew was a 1st asst at Yale, head coach at D2s Franklin Pierce and Mars Hill, and had asst stints with Villanova, Duke, and St John's.  As a player, he helped lead Seattle Pacific to the 1993 D2 national title.  The Celts have three asst coaches, a S&C coach, and a GK coach.  The 16-1-3 Celts beat Trinity (TX) twice and boast a dynamic offensive attack led by #7, junior Taty Aleman (19 G, 5 A), #9, senior Ayomide Salako (10 G, 8 A), and #10, soph Daniel Castro (17 G, 4 A).  The defense isn't Chicago level but certainly is respectable, giving up 16 goals while the offense produced a whopping 63 tallies thus far.  St Thomas dominated Pac Lutheran in a shutout win in the 2nd round, outshooting the Lutes 17-4.  The Celts apparently are comfortable getting a little chippy and have been called out by our resident Region X guru for histrionics.  They won that battle with Pac Lutheran also, provoking the Lutes into six yellows and a red while the Celts only had three yellows.  St Thomas has played at high altitude.  This weekend will test whether they can play at 20 degrees F with a wind chill to drop that to 5-10 degrees.

Gustavus Adolphus
Almost always in the mix in Region IX, the Gusties have enjoyed a stellar season, now standing at 15-1-5, scoring 44 goals and allowing 12.  Coach Tudor Flintham is in his 5th year with GAC and was just named MIAC COY.  GAC is led by two defenders, #4, soph Jared Hecht, a USC 2nd team AA as a frosh and All-MIAC ( 2 G, 4 A) and fellow All-MIAC selection #5, junior Otis Anderson (5 G, 3 A), as well as by #14, junior forward Owen Johnson (7 G, 9 A).  Assisting with the attack are #9, junior Alexander Krumenauer (6 G, 3 A) and #10, junior Rapheal Cattelin (4 G, 2 A).  Between the pipes and instrumental in GAC's 7-6 PK advance over UWEC is #1, senior GK, Wesley "Ski Mask" Sanders.  The Gusties are a gritty, gutsy, and talented bunch who are used to tight, taut battles.  They are staring at the rubber match with St Olaf, with GAC taking the first one, and St Olaf clipping GAC 2-1 on a last minute goal in the MIAC final after GAC had gone down to 10 men 30 or so minutes earlier.

St Olaf
The Oles are 15-5-1 with 64 goals and 19 allowed.  After a superlative 19-3-1 season last year that carried them to the Sweet 16, St Olaf started slow losing three games in the first two weeks.  The losses, though, were to Wartburg, North Park, and Chicago.  The Chicago game was tight at least on paper, as the Oles lost 2-1 but probably shaded the stats especially with a 9 to 2 advantage on corners.  St Olaf is led by 4th year coach and OWU legend Travis Wall who was a three time AA, 2011 National POY, Final 4 MVP, etc, etc.  Just a phenomenal player as good as anyone that gets talked about on the boards nowadays.  His brother and sister also were three time AAs at OWU!  On the field St Olaf has some real firepower.  Two juniors are noteworthy, #29, Victor Gaulmin (11 G, 6 A), 2021 MIAC Midfielder POY, and #16, Hakeem Morgan (6 G, 9 A), a Simplecoach preseason selection.  Then there is super-soph #17, Shea Bechtel (8 G, 15 A), who is merely the reigning MIAC ROY and now MIAC Offensive POY.  Following Bechtel as ROY is frosh #23, Robi Buzakovic (6 G, 3 A) who arrived in Northfield via Fargo, ND and Shattuck-St Mary's.  Let's not forget junior #10, Casey McCloskey (8 G, 8 A).  The Oles just survived a massive game with previously unbeaten North Central with Morgan breaking a 1-1 deadlock in the 97th minute.  St Olaf led the Cardinals in shots 27-14.

Between the lines
Chicago vs St Thomas should feature a contrast in styles and will be interesting to see how each approaches the early part of the game.  I think Chicago would like to overwhelm St Thomas and make the Celts break.  But will the Maroons with their defensive posture unwittingly allow St Thomas to get its feet solidly in the match and possibly hang around until things get nervy?  Or will St Thomas' potent offensive attack play right into Chicago's hands and allow the Maroons to engage their powerful counter-attack? 

GAC vs St Olaf is a classic rubber match between intense conference rivals.  GAC is great at grinding out results and is tough as nails.  St Olaf, though, knows what to expect and will try to put the Gusties under pressure.  I don't know these teams well enough in terms of how the match will play out, but my guess is that advantage goes to the Oles if they can jump out to a lead (preferably a 2 goal lead), and a tie game or 1 goal lead late for GAC will bode well for the Gusties.  Now let's see if both can end the tilt with 11 men.

If St Thomas can get by Chicago there is no question they could ride that momentum to a win over the next foe.  Assuming Chicago wins, both GAC and St Olaf can hang with the Maroons but my gut tells me the Oles would have a better shot (and actually a decent shot).  All in all, I think the Maroons are going to have far more of a challenge than I originally thought on bracket reveal day. 

Another wild card....weather....all but St Thomas should be familiar with sub 20 degree (and maybe lower) temps.  Ski masks for everyone.

[LetteroftheLaw]

Thanks PN, great analysis as always - particularly helpful for us East coasters who are not as familiar with this region!

[Hopkins92]

Thanks PN, great analysis as always - particularly helpful for us East coasters who are not as familiar with this region!

Yep!

[PaulNewman]

PN's Snapshot -- Stevens Sectional


Stevens
Stevens trots into the Sweet 16 and in a host position sitting as one of only two unbeatens left in the tournament at 16-0-4 with 41 goals and 7 allowed.  Remember those two hours in early September when all of us thought Manhattanville might be really good?  Stevens opened the season with a 1-1 draw with the Valiants.  Who could have known what was coming...that literally three days later the Ducks would spank F&M 3-0?  Stevens then proceeded to knock off Rutgers-Newark, Vassar, and NYU.  We knew the Ducks were very good after that run, boosting them way up the rankings.  But exactly how good are they?  After that great first month Stevens disappeared into the nether regions of the MACF.  Pollsters cut a deal with the Ducks and said we'll put you at #4 and check back in at tourney time.  Stevens ripped off win after win, marred only by a draw with FDU-Florham and later a more understandable draw with Lycoming.  And then it was tourney time.  Stevens was rewarded with a #1 seed.  I predicted difficulty with Middlebury in the 2nd round but instead they had difficulty with Rowan in the 2nd round, barely, barely escaping and advancing via PKs.  Stevens is led by MACF COY Dale Jordan in his 8th year.  His coaching tenure was proceeded by high level positions with the Rochester Rhinos and Rochester Futbol Club and two years as a player at Penn State.  Stevens is another program looking to take another step after a Sweet 16 in 2017 and 2nd round exits in 2018 and 2021.  The Ducks feature grad student and MACF Offensive POY #10 Adam Silva (4 G, 4 A), #22 senior Bruno Andino (8 G, 7 A), another grad student #8 Sean Masur, a midfielder.  Defensively, the stars are #4 junior CB Fritz Kabeiseman and #1 senior GK Justin Cross who merely leads the nation in goals against average.  Stevens is an older, mature squad with strong talent and presumably loads of poise and discipline. 

Cortland St
If Stevens was steady as she goes, then Cortland has been mercurial.  Remember those few days in late August when very amateur prognosticators across the country pegged the Red Dragons as a clear top 10 and maybe even top 5 team?  Welp, Cortland came right out of the gate laying an egg against the team most abused by D3 fandom (correction, 2nd most abused), the "we'll take your last penny" Rochester, falling 3-1.  Cortland then won two before dropping another to Mid-Atlantic heavyweight Johns Hopkins, followed by a win over Mary Washington, a loss to SLU, and a major winning streak that ended with a loud 3-0 thud at the hands of arch-rival Oneonta St.  The Red Dragons rebounded to close the regular season with a resounding victory 4-1 over a to-be-snubbed Brockport side, only to turn right around and drop a SUNYAC semifinal to that same Brockport 3-2.  Cortland can be mercurial within the same game.  In the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament, Cortland drew host and perennial Round 2/Sweet 16 teaser Franklin & Marshall and quickly fell behind 2-0.  The Red Dragons came out of halftime spitting fire and scored three before allowing the Dips an 89th minute equalizer.  In the end Cortland earned a 7-6 PK advance and traipsed out of Amish Country singing that 1970s Dylan ditty "One-way ticket to Hoboken."  Cortland is a confusing 13-5-3 with 59 goals and 33 allowed.  Coach Steve Axtell is in his 11th year at the helm and has taken the Red Dragons to four Sweet 16s since 2014.  A star Cortland GK back in the day, Axtell's love affair with Cortland soccer extended to nuptials with the Cortland women's coach.  The heart and soul of the team is #6 senior SUNYAC Co-Defensive POY Ian Blugh.  The offensive punch comes courtesy of fellow All-SUNYAC first teamers #7 junior Jack Coleman (12 G, 5 A) and #10 junior Mateo Marra (9 G, 9 A), and All-SUNYAC 3rd teamer #20 senior Riley Williams (5 G, 2 A).  #8 soph Matt Schultz has chipped in as well (9 G, 5 A). 

Catholic
Catholic rolls into Hoboken 13-3-4 with 45 goals and 15 allowed.  Coach Travis Beauchamp is in his 16th season and under his tutelage the Cardinals now have seven NCAA appearances since 2009.  Beauchamp is a Washington College HOFer who starred in both soccer and baseball.  Catholic has incurred three losses to Eastern, Mary Washington, and Scranton scattered across a solid but not spectacular resume.  The Cardinals sweated out a Pool C invite and proceeded to honor an invite with an impressive first weekend in the tourney, knocking the enigmatic duo of Region VI stalwarts Lynchburg and Christopher Newport out of the dance.  Now we'll see what happens with another step up in quality.  #7 senior Darius Siahpoosh (12 G, 1 A) is the Landmark conference Offensive POY, and the Cardinal attack runs through him.  He does have help in the form of a pair of fellow Landmark 1st teamers, #19 junior Gordie "The Hammer" Bernlohr and #24 soph Dominic Caltabiano (8 G, 10 A).  All of the above were 1st team Landmark selections.  The Catholic backline is buttressed by #6 soph CB Owen Maher, another Landmark 1st teamer and #25 soph outside back Andrew Lowman, a 2nd teamer.  According to Simplecoach, the Cardinals are an athletic bunch who employ something akin to an "Amherst lite" style.  In other words, aesthetics be damned, let's just go out there and win the daggum game.

John Hopkins
If only this was med school admissions...the Blue Jays would already have the title plaque in the trophy case.  But of course Hopkins is more than one of America's premier medical institutions, and this year's edition of the men's soccer program has the talent to eclipse all previous Hopkins squads.  The Blue Jays are 14-1-7 with 29 goals and 9 allowed.  Noteworthy results have included wins over Rowan, Mary Washington, and Cortland but draws with Emory, Lycoming, Dickinson, and Muhlenberg.  The skipper is long-time Hopkins coach Craig Appleby who installed what has become one of the nation's foremost possession-oriented styles.  Sometimes Hopkins has been dinged by pundits for being too wedded to that approach, or at least too prone to style consistency over a more flexible strategy that places a greater emphasis on results (and scoring).  Hopkins even this year was becoming notorious for a slew of 1-0 wins and too frequent draws.  Time will tell as they say, but the re-match with John Carroll in the 2nd round seemed to herald in a more aggressive, more intentional approach...one still fueled by skill and possession dominance but hyper-boosted by increased interest in end product.  Hopkins has been viewed as a contender throughout the season, but now, considering some of the surprise 1st round exits and glimpses of a high-octane attack, the Blue Jays have vaulted into "one of the favorites" status.  The roster features #6 grad student and Centennial DPOY, the bespectacled Tim Treinen.  It never hurts having a D1 transfer grad student and Centennial 1st team GK either, and that describes #0, Alex Morgret.  A pair of brothers lead the offensive charge, #7 senior Alex Whamond (6 G, 3 A), another Centennial 1st teamer, and #17 soph Ian Whamond (3 G, 6 A), the Centennial ROY a year ago and now a 2nd teamer.  #8 junior Francis Meyer facilitates out of the midfield, and he also earned Centennial 1st team honors.  A deep postseason run often can be aided by a fresh, hot hand, and that is exactly what Hopkins appears to have in #12 frosh Scotty Coleman who unlocked an acclaimed John Carroll defense to earn a brace.

Between the lines
Stevens and Hopkins will be bitterly disappointed if they don't advance to the Elite 8 for a monumental clash and shot at real glory (or more heartbreak).  Cortland St could not be less interested in what those teams want as the Red Dragons are sick and tired of fizzling out at this stage.  Cortland has the offensive chops to make Stevens chase the game, and that's not a recipe that's very tasteful for the Ducks.  A joke about feasting and ducks would be good here, but I digress.  Cortland proved they have the grit to come from behind as they did against F&M, but that's not usually what works for the Red Dragons and spotting Stevens a two goal lead no doubt will result in staring at a barren Thanksgiving plate.  But what if Cortland's very capable attack gets a two goal lead on Stevens?  Well, the Ducks haven't been in that position all year, and one would think Cortland might have less trouble locking down in defense with the Elite 8 in view.  Oh, I haven't mentioned Catholic yet?  That's like throwing the Cardinals a fat fastball right down the middle, and remember, Coach Beauchamp knows a thing or two about hitting a baseball.  Nothing motivates Catholic like a healthy dose of disrespect, and they'll be hoping that Hopkins disrespects them all the way back to Baltimore.  The Cardinals won't be awed as they've played some big teams, and they will like their chances if they're still level or up a goal late.  And if the Cards can take out the Blue Jays there's no reason to believe they can't overcome Stevens or Cortland.  Same with Cortland if the Red Dragons get by the Ducks.  If the seeding holds, then Stevens and Hopkins should produce a battle that will go down to the wire and quite possibly an unlikely hero will carry one of them to Roanoke.

[Hopkins92]

Great stuff, PN!

I've said it a couple times on various threads... This region didn't have a monster, but it has a lot of really really good teams. Going to be a fascinating (and cold) weekend. (And cold.)

[LetteroftheLaw]

Agreed, very well written PN, although a bit of a swing and a miss with the baseball analogy and not mentioning Catholic making the college World Series for the first time in program history last Spring! Anyway back to the sport at hand, I think the pressure of being undefeated and hosting will be too much for the Ducks- Cortland seems to be firing on all cylinders on the offensive side of the ball and they won't be intimidated.
My brain is telling me Hopkins wins this game and my heart is trying to convince myself that Catholic finds a way to win. Ultimately I do think Hopkins advances since I agree with others that it seems like they have finally found their stride offensively and at the right time. Until the first round of the ncaa tournament Hop hadn't scored more than 2 goals in a game, pretty remarkable that they only have one loss. Equally as impressive is that not only did they score 3 vs Lehman, but they backed it up the next day against a talented JCU team. The JCU result is what really suggests they may have found something offensively to go along with their stellar defense. I think it's worth noting that in addition to neither team giving up a goal in the tournament so far, neither team has lost on the road this year (CUA 2-0 on neutral field and 7-0-2 on road, JHU 6-0-3 away). Hopkins 15 shutouts in 22 matches reflects the quality of their defense but so does Catholics 11 shut outs in 20 games. Now let me have some fun and create a scenario in which this years Cinderella keeps dancing to Sunday:
- Someone on these boards brought up that JHU struggles with teams that are familiar with them, as I have previously mentioned, these two teams annually scrimmage in the preseason and they typically are always competitive games. I know it's preseason but it matters for the mentality of the Catholic players heading into this game.
- I really hate the comparison that SC and PN continually bring up between Amherst and Catholic. I strongly disagree with it even after receiving a further explanation from SC. I think what they are getting at is they believe Catholic plays a kick and run or more direct style of play going forward, both of which I prefer over calling them "Amherst lite" which for the record sounds like a terrible beer. While I still don't fully agree with that I will admit that Catholic likes looking for Siahpoosh up top and force feeds him the ball since he has the capability of doing something special and Bernlohr seems to find himself in good spots to finish. If Catholic gets Hopkins into playing their style of play and gets them out of their possession style, I think things could open up for Catholic.
- I know Catholic respects Hopkins, I am not convinced the respect is mutual. If hopkins comes out flat or is already thinking about the dragons or ducks they could find themselves down a goal and chasing the game. It's going to take a set piece goal, a moment of individual brilliance, a banger from distance or a scrappy tap in to get that lead but that's exactly how Catholic scores.

Regardless I wish all four teams good luck and look forward to hopefully some competitive soccer in Hoboken!

[Hopkins92]

Good perspective, LotL...

I have mentioned what unlocked the offense, and it's not like it's a trade secret so I'll re-iterate: Two freshman that were not seeing a lot of the field for most of the season, the aforementioned Scotty Coleman and his fellow rookie Jackson Shapiro really stood out last weekend. Obviously, Coleman scored 3 goals over the weekend, but was equally if not more impressed with Shapiro. His motor was cranking and he jump-started the offense when he came in the game.

As for getting Hopkins to play their game... Good luck with that. ;-) This team has finally broken out of its "possession at all costs" shell, but it still very much ingrained in that team's culture. I don't want to say much more, I'm learning through private messaging that there are a lot of folks that lurk.

[PaulNewman]

LOTL, I accept your point about "Amherst lite," and the beer comment.  That was lazy on my part especially given the recent hyperfocus on the Mammoths.  I'll clarlfy that I absolutely do not know enough about them to suggest Catholic is overly physical or engages in any untoward antics, so yes, it was more about athleticism and style of play.

I don't accept the baseball critique lol.  That reference was specific to Beauchamp and his Washington College days, and I could live 100 times and still never care one bit about D3 baseball....or baseball period haha.

[NEsoccerfan]

Jesus, I didn't realize that Cortland State's leading points-getter Jack Coleman is a transfer from Syracuse THAT ACTUALLY GOT PLAYING TIME in his first year. I know we see d1 transfers not too infrequently in d3, but Syracuse is a premier program this year (seeded 3rd in the d1 bracket) and this guy was getting playing time for them. That has to be a rarity...

[NEsoccerfan]

Jesus, I didn't realize that Cortland State's leading points-getter Jack Coleman is a transfer from Syracuse THAT ACTUALLY GOT PLAYING TIME in his first year. I know we see d1 transfers not too infrequently in d3, but Syracuse is a premier program this year (seeded 3rd in the d1 bracket) and this guy was getting playing time for them. That has to be a rarity...

Apologies if this was discussed before and I missed the boat, but looking at Cortland's top 9 point-getters I see FIVE D1 transfers. How is this coach getting all of these transfers?

[Kuiper]

Started a new thread just so these won't get buried...while knowing that eventually they'll get buried lol.


PN's Snapshot – Chicago Sectional


Chicago
I'm not gonna go on and on about Chicago as the Maroons have been talked about probably more than any team in the country and are the favorite instead of co-favorite while noting that the gap between them and a handful of other teams has narrowed.  Chicago, coached by now New York Times famous Julianne Sitch, is built around its 1st team AA pair of senior CBs, #4 Griffin Wada and #3 Richard Gillespie.  On the off chance that something does get through them, waiting there will be 1st team UAA selection, #0, junior GK, Will Boyes.  The focus on Chicago's super-talented, stingy defense tends to mask the quality of the super-talented offensive machine, anchored and often initiating by #15, senior CDM Naz Kabbani.  #24 soph Lyndon Hu and #13 junior Robbie Pino help Kabbani pull the strings, surrounded by a trio of speedy, skilled, and dangerous attackers...#14 junior Ryan Yetishefsky, and a pair of frosh, #7 Kai Walsh and #9 Alex Lee.  The Maroons have another six to seven players who are superb.  The one lingering question is whether Chicago takes their defensive posture and preference for counter-attacking a bit too far, in effect sometimes ironically keeping opponents in the match instead of overwhelming foes with offensive prowess while trusting the highly decorated backline to have their back.

St Thomas (TX)
The Celts (apparently pronounced Kelts) are the fresh face on the scene and kind of a wild card that is hard to predict.  St Thomas is led by a super-experienced coach, Ian Clerihew, who took over for the 2017 campaign and guided the Celts through the D3 application and transition process.  This is the first year the Celts were eligible for NCAA tourney play and they're in the Sweet 16. Coach Clerihew was a 1st asst at Yale, head coach at D2s Franklin Pierce and Mars Hill, and had asst stints with Villanova, Duke, and St John's.  As a player, he helped lead Seattle Pacific to the 1993 D2 national title.  The Celts have three asst coaches, a S&C coach, and a GK coach.  The 16-1-3 Celts beat Trinity (TX) twice and boast a dynamic offensive attack led by #7, junior Taty Aleman (19 G, 5 A), #9, senior Ayomide Salako (10 G, 8 A), and #10, soph Daniel Castro (17 G, 4 A).  The defense isn't Chicago level but certainly is respectable, giving up 16 goals while the offense produced a whopping 63 tallies thus far.  St Thomas dominated Pac Lutheran in a shutout win in the 2nd round, outshooting the Lutes 17-4.  The Celts apparently are comfortable getting a little chippy and have been called out by our resident Region X guru for histrionics.  They won that battle with Pac Lutheran also, provoking the Lutes into six yellows and a red while the Celts only had three yellows.  St Thomas has played at high altitude.  This weekend will test whether they can play at 20 degrees F with a wind chill to drop that to 5-10 degrees.

If St Thomas can get by Chicago there is no question they could ride that momentum to a win over the next foe.  Assuming Chicago wins, both GAC and St Olaf can hang with the Maroons but my gut tells me the Oles would have a better shot (and actually a decent shot).  All in all, I think the Maroons are going to have far more of a challenge than I originally thought on bracket reveal day. 

Another wild card....weather....all but St Thomas should be familiar with sub 20 degree (and maybe lower) temps.  Ski masks for everyone.

St. Thomas' players definitely won't be used to the arctic cold of the winter wind whipping off Lake Michigan into Hyde Park, but it's not like they're from Southern California and the SCIAC where cold means below 65 degrees.  During St. Thomas's games last weekend in Belton, Texas, it was in the mid-40s with wind chills dropping it down to feel like the high 30s in the second half during the evening.  Many of the players were wearing field player gloves, so they weren't completely unprepared.  Still, as someone who did grad school at Chicago, I know it's a different kind of cold.  I can still feel it in my bones. 

Just as big a shock to them might be Chicago's size on set pieces.  St. Thomas' starting GK is generously listed at 5'10" and the tallest regular defender is 6'1".  The others are listed at 5'11", 5'10" and 5'9".  Pacific Lutheran has some big boys and there are schools in the SCAC with really tall players like Southwestern, so it's not like they haven't faced them before, but they may need Salako and his big body to come help out.

[jfreddys]

I went to the JHU - Cortland game earlier this year and before I knew Jack Coleman was a transfer, thought he stood out for sure

Jesus, I didn't realize that Cortland State's leading points-getter Jack Coleman is a transfer from Syracuse THAT ACTUALLY GOT PLAYING TIME in his first year. I know we see d1 transfers not too infrequently in d3, but Syracuse is a premier program this year (seeded 3rd in the d1 bracket) and this guy was getting playing time for them. That has to be a rarity...

...just carried himself a little bit differently out there.   

[SimpleCoach]

- I really hate the comparison that SC and PN continually bring up between Amherst and Catholic.

In fairness to PN, I'm your Huckleberry ... on this one.  Sorry, always wanted to use that line.  This is going to be one long post so I apologize in advance.

Ok.  My point is that Catholic plays like Amherst.  Not with the same intensity mind you, but how they like to move the ball... cause that's what I look at.

So, when I watch one team, lets call them Team A, this is how they move forward.  Outside of the Team A goalkeeper sending a long ball, which they do most of the time, the ball goes to one of the backs.  It can swing from one side or another, until they are able to attract the CF and at least one of the wingbacks to press higher.   By and large it tends to be the left wing who steps on the Team A right back.  Invariably and if they are staying compact, that means the midfield steps higher. 

The defense may step but generally stay where the Team A forwards tend to be leaving this gap between the backs and the midfield.  They do this because they have to be mindful of Team A sending a long ball over their back line for a Team A forward to run on to.  Now, in a normal world, the attacking team would have at least their CDM drop back and try to get the ball.  If under pressure it goes back to one of the backs.  If not, they can turn.  But defensively the defensive team tries to stop this from happening.  Why?  Because this is where they are hoping for a turnover.  (To me this is bait in that it stretches the midfield even more).  But here is the rub for Team A.  When the Right Center Back, gets the ball, pressure is on his right, probably the CF is heading his way, but the midfield is locked down in front of him.  So what does he do?  He sends to his winger, up top.  But usually, that's not the ball that matters.

When the ball is sent up, the outside backs step up into the middle to help win the second ball.  Now, what you think may look like a 4-4-2 or even a 4-5-1, is actually a 4-1-4-1.  When the outside backs step   into the attack, it ends up looking something like a 2-3-4-1. Or even a 2-2-5-1.

Now the ball now being sent up is going to be contested and you see the ball bounce around a bit..... this is why Team A is set up because they are best positioned to win the second ball or press very high up the field.  What happens then is that the defensive team forces itself to send the ball up high.  Any possession is lost.  And now Team A is keeping the opposition in their half.  And when you have the right mix of talent and the right numbers, you get the goals.  Also it can be overwhelming for a lesser team to deal with.

Now, just for the sake of entertainment, who did I just describe? 

But since this is about Catholic, so let's return to them.  Clearly their best player is Darius Siapoosh.  And I would say he is the one player on the team that doesn't necessarily fit this way of playing.  Where he does excel and where the system does really help him is that he is able to get the ball on the run and in space, with the opposing backs having to manage an onslaught of Catholic players.  The two goal scorers, Siapoosh and Bernlohr are generally on the left, but where as Siapoosh can drift and find spaces, Berlohr either waits for the ball back post or he looks to cut it to his right so he can hit it far post.  The midfielder Cantalbiano(?) has been pretty crafty on his outside the 18 shooting, but also finding the space as defenders are dropping back.

So how does Catholic score?  Two ways, at least from how I can tell.  One is the speedy counter attack that they are capable of transitioning in to if they win the ball in the right spot.  The other is chaos.  Creating chaos in the box.  Mind you this isn't unique to Catholic, but that's a bigger discussion.  But that's why set plays are such a key element of their attack.  And probably the most important thing, because you don't get beauty points for goals, it doesn't matter the scenario you are trying to build... cause they both can be effective.  Which explains why I also say that Catholic does not have a midfield.  What you have a three defenders in the center backs and the CDM.  You have as many as four wingers in the outside backs and the outside "mids" then you have 3 forwards.

Finally, how do you beat teams like this?  Ball control.  But not the standard control in the back.  Actually have to get comfortable with getting ball behind the midfield and away from the middle where the CDM is, and attack in between the center and outside backs.  If you get into a non-stop back and forth with them you will more than likely lose.

Ok, kind of went off on multiple tangents and a bit incoherent.  But hey, it made me think.  Can't NOT post this after typing this out in the small reply pane.....

SC.

[FBALLISLIFE]

PN has been running away from predicting the Kenyon/W&L matchup all week, so here's an assist.  Loving the write-ups, PN.  Thanks for spending the time.

Kenyon

The number 3-ranked Owls of Kenyon boast a 18-1-1 overall record this season (7-0-1 in the NCAC), with their only two blemishes coming at the hands of traditional rival Ohio Wesleyan.  Notable wins on the season came against fellow NCAA tournament participants Ohio Northern (W 6-2), John Carroll (W 2-1), Case Western Reserve (W 4-0), and Calvin (W 4-0).  They host the Sweet 16 sectionals after a 6-1 win against Greenville University and a 4-0 win against Calvin.

The Owls play an attractive brand of soccer that emphasizes purposeful possession and opportunistic shotmaking with a lockdown defense that doesn't make anything easy.  The Owls average 20.5 shots per game, which is 6th in the nation, and put 9.8 of those on goal per game, ranking 7th in the country.  They are scoring 9.75 points per game, which is 5th in the nation.  On the defensive side of the ball, the Owls simply don't allow goals.  Through the regular season and conference tournament, they allowed only 9 goals, and recorded 11 shutouts in 12 games from September 11 through October 22.  Their defense is physical, responsible for 13 fouls per game, which is among the highest in the nation (by comparison, Amherst leads with 15).  The combination for offensive firepower and defensive commitment has been lethal, as the Owls boast a goal differential of 62, ranking second in the country.

Kenyon is a deep team.  20 guys have 13+ games played, and 14 have 8+ starts.  18 Owls have played more than 500 mins on the year.  Although 25% of their goals come from one man, you cannot scheme to take him away because he doesn't even start and 16 others have notched goals on the year.  For assists, 22 men have recorded at least 1, but only 3 have at least 5 on the year.

The Owls are lead on the offensive end by super-sub Alem Duratovic, a 6-foot sophomore midfielder from Deerfield, Ill.  Duratovic leads the team with 18 goals, despite having never started a game in his career.  Look for him to enter off the bench at about the 20th minute where he typically feasts off the opponent's second units.  His 59 shots on the year average just under one every 7 minutes, and he manages to put well over half of them on goal.  Duratovic has an eye on an NCAA Championship to add to the USYS National Championship he won with Chicago FC in 2021.

At the other end of the spine for the Owls sits the absolutely massive sophomore goalkeeper Jack Pedreschi.  Standing at 6'5", Pedreschi has started every game for the Owls this year between the sticks and has conceded only 8 goals against 46 saves.  The Groton High School graduate has not been tested much this year, facing a season high 6 shots only once, and that coming back in a Sept. 3 tilt against John Carroll.  He cemented his place in the Owls' starting lineup during conference play last year as a freshman when he turned away 4 shots in successive 2OT wins against Ohio Wesleyan and Wabash.  He started both of the Owls' NCAA games last year against Catholic and Messiah, earning the win against Catholic and recording the heartbreaking loss against Messiah.

Between Duratovic and Pedreschi are some true ballers.  Fifth-year seniors Sebastian Gaese, Scott Upton, and Sam Carson are as fine a trio as you will see in the tournament.  Gaese is a 6'3" German captain who has started every match during the 2022 campaign and has proven to be a consistent producer on the offensive end.  His 10 goals on the year are second only to Duratovic, and this year, he has found his way to the assist table as well, doubling his career mark with 8 assists.  Look for him to combine with Carson, as the two have assisted each other on 5 goals on the year.  Upton is a 5'9" midfield sparkplug who ignites the offense for the Owls.  A 50-minute man in the middle, Upton was named the NCAC Midfielder of the Year in 2022 to go along with his third first-team all-conference selection. He was also the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 and a third-team All-American selection.   Not to be outdone, Carson was named as the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year by the NCAC, which also recognized him with his third All-Conference selection. 

The defensive dominance begins with Senior Luke Muther.  At only 5'9", the speedy defender is dangerous down the right side for the Owls, where puts pressure on opponents' left backs.  His penetrating outside run in the 17th minute against Calvin culminated in a cross to Gaese that ignited the Owls for the 4-0 second-round NCAA win.  Aidan Burns, a 6-foot junior from New Jersey, and Matt Nguyen, an impressive 6'1" freshman from Massachusetts, also anchor the back line.  Both were all-NCAC selections, Burns for the second time and Nguyen for the first. 

The Owls are not going to dominate you with size, or an overwhelming aerial attack, preferring to keep the ball on the ground with crisp passing and speedy off-the-ball movement.  It's an attractive brand of soccer that features overlapping backs and wingers taking advantage of the outside channels with pairs of forwards and midfielders making opportunistic front- and back-post runs that occupy the central defenders.  If the defense leaves the slightest opening, shots will come by the dozens.  And these finishers make the best of their chances.

Washington and Lee

At 16-2-4 overall (7-1-2 in the ODAC), the number 22-ranked Generals from Lexington, Virginia, are in familiar territory.  Every member of the current roster has participated in the Sweet 16 in every season of their career.  The senior-heavy Generals will be looking to lean on that experience this weekend as they face host side Kenyon on Saturday.
Ask any 10 D3 followers what they know about W&L this year, and 9 of them will mention either senior-sensation Michael Kutsanzira or the 4-1 home loss to Messiah on opening day.  Few will know that Kutsanzira did not play in that game (serving the controversial sit-out from the controversial red card in the 2021 Final Four), and none will know that of the 11 W&L starters against Messiah, only 5 remained starters, and 6 have not played more than 26 minutes on average since.  If the only time you've watched W&L this year is against Messiah, take another look.

For the year, in addition to the Messiah loss, W&L also fell to lowly Guilford in its final match of the regular season match.  Notably, W&L's roster was depleted in that match as well, with Kutsanzira out with a concussion and at least four other starters injured or ill, including starting GK, freshman Will Joseph.  Notable wins were hard to come by as well, as W&L tied NCAA participants Lynchburg and Christopher Newport on the road, along with Emory and Virginia Wesleyan.  The side's best wins probably came against Roanoke, who they beat twice, and the 7-0 revenge game against Guilford in the ODAC opener.  They enter the Sweet 16 sectionals after a 5-1 win against Brevard and a 5-2 win against Muhlenberg.

W&L is built on shut-down defense, long-diagonals to space on the wings, and creativity in the mid-field.  The Generals average 21.55 shots per game, which is 3rd in the nation, and put 10.5 of those on goal per game, again ranking 3rd.  They are scoring 3.05 goals and 8.82 points per game, which ranks 10th and 7th in the nation respectively.  On the defensive side of the ball, the Generals are stingy.  Through the regular season and conference tournament, they allowed only 22 goals, with only 14 coming off of starting GK Joseph.

Over the past four years, the Generals have earned their national reputation through defense.  And they will have to continue to step it up on that side of the ball to advance past Saturday.  Having graduated two four-year starters at center back, one of them a four-year starter, W&L moved seniors Charlie Colby and Tyler Smith to anchor the back line in front of Joseph.  Colby, a 6'3" Kansas native, has played across the back line throughout his four years, finally cementing himself at the center-back position this year.  A first-team All-ODAC performer, he has scored three goals in his last 5 games, including the game winner against Roanoke in the ODAC Championships.  Smith, a 6'2" aerial magician from Alexandria, is the two-year team captain.  A starter in the midfield for his first three years, he handled the transition to center back well, earning first-team All-ODAC honors and was named the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year.  A two-year captain for the Generals, Smith is playing in his seventh national championship tournament out of nine years, having qualified for USYS nationals in every year but one, and for the NCAA in the past three years.  He was named best XI in the 2019 USYS nationals as a midfielder.

Flanking Smith and Colby on the left will be freshman Willy Hall.  At 6'0", he has the speed and touch to play stand-up 1v1 defense in space on the flank, but will make interior and overlapping runs when in possession.  On the right, look for whether W&L will be able to return 6'1" sophomore PJ Ryan, who has been out, or whether they will start Asa Tuke, another 6'0" sophomore.  Ryan is a two-time All-ODAC defender, but Tuke has showed well late in the season as a more physical presence capable of matching up against anyone.

The midfield combination of Kutsanzira, Senior Sam Bass, and Junior Grant McCarty may be the best trio W&L has ever had.  Kutsanzira, a Zimbabwe native, was a second-team All-American in 2021, is three-time All-ODAC, and is the 2022 ODAC Offensive Player of the Year.   He will have the attention of the Kenyon midfield all day Saturday.  But that's just fine with his running mate Bass, who is another 2021 second-team All-American and four-time All-ODAC performer.  With his goal and two assists against Brevard in the first round, Bass became the all-time W&L career assist leader. 

With the departure of Adrian Zimmerman up top for W&L, it's all about 6'1" sophomore Weyimi Agbeyegbe.  The Atlanta native followed up last year's ODAC Rookie of the Year season with a 2022 campaign in which he was named First-Team All-ODAC and was the ODAC Tournament's MVP.  A monster presence as a target striker, look for Agbeyegbe to try to occupy center backs and open channel runs by McCarty, Bass, and Kutsanzira.  And that's where he's least effective.  Having spent his career on the wing, when he gets in space, his combination of speed and size can be a handful for anyone.

The Generals and Owls are built the same way.  Although the Generals probably hold a size advantage that can play to their advantage, especially on set pieces, both teams prefer to possess with speed and skill.  Look for W&L to feature longer diagonals to force the Owls to add more width to their back line, allowing W&L to feature their midfield trio.  But it starts with Kutsanzira.  If he gets going and can facilitate while breaking lines off the dribble, the Generals will be hard to stop.  If the Generals midfield freezes up in the Ohio cold, it'll be a long drive back to Virginia. 

One thing is for sure in this game... take the over on shots, but not necessarily on goals. 

Biggest Fans

For Kenyon:  PaulNewman
For W&L:  Another Mom's Hat

[PaulNewman]

@FOOTBALLISLIFE...

First, I'm actually working on the Kenyon Sectional now but may not finish until mid morning.  These always take far longer than I think and trying to do four is a handful.  So I think saying I've been running away all week is a bit of a stretch and I did share some thoughts with SC on video.  As for predictions, I haven't seen any predictions from anyone, including from the W&L camp that asked for my prediction.

Second, and most importantly, I absolutely appreciate the assist and that was probably the best breakdown of two teams I've ever seen on this site.  Extremely well done.  Seriously, just phenomenal.

Third, now I'm obviously curious how you know so much about both of these teams.  You can't fake that level of detail and insight.

Fourth, the W&L player I'm most worried about Kenyon not focusing on enough is Bass.  Not saying the others won't hurt them but Bass is the one I could see being overlooked and he absolutely cannot be overlooked.