2023 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[Kuiper]

Some interesting non-conference results in Region X.  For the most part, SCIAC and SCAC continued to dominate the NWC and the ASC, but there were a few noteworthy exceptions.

Pacific OR (NWC) tied Cal Lutheran 2-2.  Cal Lu has had an up and down start to the season, losing to what appears to be a tough Texas Lutheran team, but beating Marymount (VA) and Whitworth.  So, I would have expected them to handle Pacific, which is predicted to finish below Whitworth in the NWS preseason polls.  Instead, Pacific had a 2-1 lead until Maxi Schelotto tied it up in the 85th minute at the UC Santa Cruz invitational.  The stream was awful (it appeared to be livestreamed from Veo, the picture wasn't straight, and the stitching together of the two sides wasn't complete), so I didn't watch too much, but it looked like Pacific was better than expected.  Still, from the stats Cal Lu had more shots on goal than Pacific and simply couldn't put them home.

Pacific Lutheran (NWC) tied Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (SCIAC) 2-2.  These are two heavyweights from their respective conferences and the match reflected that.  It looked like Pac Lu had the upper-hand after taking the lead in the 69th, even though CMS was very strong in possession and connected passes with lots of skill, but CMS managed to tie it up in the 86th minute.  I haven't seen anyone in the NWC likely to challenge Pac Lu.  CMS has more potential competitors in the SCIAC, but they definitely are playing better than they did last year already.  One advantage of the stream at Willamette, where the game was played, was that you could hear Coach Cartee's instructions to his players.  He seems to have them pointed in the right direction.

Pomona Pitzer (SCIAC) beat Linfield (NWC) 3-2.  This was harder for P-P than I expected, but they pulled it out with Alex Greenstein scoring a brace.  I can't decide whether Linfield is better than predicted or P-P is worse.  Cal Tech beat Linfield 3-2 and La Verne beat them 3-0, but they tied Augsburg for the only blemish on their record thus far.  I think Linfield might be able to break out of the bottom tier of the NWC standings, but they won't challenge the leaders.

Whittier (SCIAC) beat Lewis & Clark (NWC) 5-1.  Nice showing by Whittier, but Lewis & Clark hasn't proven to be a challenge for anyone yet.  They'll need another recruiting class or two before they can be competitive.

George Fox (NWC) beat La Verne (SCIAC) 2-1.  The only win for the NWC against a SCIAC foe in a game between two teams predicted to be toward the bottom of their respective conferences.  La Verne was pretty wasteful with it's chances, having 12 corner kicks to GF's 2.  Still, GF could have won by more as La Verne's excellent keeper, Logan Reese, saved a PK.

Trinity TX (SCAC) beat Whitman (NWC) 3-1.  Whitman finishes a really tough three game Texas trip winless.  Not sure that this game establishes that Trinity is fully back, but Michael Meese scores another goal and is currently the leading scorer.  When Meese is scoring regularly as he has been thus far, Trinity is always going to be tough.

UC Santa Cruz (C2C) beat Whitworth (NWC) 2-1 in the UC Santa Cruz invitational.  UCSC only has a 2-2 record, but their two losses were close: away to CMS 2-1 and to Redlands 4-3.  With the C2C having their conference tournament in Santa Cruz this year and every team but UCSC having to make a very long (in most cases cross-country) trip to play in it, this could be UCSC's year if they can find some way to get by Mary Washington and Christopher Newport.  The C2C tourney is such a wildcard because, unlike other conference tournaments, many of the teams have never played each other before the conference tournament.  So, you never know. 

Emory (UAA) beat Willamette (NWC) 2-0 in Salem, OR.  Willamette is now 0-4 to start the season.  While they've played a tough schedule in TX (St. Thomas and Southwestern) and then two good teams at home in Emory and CMS, they haven't looked great, scoring only 1 goal in those 4 games and giving up 3 in all but the Emory game.  With Whitman and Whitworth doing no better, they may still be toward the top of the NWC by default, but it could be a tougher slog for them this year.

UT Dallas (ASC) tied Southwestern (SCAC) 1-1.  This is somewhat of a surprise, but UTD played Babson and Wheaton tough in their road trip to Massachusetts and Southwestern's victories have come against the NWC teams (Whitman and Willamette), which may not be as impressive as they seemed based on other results.

St. Thomas (TX) (SCAC) beat Mary Hardin-Baylor (ASC) 2-0.  St. Thomas continues its dominance, along with Trinity, of the Texas D3 schools and Mary Hardin-Baylor continues it's tough start to the season.  They may be feeling the departure of their head coach to Hardin-Simmons.

Texas Lutheran (SCAC) beat Concordia (TX) (ASC) 1-0.  Texas Lutheran is now 4-0, having dispatched four teams predicted to be in the upper third of the SCIAC and ASC conferences.  I'm not sure they can beat the top two of their own conference (St. Thomas and Trinity), but those will be games to watch.  Concordia, which was 10-3-4 last year, starts the season 0-3-1.

[Ron Boerger]

TLU has had some great players (Luis Green, who graduated last season, led the conference in points per match last year and was second to Meese the year prior) and an absolutely immense roster (51, including 16 first-years).  For a school with an enrollment around 1400 that's a huge number, so they must be doing something right to recruit that many kids. 

[SierraFD3soccer]

If you want to see a great goal. https://twitter.com/i/status/1700992478223257659

[Kuiper]

TLU has had some great players (Luis Green, who graduated last season, led the conference in points per match last year and was second to Meese the year prior) and an absolutely immense roster (51, including 16 first-years).  For a school with an enrollment around 1400 that's a huge number, so they must be doing something right to recruit that many kids.

Texas Lutheran scheduled 5 reserve team games this year against reserve or regular teams from other schools (Mary Hardin-Baylor, NAIA side Huston-Tillotson), youth clubs' U19 or older teams (IDEA Toros and Lions FC), and university club teams (University of Texas club team, which is probably quite strong).  As I discussed in a separate thread started earlier this year about reserve/JV teams, if you are going to go to a school that has a big roster like that, you'll want to find out if they have a reserve team and how they operate.  They make a lot of sense if they are a way to get (16!) first years playing time, but coaches need to be transparent about whether a player has a chance of making the full roster or whether this will be as good as it gets (in which case they are just school, rather than student, organized club teams).  I wouldn't be surprised if TLU assistant George Kee is the official head coach of the reserve team, since he played at Huston-Tillotson and probably had the connection to arrange the reserve team scrimmage with them.  Either way, 51 students associated with the men's soccer program at a school of 1400 is pretty impressive recruiting. 

[Freddyfud]

Everything is big in Texas?  Not sure it's difficult to recruit for a roster of 51 as long as you are less selective.  Not saying they are, just saying.  They could have a single ID camp and get a bunch of recruits.  The time and resources to support 51 would be impressive for sure.

[Kuiper]

Everything is big in Texas?  Not sure it's difficult to recruit for a roster of 51 as long as you are less selective.  Not saying they are, just saying.  They could have a single ID camp and get a bunch of recruits.  The time and resources to support 51 would be impressive for sure.

It's not hard to pick 51 kids.  It's hard to get them to come to a tiny school without scholarship money knowing the chances of playing are very low because of the size of the roster and it's even harder to get them to stay on the team once they really understand where they stand and the tall odds to move up from there.

[PaulNewman]

If you want to see a great goal. https://twitter.com/i/status/1700992478223257659

I'd be curious to hear what some of the GK folks think....clearly a very nice goal, but should the keeper have done better?

[Kuiper]

If you want to see a great goal. https://twitter.com/i/status/1700992478223257659

I'd be curious to hear what some of the GK folks think....clearly a very nice goal, but should the keeper have done better?

He might have shifted over to make an easier jump on the ball, but the ball had a lot of movement on it and there were a lot of bodies that could have obscured his line of sight.

[camosfan]

Ball swerved a lot, good effort by the keeper, defenders are to be blamed for letting the guy get the shot off.

[PaulNewman]

My naive, unprofessional take was that yes, the ball did have quite a bit of movement but looked like the GK only had to shift one step.  It was more like he was frozen and perhaps that speaks to Kuiper's point about being screened. 

Addendum:  OK, I watched the clip another dozen times and freeze framed the ball and the GK movements.  Looks like GK thinks the ball is headed to his left initially then realizes it's headed to his right, takes a step forward which no doubt was an error and also perhaps made his jump too early.  Bottom line...terrific goal...ball swerved right to left but also had major dip to sneak just under the crossbar.  First few times I watched I didn't realize that for a moment GK may have thought ball was going over crossbar and during flight the ball is above the crossbar until a wicked dip.  Great name too...Lucas Pleasants.

[SierraFD3soccer]

My naive, unprofessional take was that yes, the ball did have quite a bit of movement but looked like the GK only had to shift one step.  It was more like he was frozen and perhaps that speaks to Kuiper's point about being screened. 

Addendum:  OK, I watched the clip another dozen times and freeze framed the ball and the GK movements.  Looks like GK thinks the ball is headed to his left initially then realizes it's headed to his right, takes a step forward which no doubt was an error and also perhaps made his jump too early.  Bottom line...terrific goal...ball swerved right to left but also had major dip to sneak just under the crossbar.  First few times I watched I didn't realize that for a moment GK may have thought ball was going over crossbar and during flight the ball is above the crossbar until a wicked dip.  Great name too...Lucas Pleasants.

Great goal, but absolutely savable. Definite slight lean/step to his left before shot.  May have been screened abit also may have just shocked to see such bending fast shot from distance. Not many from that distance, bend and pace.

[Freddyfud]

My naive, unprofessional take was that yes, the ball did have quite a bit of movement but looked like the GK only had to shift one step.  It was more like he was frozen and perhaps that speaks to Kuiper's point about being screened. 

Addendum:  OK, I watched the clip another dozen times and freeze framed the ball and the GK movements.  Looks like GK thinks the ball is headed to his left initially then realizes it's headed to his right, takes a step forward which no doubt was an error and also perhaps made his jump too early.  Bottom line...terrific goal...ball swerved right to left but also had major dip to sneak just under the crossbar.  First few times I watched I didn't realize that for a moment GK may have thought ball was going over crossbar and during flight the ball is above the crossbar until a wicked dip.  Great name too...Lucas Pleasants.

Raleigh native and has a brother who plays on a very talented UNCW squad.  As for me never mind the result that technique was as clean as it gets on the half volley and highlight worthy alone.

[Kuiper]

Franklin College scores a goal in the 90th minute (36 seconds to go on a long thrown in - cue Simple Coach!) to secure a 2-2 tie against Denison.  Kind of a big "upset" if a tie can be called an upset.  Franklin was 0-3 coming into the game (and hadn't scored a goal in any of those three games) and Denison was 4-0.

[PaulNewman]

Franklin College scores a goal in the 90th minute (36 seconds to go on a long thrown in - cue Simple Coach!) to secure a 2-2 tie against Denison.  Kind of a big "upset" if a tie can be called an upset.  Franklin was 0-3 coming into the game (and hadn't scored a goal in any of those three games) and Denison was 4-0.

Yes, the almost always upbeat Bianco I'm sure is disappointed.  Not sure I've seen a game recap without a quote from him since he's been at Denison.  He is desperate to make the Big Red perennially on par with the top guns in the region.  That said, Denison was a fairly soft 4-0...decent schedule but not too strenuous.  Btw, Bianco deserves some credit for CWRU still having a strong program in his wake.  He developed that program and left it in good hands.  CWRU in the past 5 or so years has quietly become at least middle of pack and maybe top half in the UAA.  Kind of a stealth program.

[Hopkins92]

If you want to see a great goal. https://twitter.com/i/status/1700992478223257659

I'd be curious to hear what some of the GK folks think....clearly a very nice goal, but should the keeper have done better?

He might have shifted over to make an easier jump on the ball, but the ball had a lot of movement on it and there were a lot of bodies that could have obscured his line of sight.

That is just an amazing shot. I don't really even think the goalie did much wrong there, he just wasn't prepared for a one in a thousand shot from that spot on the field.

(I also don't really see very much the defenders did wrong there. Sometimes a golazo is just what it is. Professional announcers have kind of messed with us a bit... They are constantly looking to pin the blame of a goal on someone, when sometimes a player does something that just couldn't be stopped under normal circumstances.)