2023 NCAA Tournament

[D-Three Fan]

United Soccer Coaches College Rankings are an indicator of week-to-week status of qualified programs and in no way should be used as a guide or indicator of eligibility for championship selection.

The Coaches College Rankings is a poor predictor of a team's quality. They even say so (see above)

[Kuiper]

One thing to remember about the NCAA tournament, like the Olympics, is that it isn't actually designed to crown the best team in the country.  It crowns the winner of the tournament, but the tournament is subject to a universality rule that gives every conference an automatic qualifier, which means it includes some teams that don't "deserve" to be there and excludes some that do.  That's just the way it is.  It's not completely random, but it isn't completely merit-based either.

[EnmoreCat]

Watched the second half of both games today, so observations are based purely on what I saw.  Chicago/Calvin looked to me to be about as even as it could get and was a good quality 45 minutes and then Operating Thetan time, to watch.  I couldn't really separate them and whilst penalty kicks are, as earlier described, a "brutal" way of arriving at a winner, I feel either side could have justifiably progressed.

Given how good St Olaf looked from the commencement of the second half against the BluGolds, up until the time they scored, I was surprised that the score had in fact been 2-2.  However, after they went 3-2 up, whilst I wouldn't exactly say they relaxed, perhaps they just lost a bit of their desire and they gave UWEC a way back in.  The one thing I had noted about UWEC's record this year was that they scored goals and whilst they didn't always come against top ranked opposition, they still scored them, so it wasn't a complete surprise they managed to make it 3-3.  A nice set play saw St Olaf finish winners in normal time, on balance, more obvious than the other game's outcome.  Worth noting too, the Oles have an Australian player, albeit from the other side of Sydney from downtown Enmore.

Not sure if anyone else is likely to mention this, but apparently St Olaf is the patron saint of not just Norway and the Faroe Islands, but also of carvers and difficult marriages.

On balance, I just favour Chicago in the quarter final, but of course, it's based off a terribly limited sample size.  But, I just wonder if St Olaf has the full 90 minute (and potentially plus) intensity in its locker to get past a team that appears to have re-discovered its mojo (if it in fact had actually lost it) at the right time of the season.

[soccerpapa]

Glad to see St Olaf through to the next round.  Having seen Eau Claire play in person I am not a fan of their style of play.   Gaining 10-15 yards on throw ins (repeatedly) is not in the spirit of the game (this isnt just a team issue as refs repeatedly allow it to happen)  I think a point of emphasis needs to be made regarding throw ins.   Not just location but I have seen a trend towards illegal throw ins as players/teams have concentrated more on long throw ins (essentially throwing in with one hand). 

[Chargers96]

Mary Washington vs. Washington College provides an interesting history lesson.  UMW is named after Mary Ball Washington, George Washington's mother.  Washington College is named after George Washington, who served on its Board of Visitors and supported the college financially.

[Another Mom]

No comments on any of the games??

W&L Tufts 0-0 at halftime

[FBALLISLIFE]

No comments on any of the games??

W&L Tufts 0-0 at halftime

I'm still trying to get that announcer's voice out of my head.

[College Soccer Observer]

Amherst and Oxy scoreless. Lots of fouls and bodies on the ground.

[FBALLISLIFE]

One observation about W&L vs. Tufts:  When these two programs played for the first time in 2019, it was very much David vs. Goliath.  Tufts was the storied program with all the accolades and the defending Champs.   W&L had some players, but had never seen themselves as a national contender before.  W&L went up 1-0 at the half on a shot that will always be one of my favorite goals ever, and suddenly, they believed.  Haven't really looked back since.  A #1 ranking for most the season, a win over the vaunted Messiah in the tournament, and a final four appearance in 2021, followed by their third Sweet Sixteen appearance in a row this year, the attitude of the entire W&L program is so much different coming into today's meeting against Tufts.  W&L feels like equals, not upstarts, and you can see that confidence on the field.

[Newenglander]

No comments on any of the games??

W&L Tufts 0-0 at halftime

I'm still trying to get that announcer's voice out of my head.

amen!

[FBALLISLIFE]

One observation about W&L vs. Tufts:  When these two programs played for the first time in 2019, it was very much David vs. Goliath.  Tufts was the storied program with all the accolades and the defending Champs.   W&L had some players, but had never seen themselves as a national contender before.  W&L went up 1-0 at the half on a shot that will always be one of my favorite goals ever, and suddenly, they believed.  Haven't really looked back since.  A #1 ranking for most the season, a win over the vaunted Messiah in the tournament, and a final four appearance in 2011, followed by their third Sweet Sixteen appearance in a row this year, the attitude of the entire W&L program is so much different coming into today's meeting against Tufts.  W&L feels like equals, not upstarts, and you can see that confidence on the field.

Right on cue... Matteo Adler with the goal for W&L, and they take the lead 1-0 in Medford.

[stlawus]

Phenomenal no call by the ref at the end of the Tufts-WL game.   Tufts wanted a penalty and he sold it well, but on the replay he wasn't even touched.   

[paclassic89]

1 NESCAC down, 3 to go

[FBALLISLIFE]

Phenomenal no call by the ref at the end of the Tufts-WL game.   Tufts wanted a penalty and he sold it well, but on the replay he wasn't even touched.

Referee was working all day to not call pens for either team, but that was a tough choice, especially in front of the home crowd.  Looking forward to watching that again on replay.

[FBALLISLIFE]

PTBAG