2023 NCAA Tournament

[coach analytics]

Random note #456....

To underscore how PKs are a different beast....

Consider that Oscar Horwitz (F&M), Chris Schau (Calvin), and Amer Lukovic (Montclair) all missed their PKs...

There's an added pressure to being counted on as the guy who absolutely will be an absolute lock to make with the dread of what it will be like to miss as the guy who absolutely won't miss.  All three of the above misses were critical.

Btw, I didn't re-watch the Tufts play several times but watching live I was struck by two simultaneous thoughts...it looked like the Tufts player doing a quick acceleration speed rush into the box was perhaps hunting for some entanglement and indeed appeared to have been successful, but then secondly what stood out the very most on video is how swiftly the referee gave the safe signal as he was peering into the play head-on from not that far away.  The referee appeared to be in an ideal position to see the play and make a call and he did so about as confidently and definitively as you'll ever see...which of course doesn't necessarily mean he made the right call.  There was another play a few minutes before that the announcers commented on and on that one noted that Traynor had not protested the call very much.  I think that was where the ball supposedly went out of bounds before a little cross through the box with a goal.

Actually although the ref is pretty close to the play there is another defender in his way of the actual contact....on video you can see he clipped his back foot.

It was actually not even the first one he missed. Earlier in the half he called a foul against #19 where the defender has both legs in the box and awarded Tufts a free kick outside the box.

[camosfan]

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.

Please get your eyes checked. I am not sure what game you were watching but that penalty was clear as day. I saw it live on the stream and rewatched it multiple times. He gets zero ball, if he had gotten any of the ball it would have changed direction. His cleat does not go under 11's leg, it goes right into him.

https://tuftsjumbocast.com/. Minute 3:17 of the game or 1:45:15 of youtube video, if you want to see it yourself.

I watched it more than a dozen times on YouTube but just can't get a clear frame of the defender touching the offensive player.

I definitely don't see him getting the front foot, it's very clear between 145:19-20 that the front foot is up and over the defender. There was no chance for contact on the front foot.

In that same time period the ball is past the defender's foot, so it's also clear to me he doesn't get the ball as I agree the trajectory doesn't change. I did get a frame on a lucky pause where the foot looks like it hits the ball, but the camera angle would lead to that conclusion as well, as would the Ref's positioning looking straight down the line at ball and defender's foot, so you'd have to go by trajectory from the angle and by how quick the ref makes the signal, I don't think he looked at where the ball went.

I can't tell if the defender touched the offensive player's back foot or not. There was no lucky pause that showed me that split second. A little before, a little after, nothing spot on despite multiple attempts. But the fall, which is essentially a face plant, is exactly what I'd expect to see if the back foot is touched while the body continues on. No coincidentally, it's also how I would sell a dive as an offensive player on that play.

Heck of a call not to make at that point in the game, heck of a call to make at that point of the game. If you aren't sure, you don't call it. It's also worth noting the assistant ref also makes no move with his flag like he's intending to call a foul. It stays completely down and he just continues on running with the ball as it is cleared. To be fair, the ref made the no-call motion really fast, so maybe the assistant would have had more reaction given a bit more time, but the ref was very definitive very quickly.

I'm not sure I'd describe a penalty as "clear as day", but even as a W&L fan, I'd say the video evidence points to the Generals getting a favorable call. On the balance, not touching the ball is kind of a key factor, even if I'm not positive there was player to player contact, though I'd say the evidence favors it.

Again, I suspect from the position of the ref, and the camera, with foot coming straight at the ball, it may have looked like the defender got it and the ref made his decision based on an angle that was imperfect.

Tough call in a split second.

There is a lot a one camera coverage  don't see.

[camosfan]

Congrats to the Pintos of Washington College, they both play for our summer team MOTOWN.

[Dustin_Patrón]

No disrespect here, but if you like Tufts then you're probably a die hard Duke basketball fan.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Random note #456....

To underscore how PKs are a different beast....

Consider that Oscar Horwitz (F&M), Chris Schau (Calvin), and Amer Lukovic (Montclair) all missed their PKs...

There's an added pressure to being counted on as the guy who absolutely will be an absolute lock to make with the dread of what it will be like to miss as the guy who absolutely won't miss.  All three of the above misses were critical.

Btw, I didn't re-watch the Tufts play several times but watching live I was struck by two simultaneous thoughts...it looked like the Tufts player doing a quick acceleration speed rush into the box was perhaps hunting for some entanglement and indeed appeared to have been successful, but then secondly what stood out the very most on video is how swiftly the referee gave the safe signal as he was peering into the play head-on from not that far away.  The referee appeared to be in an ideal position to see the play and make a call and he did so about as confidently and definitively as you'll ever see...which of course doesn't necessarily mean he made the right call.  There was another play a few minutes before that the announcers commented on and on that one noted that Traynor had not protested the call very much.  I think that was where the ball supposedly went out of bounds before a little cross through the box with a goal.

Just a quick correction, Oscar Horowitz did not miss or did not have his pk saved. It was another taker in the 7th round who had his pk saved. Oscar took the 5th pk.  He was 2-2 in the regular season.

[PaulNewman]

Thanks for the correction....I knew I had read it somewhere, though.

From Conn Coll recap...
In penalty kicks, both teams were perfect through six rounds, as the teams headed to round seven all square. In round seven Oscar Horwitz went low to the right, but Silvester read it all the way, coming up with a huge stop, setting the stage for Creus. Creus stepped up to the spot, placing the ball in the left corner to send the Camels through.

Btw, pretty sure it's Horwitz, not Horowitz.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Thanks for the correction....I knew I had read it somewhere, though.

From Conn Coll recap...
In penalty kicks, both teams were perfect through six rounds, as the teams headed to round seven all square. In round seven Oscar Horwitz went low to the right, but Silvester read it all the way, coming up with a huge stop, setting the stage for Creus. Creus stepped up to the spot, placing the ball in the left corner to send the Camels through.

Btw, pretty sure it's Horwitz, not Horowitz.

Yup, you are correct as to Horwitz. But the guy writing the recap is a dope. If he was following (or looked at the box score), he would have seen that it was not Oscar.  Further, why would their best goal scorer take the 7th pk??  Wouldn't expect the person to know that. Anyway. The kick was not to particularly far to the right, but well within CC's keeper's reach.  Good save, but not particularly difficult.

[PaulNewman]

No disrespect here, but if you like Tufts then you're probably a die hard Duke basketball fan.

This is hilarious....and as a diehard UK bball fan and diehard Kenyon soccer fan, I approve this message.

[College Soccer Observer]

Middlebury 4 Cortland St. 2.

The Red Dragons came out on the front foot and were all over the Panthers early on.  Cade Denlinger got the Red Dragons on the board in the 26th minute when he picked up a loose ball and curled the ball into the far corner from the top of the 18.  Cortland doubled the lead six minutes later when the Panthers got whistled for a foul near the touchline.  Denlinger whipped in an inswinger that found its way into the far post after several players lunged at the ball.  From there, it seemed like a long day was in store for Midd supporters.  Things began to turn three minutes later as Saint-Louis found Nicholl near the edge of the area.  Nicholl was dispossessed, but Colin Dugan won the ball back immediately and set up Kyle Nilsson in front to make it 2-1.  The Panthers tied it with less than a minute left in the half.  Saint-Louis struck a free kick right on goal, and the Red Dragon keeper spilled a rebound, which Nilsson poked home for his second of the game to tie it up.  The Panthers were applying pressure for much of the second half, and it finally paid off when Eujin Chae whipped in a cross that Gavin Randolph redirected in with a glancing header at 69:33.  With 3:30 left, Cortland lofted a free kick into the far post, but Grady made a kick save to repel the threat.  Midd iced it on a counter in the last few seconds with Nichol winning a big tackle and the ball rebounded to Saint-Louis, who set up Sawin for the tap in with 2 seconds left.

Impressive start by Cortland, but they were undone by defensive lapses.  Midd kept attacking relentlessly and were rewarded for their perseverance.  Excellent game off the bench for first year Mailk Samms for Midd.  Panthers and Mammoths tomorrow for a spot in the final 4.

[Freddyfud]

All this PK talk reminds me of Kramer and the magic loogie.  It's like the referee was Newman.  "Back...and to the left..."

[Falconer]

No disrespect here, but if you like Tufts then you're probably a die hard Duke basketball fan.

This is hilarious....and as a diehard UK bball fan and diehard Kenyon soccer fan, I approve this message.

And, as an alum of IU in the days of the late Bob Knight, I root for Indiana and whoever plays Duke, Kentucky (sorry PN), and North Carolina. Not to mention Tufts, in soccer. :-)

[Kuiper]

And here I was telling all the W&L parents that the d3 boards gave us a 5% chance of winning . . .

Congrats, Another Mom.

Please go knock on the "only regionally relevant thread" and let the other sequestered W&L fans know it is safe to come out and enter the primary ballroom with heads held high.

Is this an implicit invitation to post a review of the Colorado College-Ohio Northern game in this thread rather than the Go WEST thread?  I don't want to sully the discussion of the frame-by-frame Zapruder film analysis of a foul/non-foul in the Tufts v. Washington & Lee thread with a mention of the OTHER game that took place in Medford, MA today 

Colorado College 1 - Ohio Northern 0

As I wrote in my preview of this matchup, these were two evenly matched teams and the stats were pretty even across the board.  They tied 1-1 in the first game and they tied 0-0 for almost 97 minutes of this game until Teddy Libby picked an opportune time to score his first goal of the season. Curtis Hale's assist on that goal kind of exemplified the difference between playing hopeful kickball and really using the long ball to bypass a line and play a teammate in behind the defense to open up a scoring opportunity.  It was the definition of "dropping a dime." 

Also, special mention for Colorado College GK Jasper Broad.  He is listed as 5'11", which is short for GK standards (and may be even a generous listing), but he really shows how a shorter than average GK can play bigger than a tall GK.  Some GKs are great shot stoppers because of their reaction time.  That's usually just instinctive, although the best ones anticipate where the ball is going based on the body position of the shooter etc.  But playing big is coming off your line quickly, jumping at the right time and without a shred of indecision etc.  He really has all that and he is a big reason Colorado College is in the Elite 8 for the second time in their history.  They have a good defense, but not so much that the GK looks better than he is because the defenders keep him clean (which still might be attributable to the GK if he talks a lot and does a good job of organizing the defense).  Broad routinely makes plays to save the team and he has done it against Emory and Ohio Northern.

In any event, in another one of my "small-world" posts that probably only interest me, Hale, a junior who was first team All-SCAC and SCAC Defender of the Years, is from Richmond, VA where he went to St. Christopher's School.  On Washington & Lee's roster, defender Willy Hall, a sophomore who was second-team All-ODAC, is from Richmond, VA where he went to St. Christopher's School.  Unlike the Occidental-Amherst connection, I don't know anything more than that, but I think they played together on the St. Christopher's team and now they will be reuniting on Tufts soccer field.

[Kuiper]

Amherst 1 Occidental 0

One of the Amherst Ultras described today's weather in Western MA as, "balmy", but I didn't see many in attendance who weren't dressed warmly.  The curator had done some wonderful work and TBTTIHF looked an absolute picture and of course, provided a super surface for a sweet sixteen epic.  Occidental didn't just bring a big support, they brought noise (oh those vuvezelas – they ruined a world cup in South Africa) and most importantly a very good team.  The Tigers play with serious confidence and their keeper naturally drops the ball at his defender's feet and they do their stuff.  I was curious how that would hold up in the face of what can be a rugged Mammoths press, but for much of the first half, it wasn't quite as co-ordinated as I have seen it and Oxxy was able to bring the ball out without too much trouble.  That didn't translate into many chances, but there was one very good save by the Amherst keeper and also one from the Tiger's.  Net net, at half time, I would have thought the Oxxy coach would have been the happier as they had largely handled what the Mammoths had thrown at them.  From an Amherst perspective, the positive was that it was a clean sheet (that's a central defender's dad talking) and that the team could play better.  There were a couple of penalty claims from Amherst for which I couldn't make an obvious case for, but it was just a reminder that the Mammoths have a number of players who are difficult to contain in the box.

That felt more relevant as Amherst started the second half with a more active press and more energy in general, but without an end product.  Occidental then proceeded to get back into the game and had a run of at least three consecutive corners, but the Mammoths defence held up pretty well and whilst there were nervous moments, that's all they were.  Towards the end, Amherst had a couple of gilt-edged chances after some good quality set up play, but sadly, they weren't converted.  With the game going into Operating Thetan time, there was always that fear that maybe those might come back to haunt.

Operating Thetan time seemed to pass very quickly and I was already mentally preparing myself for a penalty shoot out.  For those wondering what that involves, it's basically me hiding under a blanket and hoping for the best.  Fortunately, with just four minutes to go in the second half of Operating Thetan time, the Amherst captain, keen to prolong his career for another day, found sufficient energy in his leg to propel a free kick to the other side of the penalty area.  It's well documented that Amherst uses set pieces, EnmoreKitten was given something to work with and arrowed a header back in adjacent to the right hand post.  I woke up most of downtown (and probably uptown) Enmore with my shriek of delight.  Cue absolute mayhem and with a couple of minutes to see out, Amherst eventually moved on to the elite eight.

On balance, albeit one with a purple heart still pumping hard, I think Amherst deserved the win, but it must be said that Occidental  were excellent and their travelling band of supporters should feel justifiably proud of how the team played today.  I don't think I have seen too many teams, NESCAC or otherwise, prepared to play the ball out from so deeply and whilst there are invariably some hairy moments attached to that, once past the first line, there was space to work with.  The Tigers didn't seem to be phased by much at all and are a credit to all associated with them.

It goes without saying that my theme of Amherst "Efficiency" continues on and a sixth 1-0 win and a fifth clean sheet in seven tells you how difficult the white shirts are to beat.  At this stage of the season, aesthetics do go out of the window to a degree and it becomes about finding a way to win.  Whatever comes next, it's one step further than last year, with the door open for more, but irrespective, this correspondent is very proud of what this group of young men has achieved.

All week I have been trying to work out how to put a reference from Kim Wilde's "Kids In America" into this summary, but of course, "East California" is a long way away from Occidental.  I will keep working on it...

Foul Count: Amherst 13 Occidental 14

This is a very fair, even generous, description of the game, so I won't add much.  My preview said it would be an uphill climb for Oxy just based on the travel, the venue, and the time difference.  Losing on a late goal in 2OT could arguably be viewed as just a reflection of the accumulated weight of all of that more than obvious superiority of one team over another.  One bit of context for your remark that you were impressed that Occidental played out of the back against Amherst's press is that in Region X most good teams play out of the back.  Frankly, that's how most of the kids out west and in Texas grew up playing.  There are certainly kickball teams and youth clubs, but the stronger teams that produce college level soccer players play out of the back.  The weather helps with that because no one, at least in Socal, is playing very many games on fields with long, over-watered, grass. 

On the Oxy supporters, this was just a small taste of what their games are like with drums, vuvuzelas, cowbells, chanting etc for the whole game.  But instead of with a small hardy crew able to travel to Amherst, MA, imagine it with 2000 fans (not all with the noisemakers, of course, but they add to the noise level in their own way).  I've spoken with several coaches at multiple SCIAC schools and they all shake their head and admit they hate it, which means it's probably really effective.  I will say the atmosphere probably makes it more fun for students, which may be part of the reason they get more students to come to their games than most other schools.  I spoke to a SCIAC coach today who said what a lot of your post acknowledges - Oxy's performance helps to better establish the legitimacy of play in the SCIAC, at least beyond CMS and Redlands, so that is the victory that the team can bring home.

[PaulNewman]

Can anyone make this make senss from the Cortland recap?

Here's recap headline...

#6 Cortland Ties for 9th After Setback Against #3 Middlebury in NCAA 3rd Round


And then text from the recap...

AMHERST, MASS. -- The nationally third-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team scored four unanswered goals spanning the first and second halves in earning a come-from-behind 4-2 win against sixth-ranked Cortland Saturday afternoon in the third round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs hosted by Amherst College. The Red Dragons concluded the season with a 16-3-3 record and tied for ninth nationally. The Panthers improved to 15-1-4.


On what basis is there a conclusion that Cortland finishes in 9th place?  Reached their own conclusion that they are the highest ranked team not to make the Elite 8 so that somehow by definition makes them 9th?  I realize the coach poll does operate kind of like this, but I'm not sure how Cortland could already know or predict an exact placement in a final, final poll.

[FBALLISLIFE]

Can anyone make this make senss from the Cortland recap?

Here's recap headline...

#6 Cortland Ties for 9th After Setback Against #3 Middlebury in NCAA 3rd Round


And then text from the recap...

AMHERST, MASS. -- The nationally third-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team scored four unanswered goals spanning the first and second halves in earning a come-from-behind 4-2 win against sixth-ranked Cortland Saturday afternoon in the third round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs hosted by Amherst College. The Red Dragons concluded the season with a 16-3-3 record and tied for ninth nationally. The Panthers improved to 15-1-4.


On what basis is there a conclusion that Cortland finishes in 9th place?  Reached their own conclusion that they are the highest ranked team not to make the Elite 8 so that somehow by definition makes them 9th?  I realize the coach poll does operate kind of like this, but I'm not sure how Cortland could already know or predict an exact placement in a final, final poll.

I think their argument is that 8 teams advanced to the Elite Eight, so they are tied (with 8 other Sweet 16 losers) for 9th place.  It's not a polling issue, nor were they saying they were the best of the Sweet 16 losers.