2024 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[eaglesoccerdad]

To kicks we go

[Mr_November]

5-4 Win on PKs for Mary Wash over Salisbury. I believe it took 7 or 8 rounds of PKs, as there were a few misses/saves in there. eaglesoccerdad can probably confirm.

What an entertaining match to watch. Hats off to the Seagulls who came so tantalizingly close to clinching a spot in the C2C final. Now onto the the next semifinal - Banana Slugs vs the Captains!

[eaglesoccerdad]

UMW advances
Salisbury is a tough out - beating them 3 times in a month is never easy

5-4 Win on PKs for Mary Wash over Salisbury. I believe it took 7 or 8 rounds of PKs, as there were a few misses/saves in there. eaglesoccerdad can probably confirm.

What an entertaining match to watch. Hats off to the Seagulls who came so tantalizingly close to clinching a spot in the C2C final. Now onto the the next semifinal - Banana Slugs vs the Captains!

Two saves by the Salisbury GK who came in as a specialist - dude was at least 6'5"
Two misses over the goal and one saved PK for Salisbury

[eaglesoccerdad]

UMW advances
Salisbury is a tough out - beating them 3 times in a month is never easy

5-4 Win on PKs for Mary Wash over Salisbury. I believe it took 7 or 8 rounds of PKs, as there were a few misses/saves in there. eaglesoccerdad can probably confirm.

What an entertaining match to watch. Hats off to the Seagulls who came so tantalizingly close to clinching a spot in the C2C final. Now onto the the next semifinal - Banana Slugs vs the Captains!

Two saves by the Salisbury GK who came in as a specialist - dude was at least 6'5"
Two misses over the goal and one saved PK for Salisbury

[PaulNewman]

Tasty bites from Paul Newman's Own Postseason Charcuturie Board...

Messiah...and Calvin....and, NO, you don't want to see either the first weekend or even in the Sweet 16...

Kudos to St Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus...STILL pretty much under the radar despite both being
among the very best in D3 for at least several years running...most recent national champ...GAC lost first game of season to Oles yesterday in another tight one, with St Olaf prevailing 3-2 after a regular season 3-3 shootout...GAC now 15-1-3...St Olaf with another stellar campaign, after a slow start, but remember that their national title came last season after a 1-3 stumble out of the gate...As remarkable a story (or more so) than Conn Coll from the far more media-soaked Northeast/New England corridor.

Also under the radar are two of the University of Wisconsin satellite operations...UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville.  Other than the mercurial scoring machine that is Nathan Donovan (for UWEC) I can't name a single player from either squad.  Lezzz Go Blugolds and Pioneers!

The Middlebury announcer has earned the esteemed moniker of "Gregory Sager of the NESCAC," albeit with the subtle calming effect of half a Xanax.

Speaking of under the radar...how about a team right smack in the middle of the NESCAC "we are overwhelmingly the best and very happy to tell you all about it" media hype?  Yep, the Babson Beavers.  How much joy would the finance world gurus experience knocking off a USDA-Choice NESCAC Tomahawk Steak?

Speaking of under the radar in major media markets...remember when the Profs of Rowan were whiplashing their fans during an early season gauntlet?  These are dangerous teams...took their lumps, know what it takes versus tippy-top competition, and going into the tourney on a roll.

Until a not entirely surprising result in the CCIW I would have slotted in North Park as an under the radar challenger.  Dismiss at your own risk.  See Messiah, Calvin above.

Can a school easily in the top 10 (probably top 5) of D3 historically and in the midst of their more typical outstanding seasons find itself under the radar?  The answer is yes...if that school hails from San Antonio and bears the name Trinity. 

Did I hear a shoutout for Mt Union?  Oh, yes, yes you did.  Despite the school's most famous D3 soccer soldier who has a controlling stake in the D3 soccer media circus writ large (or because of that gentleman's gentlemanly modesty and deference), the Purple Raiders are in a position to take a bid they thought they had earned a year ago.  Sure, a sneakily dangerous Otterbein took the AQ, but Mt Union will be hopeful tomorrow.  What happened to JCU? Are the Blue Streaks done in 2024?

Other under the radar candidates?  CMS?  Buff State? Wesleyan?  Vassar?  SLU?  Oglethorpe?  Rhodes? St Thomas? Emory?

[jknezek]

After a 1-3 start, W&L is 12-0-4. Those 3 losses to start the year under a new coach? Johns Hopkins, Catholic, and Covenant. 2 playoff teams and a bubble.

[Ron Boerger]

PN:  Not winning a conference tournament since 2018 will do that to a team.  St. Thomas has had their number in the SCAC tourney the last three years.

[PaulNewman]

PN:  Not winning a conference tournament since 2018 will do that to a team.  St. Thomas has had their number in the SCAC tourney the last three years.

Yeah, I'm not sure that explains it for me.  Even prior to that very little would be said about Trinity until they would get sent to Amherst or Tufts.

As an aside...I guess it's not surprising but so few have much interest at all beyond their partisan (and perhaps partisan-adjacent) interests.

[Kuiper]

Mary Washington beats Christopher Newport with a golden goal in OT to win the C2C AQ 3-2

[rdanie03]

The results today mean Mary Washington will be 1, Middlebury 2, Tufts 3 and Conn. College 4 in the NPI, with Amherst locked into the 5 and spots 6-8 TBD between Babson, Williams, JHU and WI-Eau Claire.

[blue_jays]

As a melancholic UChicago fan at the moment, I just wanted to reflect on the amazing run the Maroons had from 2014 to 2023. Nine-straight trips to the postseason with 1 national title, 4 Final Fours, 6 UAA titles, cumulative record of 139-28-23 (.792 winning percentage) while regularly playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

When Mike Babst arrived on campus in 2013, he proceeded to bring in the best soccer talent the school's ever seen. The finesse and athleticism that the Maroons cultivated over the years transformed them into perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing brand of soccer in all of Division III. A tactical, possession-focused squad that patiently built play from the back, putting a lot of onus on fearless defenders to make the right decisions and passes, and take the ball up the field themselves if they had the opportunity (Richard Gillespie being the prime example). They had creative players at forward and in the midfield who were always looking to set up the best shot possible.

Most opponents resorted to packing 10 or 11 behind the ball, parking the bus, and relying exclusively on counters to create any chances. Even if that led to some low scoring affairs, UChicago remained unfazed – they were comfortable in tight contests and knew how to deliver in the final minutes if needed.

The golden class of Lopez, Koh and Capotosto brought the program to new heights (each one earned a UAA MVP award and multiple All-American accolades). Then the legendary 2022 squad put together one of the greatest seasons in D3 history to help them finally get to the top of the mountain. Each year, the Maroons were a joy to watch as a fan.

Babst, Pat Flinn, and Julianne Sitch all had D1 backgrounds and they excelled in both recruiting and establishing a playing style/identity that won games.

The fact that the coaching hiring pool was so shallow after the 2022 season still has me in disbelief. I thought the UChicago job would have been hugely desirable as the defending champs, but it didn't show in the candidate pool. IMO, I would have preferred that they elevated Mike Mauro to interim coach and gave him a prove-it season to see if he could handle the top job. His tactical acumen was a huge asset for those teams.

Going forward, I'm not sure if the trainwreck 2024 season is a blip on the radar, or an indication that the Maroons are slipping from the national elite. My worry is that this will be a slow slide back to being an average-to-good team whose best days are behind them. I'd love the players to prove the opposite, however.

[Dustin_Patrón]

I'll go on record here and say the nescac will take three out of the four spots in Vegas.

Tufts, Midd and either Amherst or Conn but wouldn't be terribly surprised if PN's "four horsemen" are all in attendance.

Not backing this up with any stats or history; just a standard Nescac'er take with the intention of ruffling feathers.

[SierraFD3soccer]

As a melancholic UChicago fan at the moment, I just wanted to reflect on the amazing run the Maroons had from 2014 to 2023. Nine-straight trips to the postseason with 1 national title, 4 Final Fours, 6 UAA titles, cumulative record of 139-28-23 (.792 winning percentage) while regularly playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

When Mike Babst arrived on campus in 2013, he proceeded to bring in the best soccer talent the school's ever seen. The finesse and athleticism that the Maroons cultivated over the years transformed them into perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing brand of soccer in all of Division III. A tactical, possession-focused squad that patiently built play from the back, putting a lot of onus on fearless defenders to make the right decisions and passes, and take the ball up the field themselves if they had the opportunity (Richard Gillespie being the prime example). They had creative players at forward and in the midfield who were always looking to set up the best shot possible.

Most opponents resorted to packing 10 or 11 behind the ball, parking the bus, and relying exclusively on counters to create any chances. Even if that led to some low scoring affairs, UChicago remained unfazed – they were comfortable in tight contests and knew how to deliver in the final minutes if needed.

The golden class of Lopez, Koh and Capotosto brought the program to new heights (each one earned a UAA MVP award and multiple All-American accolades). Then the legendary 2022 squad put together one of the greatest seasons in D3 history to help them finally get to the top of the mountain. Each year, the Maroons were a joy to watch as a fan.

Babst, Pat Flinn, and Julianne Sitch all had D1 backgrounds and they excelled in both recruiting and establishing a playing style/identity that won games.

The fact that the coaching hiring pool was so shallow after the 2022 season still has me in disbelief. I thought the UChicago job would have been hugely desirable as the defending champs, but it didn't show in the candidate pool. IMO, I would have preferred that they elevated Mike Mauro to interim coach and gave him a prove-it season to see if he could handle the top job. His tactical acumen was a huge asset for those teams.

Going forward, I'm not sure if the trainwreck 2024 season is a blip on the radar, or an indication that the Maroons are slipping from the national elite. My worry is that this will be a slow slide back to being an average-to-good team whose best days are behind them. I'd love the players to prove the opposite, however.

Don't know how much coaches make, much less at UChicago. However, to have to live in Chicago where your dollar clearly could go much further in similar (though not as successful) program might be factor as to who may be interested. A lot cheaper places to live/coach.  You would want to attract an already established successful coach, but to move to an expensive city may not be the best way to attract this type of coach much less keep such a coach. These types of coaches also almost have families they have to raise so . . . .

[Gregory Sager]

As a melancholic UChicago fan at the moment, I just wanted to reflect on the amazing run the Maroons had from 2014 to 2023. Nine-straight trips to the postseason with 1 national title, 4 Final Fours, 6 UAA titles, cumulative record of 139-28-23 (.792 winning percentage) while regularly playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

When Mike Babst arrived on campus in 2013, he proceeded to bring in the best soccer talent the school's ever seen. The finesse and athleticism that the Maroons cultivated over the years transformed them into perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing brand of soccer in all of Division III. A tactical, possession-focused squad that patiently built play from the back, putting a lot of onus on fearless defenders to make the right decisions and passes, and take the ball up the field themselves if they had the opportunity (Richard Gillespie being the prime example). They had creative players at forward and in the midfield who were always looking to set up the best shot possible.

Most opponents resorted to packing 10 or 11 behind the ball, parking the bus, and relying exclusively on counters to create any chances. Even if that led to some low scoring affairs, UChicago remained unfazed – they were comfortable in tight contests and knew how to deliver in the final minutes if needed.

The golden class of Lopez, Koh and Capotosto brought the program to new heights (each one earned a UAA MVP award and multiple All-American accolades). Then the legendary 2022 squad put together one of the greatest seasons in D3 history to help them finally get to the top of the mountain. Each year, the Maroons were a joy to watch as a fan.

Babst, Pat Flinn, and Julianne Sitch all had D1 backgrounds and they excelled in both recruiting and establishing a playing style/identity that won games.

The fact that the coaching hiring pool was so shallow after the 2022 season still has me in disbelief. I thought the UChicago job would have been hugely desirable as the defending champs, but it didn't show in the candidate pool. IMO, I would have preferred that they elevated Mike Mauro to interim coach and gave him a prove-it season to see if he could handle the top job. His tactical acumen was a huge asset for those teams.

Going forward, I'm not sure if the trainwreck 2024 season is a blip on the radar, or an indication that the Maroons are slipping from the national elite. My worry is that this will be a slow slide back to being an average-to-good team whose best days are behind them. I'd love the players to prove the opposite, however.

Don't know how much coaches make, much less at UChicago. However, to have to live in Chicago where your dollar clearly could go much further in similar (though not as successful) program might be factor as to who may be interested. A lot cheaper places to live/coach.  You would want to attract an already established successful coach, but to move to an expensive city may not be the best way to attract this type of coach much less keep such a coach. These types of coaches also almost have families they have to raise so . . . .

Well, 56th and Cottage Grove is just a deep throw-in from the Indiana border, where everything (including homeownership and rents) is a lot cheaper than it is in Chicago.

[eaglesoccerdad]

interesting podcast with discussion on D3 soccer + other sports https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vdBxitN6k35NAOE8S6rab?si=FyJptOucRhaeEqIR76wiXg&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A4rOoJ6Egrf8K2IrywzwOMk&nd=1&dlsi=2e2baf3dbe1d48c5