NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024

[PaulNewman]

There is a logic error some of us made with the Hopkins pks.  We assumed it might be nearly foolproof because last week we saw all five make it and seemed like they could knock in another 10 in a row if they wanted.  It DID almost seem like an ace-in-the-hole if they went to pks again.  But we didn't consider the psychology of a miss, especially from your most trusted player, and all the sudden the "foolproofness" folds like a cheap suit.  And as soon as he missed I thought the pressure on the next guy was immense.  You get the accuracy (if exceuted well) but not necessarily the power.  They also iirc didn't hit any low (this week or last week but I could have that wrong).

[jknezek]

Well... 5th time in 6 years W&L is in to the Sweet 16. They avenged the 2018 first round loss to Johns Hopkins... also a pk finish, and move on to another NESCAC challenge. 3x during this run they've been stopped by a NESCAC school, but there is also last year's win over Tufts mixed in.

I have to admit, they looked like a team lost in the wilderness when I saw them at Sewanee and Covenant, and while I expected them to compete for the ODAC, I wasn't too sure the individual quality was going to gel with a new coach and system.

But a runner up in the conference season, an ODAC tournament title, and a return to the Sweet 16, at least, is a testament to this team improving and growing throughout the season.

Well done gentlemen, and keep the fight going in weekend 2.

[mngopher]

So....Amherst is hosting the Wisconsin Invitational....and CMS and Trinity head to Vermont.  Beautiful college town.  Got married there.  But not exactly the trip I wanna make from CA or TX.  I assume they will fly into Burlington.  Obviously no direct flights to Burlington.

Assuming Amherst is hosting I would applaud the NCAA for actually spending some travel money on the D3 soccer tournament. At the same time I am very frustrated with the bracketing if that is the case. Why do all the North region teams have to be in the same sectional if they are going to be flown out anyways? Flip the Denison pod with the Gustavus pod, and the Colorado College pod with the UW Eau Claire pod. Let's see some matchups we don't usually get to see if we are going to spend the money to fly teams out for the 3rd/4th rounds.

[blooter442]

What a double-save from the Buff State GK! Wow.

[Kuiper]

END OF FIRST OT:  Buffalo St. 1 - Tufts 1

It was an OT full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.  On the 2OT

[jknezek]

It looks like W&L, Trinity, and Amherst are the only schools with both men's and women's teams through to the Sweet 16.

[Hopkins92]

I certainly felt confident going in that if this game got to PKs, Hop was gonna win.

I don't think they abandon the tactic. But nothing is sure fire and as I said above, November Madness is x2 or x3 the pressure... maybe higher... than a conference tournament where it wasn't a make or break situation.

Had no idea about the conference championship so will give them the benefit of the doubt, and I get it's one way to mitigate bad execution due to the inverse problem (a run-up that is too long). I had just never seen an entire rotation of kickers do a one-step run-up.

As I said, there's a lot of chatter in the Mid-Atlantic thread about it. It was wild to watch and the fact that it was so successful put the doubts at bay. Today... Has me on the fence.

It's weird.

[Kuiper]

I certainly felt confident going in that if this game got to PKs, Hop was gonna win.

I don't think they abandon the tactic. But nothing is sure fire and as I said above, November Madness is x2 or x3 the pressure... maybe higher... than a conference tournament where it wasn't a make or break situation.

Had no idea about the conference championship so will give them the benefit of the doubt, and I get it's one way to mitigate bad execution due to the inverse problem (a run-up that is too long). I had just never seen an entire rotation of kickers do a one-step run-up.

As I said, there's a lot of chatter in the Mid-Atlantic thread about it. It was wild to watch and the fact that it was so successful put the doubts at bay. Today... Has me on the fence.

It's weird.

The fact that it was successful in the Centennial final may have motivated W&L to practice facing those kind of PKs once they found out they were seeded in the same pod.  It's not unstoppable, but there are different tells and strategies.

[Ron Boerger]

So....Amherst is hosting the Wisconsin Invitational....and CMS and Trinity head to Vermont.  Beautiful college town.  Got married there.  But not exactly the trip I wanna make from CA or TX.  I assume they will fly into Burlington.  Obviously no direct flights to Burlington.

Trinity(TX) is certainly accustomed to flying way back east for sectionals in any number of sports.  It doesn't hurt as much when that's what chalk says should be done as is the case this year (but doesn't make the task any easier).

I think it was two years ago when three of the four women's basketball sectionals were held in Massachusetts, and it was definitely *not* chalk but penny-pinching.  That happens to island teams way too much and it's to be seen if the NCAA's loosening of the travel purse strings will address that at all.

[Kuiper]

On to PKs in Buffalo State-Tufts

[Ejay]

Let's hope neither team tries the same run up PK style that Stevens deployed today as they missed 3 in a row.

[blooter442]

Tufts is outshooting Buffalo State 26-5, but still only 5-3 in shots on goal.

At the end of 2OT, 31-7 and 7-5. 

[PaulNewman]

However this goes, great showing by Buff St.  Played their hearts out.

[Kuiper]

Tufts is outshooting Buffalo State 26-5, but still only 5-3 in shots on goal.

At the end of 2OT, 31-7 and 7-5. 

A LOT of very pretty build-up play and very errant shots for Tufts.

[LibbyMoore]

No chance Amherst goes to Wisconsin? Seems like that makes the most cost effective sense if you take seeding out of the picture--wasn't this weekend intended to be the women's hosting turn at Amherst, too?

And if Tufts goes out, does Williams host?