Following agibson's coverage on the general MSO thread, it occurred to me that now might be a good time to post the thread for the upcoming season. What with two internationals in the lineup and a very promising incoming group, I know that Mike is excited for the new season to begin. Last year, the team did very well in their OOC games against some impressive competition, but wound up in the middle of the pack in HL play. Hopefully they can straighten that out this season :dance:
Just to highlight the difficulty of our schedule, I noticed some of the players on the call-up list for the U23 US camp that's coming up, ahead of Olympic qualifiers
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/07/28/09/28/150728-u23mnt-herzog-calls-28-players-for-college-id-camp (http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/07/28/09/28/150728-u23mnt-herzog-calls-28-players-for-college-id-camp)
we'll be playing one of the defenders (Indiana) and one of the midfielders (New Mexico) next season.
Of course, we have some quality of our own. None of our Jamaicans were on the team that did... well, _that_, to the US. But, the Jamaican U23 team, with Nico Campbell the #1 goalie, and Ramone Howell on the roster, does include players who were part of the senior squad that did so well in the Gold Cup. (Not sure if any U23 players were on the Copa America roster, or if that might have overlapped the U23 qualifying. But, Jamaica did rather well there too, despite not winning. A shame about their draw for the World Cup Qualifiers. I suppose there recent success is too recent to help them with this year's seeding.)
In other US roster trivia, I notice that they have not only Jurgen Klinsmann's son, but John Harkes' son as well.
Great start for the team today as they beat #12 Indiana 2-1!
SUPER!!!!
:thewave: :thewave: :dance:
But it is early. Our side really haven't practiced together for more than a week. Same probably for IU.
Yet any result over a B1G is noteworthy.
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2015/8/17/MSOC_0817154533.aspx (http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2015/8/17/MSOC_0817154533.aspx)
I was there but could only stay for the first half. Though down 1-0 at half we certainly showed we can compete at that level. Must have been a great second half.
Quote from: IndyValpo on August 18, 2015, 07:25:38 AM
I was there but could only stay for the first half. Though down 1-0 at half we certainly showed we can compete at that level. Must have been a great second half.
QuoteQuote from the IU article: The game opened with the Hoosiers holding most of the possession and creating the better scoring chances, but 33 minutes in, the match was still scoreless.
That would change in the 36th minute, when junior midfielder Tanner Thompson dropped off a pass to Maurey and he took a couple touches before blasting a shot into the back of the net before the Valpo goalkeeper could react.
After the teams went to the locker room with the Hoosiers holding the lead, the play was a little more even in the second half as IU used some different lineup combinations for most of the half.
The writer of this article seems to think that it was a pretty one-sided game with them getting scored on only when they put in the subs. Was the first half as uneven as the writer made it seem?
We always play well against ranked teams in men's soccer under Avery, but then finish in the middle of the pack in conference. I would much rather see the other way around this season!
Quote from: FWalum on August 18, 2015, 12:02:04 PMThe writer of this article seems to think that it was a pretty one-sided game with them getting scored on only when they put in the subs. Was the first half as uneven as the writer made it seem?
No it was not. Both teams had 4 or 5 shots. Both had 2 shots on goal, 2 corners. It was obvious that IU was better but a would not consider it one-sided by any means.
Quote from: FWalum on August 18, 2015, 12:02:04 PM
The writer of this article seems to think that it was a pretty one-sided game with them getting scored on only when they put in the subs. Was the first half as uneven as the writer made it seem?
From the Valpo perspective...."The Hoosiers controlled possession for a majority of the first half, while the Crusaders were content to counter. Valpo had a few chances on the counter, but was unable to convert the opportunities into goals. ......" So it all depends on what side of the field you are on I guess. Although, traditionally in soccer, visiting teams generally play defensively on the road until a game rhythm is established. What the IU article doesn't say is whether Valpo also tried new combinations at the same time in the second half. This is an exhibition, so I would bet Mike was changing up combinations in the second half as well. College substitutions are much more liberal than on the FIFA stage.
Another point that was made in the IU article was that a 45 minute scrimmage between bench players was held preliminary to the actual exhibition game and IU dominated. This says two things to me: (1) The maybe 15-16 players on each side who were used in the actual exhibition were pretty evenly matched, and (2) it showed the real difference between a big-time soccer program and a mid-major program -- i.e., a Valpo might be able to match up with a starting 11 and even match depth among some 1st line subs, but with an IU or a Michigan State there isn't the same fall-off in capability after the first group like there is for a VU or a Wright State.
Quote from: VULB#62 on August 18, 2015, 01:30:15 PMThis is an exhibition, so I would bet Mike was changing up combinations in the second half as well. College substitutions are much more liberal than on the FIFA stage.
Yeah, there are rules, but the subs seem practically unlimited. And, in an exhibition, they might literally have been unlimited.
It seems to me that you'd have to know the minutes per player, and the combinations, (and the rosters pretty well), to have any idea how much to read into this. Watching the VUWSO exhibition, it seemed like Valpo's starters only played together as a mostly whole unit sparingly (and never their #1 keeper?) - I didn't put too much into the loss. In the first period, where the starters seemed to see the most minutes, VUWSO looked pretty dominant.
Similarly, it's hard for me to know how much to celebrate the VUMSO win. But, always great to to beat the B10 (an Avery speciality?), and a ranked team. And, a win's pretty much always better than a loss.
Kentucky coming up will, I guess, be much more telling. And, even then, it's very early in the season.
Quote from: VULB#62 on August 18, 2015, 01:30:15 PMAnother point that was made in the IU article was that a 45 minute scrimmage between bench players was held preliminary to the actual exhibition game and IU dominated.
I wondered what was going on. Some of the men's team were behind me at the VUWSO game, talking about the early game. Almost sounded like the old days (just a few years ago in fact) when we had a formal reserve team.
Not quite the same thing, but good for them to get some organized minutes,
Last year Mike carried 30 players and did not have a formal reserve team any longer as in the past. This year's team photo shows 32 in uniform. So you are spot on in your observation.
MSO goes down 2-1 to UK on a goal at 89:29 >:(
Then we lose 1-0 in the 103rd minute at Cincinnati. We play well against quality competition. We supposedly get back a few players from suspension, and hopefully can turn these close games into Ws.
Slight correction - not suspension. Kids were hung up in the :censored: NCAA eligibility treadmill.
And some others, I think, that picked up minor injuries (slight knocks?) in the summer, or preseason, etc.
A quick note to VU soccer enthusiasts:
Like as not you're already on Mike Avery's email list. I'm pretty sure it was mentioned here before - but i wasn't entirely sure of the details. It seems it's available broadly to supporters of the team, but by email. So far, it's much more frequent and detailed than I would have imagined! Quality stuff.
If you're interested, send Mike a note, or ask me for details.
Anyway, maybe already obvious to the target audience. But, I wish I'd signed up years ago!
Totally agree. Here's a sample --it's the most recent release:
Good afternoon everyone,
I am sure most have heard by now that we had two very close matches fall the wrong way over the first weekend of the season, so the bus ride back to campus late last night was a bit quiet. It was, though, a very good weekend for the team, and an important one. Early season is exactly that, early. It's far too soon to jump to any conclusions about this group as we are certainly a work in progress, which is to be expected since there are many new pieces of the puzzle to fit into place.
Overall, I was impressed with both performances on the field. Two challenging games on the road to start a season is never easy, nor do we want it to be easy. What I like most about this team is that they handled each disappointment maturely. Nobody likes that feeling after a loss, especially when they happen dramatically and late, but these games provide us with valuable information so we can continue to grow. It is very apparent that we can flat out play. We can keep the ball as well as anyone, and we have a technical and athletic group that matches up well with the big name programs. On the flip side, our defensive shape still needs attention - though it is getting better every time out - and we need a little more goal danger when in the final third. Our attention has been on building from the back to front, so the final attacking pieces always seem to fall into place a bit later in every season, and we like the talent we are working with in the front of the opposition's goal. Bottom line, we are not there yet, but we are close - and it is coming.
We are also excited that we can now add two players who have the potential to be important as we move forward. Junior transfer Okama Thompson, who was excellent in the preseason win over Indiana, served an NCAA mandated two game penalty over the weekend for what they term a "delayed enrollment". Basically it means that the length of time from HS graduation in Jamaica to enrolling in college in the US was longer than acceptable (in his case due to his family's immigration process to the US). So, that is now behind us and we have Okama available from here on out.
We also (finally) received another boost when freshman Demar Rose was cleared yesterday by the NCAA as a qualifier for D1 athletics. The schooling system in Jamaica is different than the US, so for Demar it was simply a matter of his final exams being submitted and received by the NCAA. The CAPE exams in Jamaica do not typically get released until early August, so this was not unexpected, and he is busy today getting situated on campus as a full time Valparaiso student. Demar is a wonderful young man that will be a great fit for our team, and is a very talented attacking player. Demar will likely need a bit of his own "preseason" to get fully fit and acclimated, so we will go slowly with him, but we will see in the next few weeks what role he might play this year.
We had a few guys come back from a busy soccer summer with some nagging injuries, but now we are finally at a point where everyone will be available, of course barring anything new that might arise (wood knocking here!). It's a quick turnaround this week as we leave again on Thursday night for a Friday afternoon game at Western Illinois, and then we are home on Labor Day for a matchup with Loyola-Chicago at 7pm on Brown Field. These two games, plus one final non-conference tune up at IUPUI on 9/11, give us three chances and three weeks to fully prepare for the Horizon League opener at Detroit later in the month. Deliberate and patient is the message to the boys as we look to build for a league run.
Speaking of the league, it is somewhat hard to believe that a team that finished mid table a year ago - and then lost a large class of seniors to boot - was picked second overall in the HL preseason poll by our league coaches. Preseason polls mean virtually nothing, of course, but it is an indication that the group is perceived as one having a lot of potential. I agree.
Off the field, the team is coming together very well. It is an extremely diverse group and it makes me proud to see how quickly they are bonding. These are high character kids that believe in themselves, and that believe in the program. I think we will all enjoy watching their progress. My staff continues to do a great job at telling their story via our social media sites, and these snapshots reinforce key values for the players.
Mike's email is Mike.Avery@valpo.edu
2-1 in OT over WIU. About time we were on the better side of the score. Loyola will not be easy next week either.
Valpo 0
Loyola 0
Now 1-2-1
at ooey pooey on Friday
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 10, 2015, 08:32:33 AMat ooey pooey on Friday
IUPUI is 1-3-1, game time 6:00 p.m. Central
lost to UIC on pk's 0-0 (3-2 in pk's) in Chitown
beat Evansville 3-1 at UE
tied Detroit 1-1 (2 OTs, no pk's) at UDM
lost to Butler 3-2 in OT at IUPUI
lost to Western Michigan 1-0 at Indy
It will not be too easy.
Yep. Too bad it's only on game tracker :(
It's a win on 2 OTs. Now on to the HL and Detroit next weekend.
VUMSO Knocks off nationally ranked #18 Western Michigan 2 nil! Go Crusaders!
Each of our teams is able to and has beaten ranked opponents in recent years...except for our flagship men's basketball program. Let's change that this year!
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 23, 2015, 05:51:31 PM
VUMSO Knocks off nationally ranked #18 Western Michigan 2 nil! Go Crusaders!
Big time! And a great opportunity at home on Monday against a ranked Nebraska-Omaha team.
I notice Wright State's nationally ranked at the moment.
NSCAA Poll as of 9/22:
Nebraska-Omaha is #23 in the NSCAA national rankings
Wright State is #5 in the Great Lakes Region but does not have any votes in the NSCAA national poll.
Top Drawer Soccer Rankings as of 9/21:
Nebraska-Omaha -- not even mentioned
Wright State #20 nationally
Soccer America Top 25 as of 9/21:
Nebraska Omaha - no mention
Wright State - no mention
Quite a swing between polls. Tells ya something about the lack on consensus across the soccer community. I favor the NSCAA poll because it's a coach's poll.
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 24, 2015, 04:50:00 PMQuite a swing between polls.
Yeah, WMU was similarly unevenly represented in the first two. I didn't check the third.
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 24, 2015, 04:50:00 PMTells ya something about the lack on consensus across the soccer community. I favor the NSCAA poll because it's a coach's poll.
I should double check, but I think the NSCAA regional and national polls aren't even always consistent. You could be ranked above a team in the national poll, but below them in the regional poll, etc. Like there are two different groups of coaches doing the vote.
Proves the point -- no consistent ranking system. Makes you wonder about which teams go to the Soccer Dance.
But If we win the HL we go. End of story. Go Valpo!
In the Massey rating system we moved up 27 spots to 82nd in Division I:
http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=csoc&sub=NCAA (http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=csoc&sub=NCAA) I
Our sked via Massey:
http://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8361&s=282495 (http://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8361&s=282495)
Interesting Massey page there. Computer rankings? Not just D1?
I wonder how accurate the percentage chance to win numbers are.
Big home vs away swung, which seems right. And not -that- commanding of a percentage over even a much lower ranked team, which may also be right.
Makes these rankings, which often seem to be "they have a lot of wins, rank them" seem not -so- crazy. Beating the odds and all. But, it may just be random chance that a few have gawky records, and they may mostly regress to the mean. Even in a short season.
If any alumni are in town for the game tonight, feel free to come over and say hello! I'll probably have the vuvuzelas out for visibility, or mostly to amuse/embarrass the kids.
Nice win over CSU tonight at Brown Field, 1-0...
Quote from: agibson on September 26, 2015, 02:23:12 PMInterest Massey page there. Computer rankings? Not just D1?
Massey also has ratings for other sports as well:
http://www.masseyratings.com/college.php (http://www.masseyratings.com/college.php)
Was a fun game Saturday, good to walk away with three points - seems important for the League standings to cash those in at home.
Omaha tonight should be interesting. In the abstract, I'd hope we could handle a Summit League team, only in D1 for a few years, only had a men's soccer team for a few years (only University of Nebraska campus with men's soccer?!).
But, they've got a gaudy 6-1-1 record, with a win over ranked Irvine.
But, on the road, they're only 1-1-1. Beating Depaul, losing to Marquette, and being held to a 1-1 draw Saturday by IUPUI.
So, I'm hoping we can handle them on Brown Field.
Omaha's had/has games Saturday/Monday, but we're on Wednesday/Saturday/Monday and the starters didn't get much rest Saturday. It'll be interesting to see how seriously we take this non-league game, how much we rely on the bench, and how all that goes. A very long bench this year, and hopefully fairly deep. It'll be interesting to see how the minutes go tonight.
6:00 PM, Brown Field!
ESPN3!
MSO takes down #23 Omaha in OT 1 - nil. Unbeaten streak now at seven straight. Congratulations! Watched the match. Stats don't convey the possession dominance.
Quote from: covufan on September 25, 2015, 10:52:19 AM
In the Massey rating system we moved up 27 spots to 82nd in Division I:
http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=csoc&sub=NCAA (http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=csoc&sub=NCAA) I
Our sked via Massey:
http://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8361&s=282495 (http://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8361&s=282495)
Now up to 61 in Division I!
http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=csoc2015&sub=11590 (http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=csoc2015&sub=11590)
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 28, 2015, 10:59:31 PM
MSO takes down #23 Omaha in OT 1 - nil. Unbeaten streak now at seven straight. Congratulations! Watched the match. Stats don't convey the possession dominance.
I hope I'm not just being a homer here, but we really did seem massively dominant. I was definitely thinking, "This is a ranked team?". Was it 70% possession? Maybe not quite that high, but it wouldn't shock me at all. We had some trouble connecting in the final 3rd, controlling long balls and turning them into shots, or getting them under control in the corner and having trouble turning them into quality crosses. And definitely trouble timing runs - sometimes too early and would have to pull back from offsides. Sometimes too late and the ball would just bounce through to the goalie. But, a million opportunities like that. It was a shame that it went to overtime.
We were playing a rather high line, and successfully keeping Omaha on their back heels for what felt like basically the whole game. Their most dangerous chances seemed to come on set pieces: just a couple of corners, couple of free kicks. Their attacking forays were usually getting one guy through with the ball, and watching our defenders race to catch up with him. But, generally these were 1 on 3+goalie type situations, and our defenders had plenty of pace to handle them. There was _one_ time I remember where they got through cleanly on goal in that kind of situation, and Nico raced off his line, dove full stretch to pull it off his toe (and clattered the opposing forward as he tripped over Nico's outstretched body).
It felt like we were holding the ball pretty well, were often intercepting passes or tackling it back in the midfield, and that Omaha's chances were kind of anemic, and quickly got turned over.
I'll be very curious to see (over video, alas, and hopefully video) how this develops as our brutal schedule continues.
The starters stayed in for most of the game, despite playing just on Saturday. Aidoud did sit for overtime. And there was a little more mixing than on Saturday amongst the forwards and the run-a-lot midfielders. But, these guys are putting in a lot of minutes.
Five in a row on the road coming up. Including at Wright State (3rd place preseason, sometimes nationally ranked) at Milwaukee (still nabbed a first place vote pre-season), at New Mexico (sometimes ranked top 10?), and at Michigan (likely to be nationally ranked).
Should be interesting!
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 24, 2015, 04:50:00 PM
NSCAA Poll as of 9/22:
Nebraska-Omaha is #23 in the NSCAA national rankings
Wright State is #5 in the Great Lakes Region but does not have any votes in the NSCAA national poll.
Top Drawer Soccer Rankings as of 9/21:
Nebraska-Omaha -- not even mentioned
Wright State #20 nationally
Soccer America Top 25 as of 9/21:
Nebraska Omaha - no mention
Wright State - no mention
Maybe no big surprise that Western Michigan 18, lost to us, and Wright State 20, lost in Dayton to Northern Kentucky and drew in Dayton to Green Bay have fallen out of the Top Drawer Soccer national rankings. These rankings, and really are the basketball rankings so different?, seem to rely a lot on record, and who's hot lately.
[edit: fixed the Wright State games, both at home]
Agibson, nice summary below on the possession. Agree that this could have been an easier win had the boys organized better in the attacking third. Many times our attackers were all clustered on the same line deep into the box and when the ball bounded out by just a few yards the only players around the ball were in white Need to think about better spacing and the role of trailers in the attack. Also felt that many of our corner kicks were 1) played too far out in the box to pressure the Omaha defense (i.e, no one could put their head onto the ball with authority) and 2) were not driven into the box crisply to allow for a well-paced header at goal.
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 24, 2015, 04:50:00 PMNSCAA Poll as of 9/22:
Nebraska-Omaha is #23 in the NSCAA national rankings
Wright State is #5 in the Great Lakes Region but does not have any votes in the NSCAA national poll.
The new NSCAA just came out - it's not completely clear to me what instructions they were under. Maybe they were told to ignore Monday's games? The records and such don't seem to include them.
Omaha falls to RV (2) nationally, drawing IUPUI (and losing to us... after the polling period?).
Regionally we enter at #8. First ranking I've heard for us anywhere this season (apart from #2 in the Horizon League preseason poll). Western Michigan falls #3 --> #6 on their loss to us. Wright State falls #5 --> #9 after their loss and draw (and both of those at _home_, let me fix the other post.)
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 29, 2015, 12:06:23 PMMany times our attackers were all clustered on the same line deep into the box and when the ball bounded out by just a few yards the only players around the ball were in white
Yeah, I remember one attack very clearly like that. Really made me wish for a Zev Taublieb (in the attacking role he played for Sacramento, at least) to come crashing into the box as the late runner.
I'm sure it's difficult to get the timing and coordination down, and hopefully it'll come. But, it did feel like if we were clicking a little more smoothly on these kinds of things we might have had three goals. Or six (like the women at YSU!).
That said, I did notice some lovely team play in terms of give-and-gos around Omaha players, touches around the opposition, little things like that. Notably from Isaiah Madrid, but from others as well. Some signs of chemistry, for sure.
QuoteAlso felt that many of our corner kicks were 1) played too far out in the box to pressure the Omaha defense (i.e, no one could put their head onto the ball with authority) and 2) were not driven into the box crisply to allow for a well-paced header at goal.
I couldn't tell sometimes if we were really going for goal on some corners, or if they were misdirected. Better than an earlier game this season, at least, where it felt like everything was being played low, right into the defense. But, it does feel like we're not quite clicking here either. Some of the free kicks looked better, and did find our players' heads.
On some of our breakaways, it also felt like our attacker had trouble deciding "shoot, or run it out wide and try for a cross?", and sometimes didn't seem comfortable e.g. with a left-footed shot that might have had a much better chance than the right.
Hopefully things that can develop.
I suppose we have a large number of junior transfers this year, so will gain a lot of experience into next season? I've not dared catalogue who we're going to lose (Gandarilla, Aidoud, ...) But, this season's still just beginning!
Quote from: agibson on September 29, 2015, 12:10:53 PM
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 24, 2015, 04:50:00 PMNSCAA Poll as of 9/22:
Nebraska-Omaha is #23 in the NSCAA national rankings
Wright State is #5 in the Great Lakes Region but does not have any votes in the NSCAA national poll.
The new NSCAA just came out - it's not completely clear to me what instructions they were under. Maybe they were told to ignore Monday's games? The records and such don't seem to include them.
Omaha falls to RV (2) nationally, drawing IUPUI (and losing to us... after the polling period?).
Regionally we enter at #8. First ranking I've heard for us anywhere this season (apart from #2 in the Horizon League preseason poll). Western Michigan falls #3 --> #6 on their loss to us. Wright State falls #5 --> #9 after their loss and draw (and both of those at _home_, let me fix the other post.)
I know Mike takes these things with a grain of salt (see our previous discussion on rankings for the same reasons) but it is nice for us fans to chat about and it looks good on news releases. If we can take down UWM on Saturday the NSCAA will show two good wins (one away). That should boost our stock considerably.
Quote from: VULB#62 on September 29, 2015, 12:24:41 PMbut it is nice for us fans to chat about and it looks good on news releases.
Yeah, I think that's about right. There's not _so_ much by the way of quality reporting and analysis out there, for our team at least. So, I'll talk about what scraps I can find ;)
I appreciate what WVUR, the Torch, and the Valpo Athletics web folks do, but it feels a little bit like box score reporting much of the time. With a feel of "not really soccer people here, but giving it a go". Not that I could likely do any better! Hopefully as the game continues to mature we get more students, or others, through the pipeline who are as comfortable talking about soccer as they are about football, baseball, basketball.
Preview of the UWM game and an assessment of the progress so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=6&v=Q5ofaHmfSP0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=6&v=Q5ofaHmfSP0)
I looked at the schedule because I wanted to catch a soccer game at some point this season and while I couldn't make the Omaha game I wondered what the next game at home would be. Almost a month between home games? Who came up with this crazy schedule.
Quote from: Kyle321n on October 02, 2015, 12:48:04 PM
I looked at the schedule because I wanted to catch a soccer game at some point this season and while I couldn't make the Omaha game I wondered what the next game at home would be. Almost a month between home games? Who came up with this crazy schedule.
Yeah, Avery's schedules have been more or less of this flavor for at least the last couple of seasons. I assume that, like basketball, it's not easy to get high quality opponents to come to Valpo. And that Mike values such games, finds that his players value them, and so is willing to go on the road to make it happen.
But, it's definitely a brutal road stretch coming up (at Milwaukee Saturday, a week later at Wright State, then I guess home briefly before playing at New Mexico Wednesday, and maybe even home again briefly before at Nothern Kentucky Saturday.... and maybe then straight to Michigan for a Monday game?)
When I first saw the schedule, Omaha didn't look like a highlight exactly. But, their national ranking put some spice into it. Might be the most hyped home game of the season, depending on how the conference play shakes out.
The Horizon League home games were with teams ranked 6, 10, 7, 9 in the pre-season poll. So, altogether, it does make a pretty unfavorable home schedule.
Some great opponents on the road, to be sure (Indiana, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Western Michigan, New Mexico, Michigan).
And, we'll see, Milwaukee, Oakland, maybe others could also be quality road games. Probably no road game in the league is going to feel easy. (And, as our conference results have gone in recent seasons, probably _no_ league game is going to look easy. With small number of goals, and a reasonable amount of parity, it does feel like there are a lot of 60-40, 70-30 games, or closer.)
If we manage top-of-the table we host the semi-finals and finals. So, we could have a couple of good home games during the tournament. Otherwise, if we're #3 or #4 we get a quarter-final game at home. Looks like four teams get dropped from the tournament entirely this year, with just six teams competing.
Quote from: Kyle321n on October 02, 2015, 12:48:04 PMI looked at the schedule because I wanted to catch a soccer game at some point this season and while I couldn't make the Omaha game I wondered what the next game at home would be.
Maybe come see the women also/instead?
Northern Kentucky next Friday could be a battle of teams unbeaten in the conference.
Cleveland State on October 30, our last conference game of the season, could easily have big implications for the conference tournament. (Or, could just be a warm-up...)
I'm definitely considering going on Friday to see that game. I just thought I'd comment on the men's schedule in the men's thread. ;) I know I'm a little :crazy:
League schedule is set by the league. 9 games so one year a team will be 5 home / 4 away, or like VU this year it will be the reverse.
Out of league games seems to be a steady diet of teams that will return every other year to Valpo. Loyola, iupui, wiu for example with some "big games" road tests thrown in. Michigan and UNM being upcoming examples.
It is true that big name schools will not come to Brown, or if they do they only come once. I spoke to UNO coach Monday night and he said after game that they wouldn't come back again until Valpo gets a new field. He loves the game but field is too narrow, dangerous concrete lip surrounding the field, football lines, and poor quality turf. He's spoiled with a soccer only multi million dollar stadium in omaha, but that's what it takes these days to be a legit top 20 program. Valpo lives on the road and usually pays for it by season's end. Catch 22, but until some new field is built, Valpo will be in a tough spot.
And there are at least murmurings ofa new field down the road. Is it in some version of the master plan? Adjacent to the field house?
It'd sure be fun to -watch- in a soccer specific stadium, etc.
If we can dream, I can imagine that having a couple of grass options available, with maybe turf as a backup, would be nice.
Quote from: Kyle321n on October 02, 2015, 03:00:43 PM
I'm definitely considering going on Friday to see that game. I just thought I'd comment on the men's schedule in the men's thread. ;) I know I'm a little :crazy:
Yeah, I considered replying to you over there. But, that would have seemed strange too.
That thread does, certainly need some love! Sounds like another quality win, on the road, was certainly a pretty chip shot goal. Hopefully they're showing they can be the dominant team people thought possible!
Another solid win. This time on the road at Milwaukee. Looked cold and windy, and Milwaukee put up a fight.
But, from what I saw the lion's share of the possession was ours. Solid stuff as usual from Nico between the sticks. Our defense broke up Milwaukee's attacks quickly. Our midfield maintained possession well and turned them over. Ramone Howell and Isaiah Madrid had some particularly nice stuff. And, after wishing a couple of times for Madrid to hit a left-footed shot last time at Brown field, he hit a couple of beauties tonight. Including the game winner. He was on the left flank for that one. Has he played there at all this season?
Somewhat quiet game for co-captain Aidoud. Came off in the first half, and stayed off for a good chunk of the second. Came out of the game again, limping, towards the end.
Look for us to rise to 7th, maybe 6th (passing Western Michigan?) regionally. Number 3 and 4 are nationally ranked, and number 5 is Butler receiving votes (but Omaha's receiving votes too...).
A little round-up of the various rankings and such on my radar. Most update Mondays or Tuesdays.
NSCAA: Future opponents New Mexico and Michigan fall down to the "receiving votes" category.
We climb to #6 in the Great Lakes regional poll, climbing over Western Michigan, and UIC enters at #10 on their win over Wright State.
Those ahead of us are nationally ranked: #1 Creighton, #8 Akron, #12 Georgetown, #21 Butler, #24 Xavier (7-3-0).
So, we probably don't have _too_ much margin for error if we want to move up. (Would we even tread water if we lost at both New Mexico and Michigan? Or might an NIU, Villanova, even UIC pass us?)
College Soccer News: Omaha still receiving votes in top 30. Michigan 25.
Top Drawer Soccer: New Mexico 20.
Soccer America: New Mexico 21.
Massey: Valpo to 48 or 47 or so. Defense #16. (I'm still not sure what all his categories mean.)
Horizon League:
http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/horizon-league-athletes-of-the-week-week-of-sept-28 (http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/horizon-league-athletes-of-the-week-week-of-sept-28)
Omar Lawrence, center back, is named defensive player of the week. It's got to be hard for anybody not watching the games - and even some of us watching the games! - to decide how to proportion the credit for clean sheets. Lots of credit to go around! A team award, as Mike Avery's said all of these are. But, very nice for Lawrence to get some recognition.
Tied with UIC for 2nd in the league table, edging them on tiebreakers I guess. But, Northern Kentucky, sitting on top, got just one additional point (i.e. a draw) out of their extra game played.
We're a few minutes (30?) away from setting the all-time Valpo for consecutive minutes without giving up a goal.
VUMSO continues to stretch their record for consecutive games unbeaten, currently at 8. (Maybe we're coming up on the consecutive wins record too? Currently at 4.) That'll be put to the test Saturday 6:00 PM central at Wright State, which should be a tough contest. They finished just behind us in the pre-season Horizon league coaches' poll. They've had some tough negative results in League play, even at home. But, they beat Cincinnati 3-0 (one of our two losses), and scored a goal at Kentucky, yielding the same 2-1 line that was handed to us.
[updated to include Soccer America ranking]
Thanks AG. Was tracking the USSCA poll early this AM but the new 10/6 poll came out later in the day.
WSU will be a great test at their place. But by now the boys are so used to road trips that it almost should not be a factor.
Quote from: agibson on October 06, 2015, 02:16:37 PMWe climb to #6 in the Great Lakes regional poll, climbing over Western Michigan, and UIC enters at #10 on their win over Wright State.
Those ahead of us are nationally ranked: #1 Creighton, #8 Akron, #12 Georgetown, #21 Butler, #24 Xavier (7-3-0).
So, we probably don't have _too_ much margin for error if we want to move up. (Would we even tread water if we lost at both New Mexico and Michigan? Or might an NIU, Villanova, even UIC pass us?)
I didn't think hard about the polls after a moderately ugly 3-1 loss at Wright State, at what seemed to be their main homecoming athletic event. Aidoud didn't play, hopefully he's back soon, maybe a couple of others absent or limited too. So, hopefully it's more like a blip than a change of course. We did set the record for consecutive minutes without giving up a goal, despite the extremely uncharacteristic (for the Mike Avery era) three goals allowed.
Wright State jumps into the regional poll, and all the way to #5 (?!) on the win. I guess that's some kind of sign of respect for us.
UIC jumps from #10 to #6.
Xavier falls all the way from #5 to #7 on their 3-0 conference loss (at home).
We slip down to #8.
A couple of wins in these last three games of a five-game road stretch could be enough to bump us up a couple of spots, depending on e.g. what Wright State and UIC do.
New Mexico, tomorrow's getting listed as #23 on the VU schedule. Michigan Monday's getting listed as unranked. (I've not checked the multiplicity of national polls, at least not yet, but probably Aaron Leavitt _has_.)
Looks like there will be video from New Mexico, not sure if it's free.
I only saw the last 30 minutes or so (including both OT's), but from what I saw VUMSO earned at _least_ a draw.
Was 1-1 in the end, at #23 (in one ranking) New Mexico. Apparently a hundred Valpo supporters there. (3-4 players, maybe a coach too, with NM backgrounds.)
The Lobos' goal was in the first thirty seconds or so, apparently. And the first half was played under 50% stadium lighting. I guess half the lights were out, they delayed for 40 minutes or so, VU was willing to play even without the lights, and they eventually got them on around half time.
Seems to me like a pretty good bounce back from the Wright State game.
Good to see Jordan back in action. Great to see Isaiah (one of the New Mexico natives) terrorizing the defense. The goal was a nice combo with Gweh. Isaiah had often gotten in alone with the UNM goalie, but at tight angles, shots not _so_ dangerous. But, at least one time he got a nice pass to Gweh instead, in front of goal.
Quick tiebreakers:
A win would put VUMSO on 12 points. Only 7 teams can reach 12 points.
VU definitely needs to win, hosting Green Bay, to qualify.
Cleveland State, who we beat already, sits at 11 points. Detroit, who we drew, sits at 11 points.
If Cleveland State loses or draws at UIC (unbeaten in conference), along with that VUMSO win, Valpo's in.
If Detroit loses, hosting last place Belmont, along with that VUMSO win, Valpo's in.
If Detroit draws (and they like to draw, they're 2-1-5), I'm not sure what happens. We'd have to figure out the second tiebreaker (I'm 80% sure the first is head-to-head).
So, if Valpo beats Green Bay, we're very much in the hunt. I'd guess we have a fair chance at getting in (75%?), and getting even the 5 seed might be plausible.
While we're at it, let's check Massey. Surely Massey doesn't include the effect on UIC's psyche of having already qualified, etc, etc. But, still, let's take a look.
Massey gives a 49% chance of three points hosting Green Bay.
They give UIC a 66% chance of beating CSU outright, and a 14% chance of a draw.
They give Detroit an 18% chance of losing to Belmont (and another 16% chance of a draw).
So, massaging those together in my head, with some uncertainties, maybe only a 42% chance of qualifying. But, if we beat GB, an excellent chance (85%?).
We'll see.
But, it's definitely not over.
I see it's been a while since this thread was updated.
Injuries have been rough on Valpo, it sees. Aidoud, a captain and key player, has seen limited minutes, maybe connected to an injury that had him miss at least one game entirely.
The back line's been suffering as well, with one of our usual center backs missing several games now (out for the season? who knows?). And, in the last game, we only had one of our usual starters in the back line. And, to my inexpert eye, the different personnel, the lack of experience (playing in those positions, and playing together) seemed to show.
So, beating Green Bay may not be easy. But, it's definitely not over.
A nice win tonight, but, a little to late. If my math is correct, UIC's loss to CSU tonight sealed us as the 7th seed and out of the tournament. So much talent, so disappointing a result... :'(
Another disappointing finish for men's soccer, after so much promise through 2/3 of the season. This is a solid program at Valpo, but just shows how strong the HL is in soccer when the 7th place team finishes 3-3-3 in conference. We only lose a few key players, and will be strong again next season.
Quote from: valpotx on November 15, 2015, 09:12:13 PM
Another disappointing finish for men's soccer, after so much promise through 2/3 of the season. This is a solid program at Valpo, but just shows how strong the HL is in soccer when the 7th place team finishes 3-3-3 in conference. We only lose a few key players, and will be strong again next season.
It seems that we have a lot of talent yet only the goalkeeper made first team all conference. Only one guy on the second team. Injuries may have played a major role yet it seems we are not getting the results for the talent we have.
Quote from: vu72 on November 15, 2015, 09:46:51 PM
Quote from: valpotx on November 15, 2015, 09:12:13 PM
Another disappointing finish for men's soccer, after so much promise through 2/3 of the season. This is a solid program at Valpo, but just shows how strong the HL is in soccer when the 7th place team finishes 3-3-3 in conference. We only lose a few key players, and will be strong again next season.
It seems that we have a lot of talent yet only the goalkeeper made first team all conference. Only one guy on the second team. Injuries may have played a major role yet it seems we are not getting the results for the talent we have.
We lose only three seniors. The second half of the season was marked by top players (especially the back line) being banged up, but with the exception of Wright State (3-1 loss) every game pretty much came down to the wire. The last 7 games: 1 W, 3L, 3T = 6 points. Had any of those draws gone our way we'd have been in the tournament. All 3 draws went the full 2 OTs. The loss to eventual league champion Oakland (away) went to OT as well. GF: 7 GA: 5. Speaking of 'away,' I don't think any of the HL squads travelled as much as Valpo -- we only had 6 home matches (12 on the road). And constant travel takes a toll. The home field record was 3 wins, a tie and a loss. Three more home matches and we are talking about a different story.
Horizon League, not Valpo. But, Oakland will play at Dayton in the first round of the NCAA. Could be a winnable game. Should be Thursday, I guess, details TBA.
But, I guess that's by design. These are apparently play-in games (unlike the women's tournament?). Winner plays Ohio State (Sunday?), who the NCAA seems to have ranked #9 (NSCAA #12).
It looks like Dayton tied Oakland 2-2 but Dayton advanced to take on Ohio State. Dayton tied Ohio State 1-1 but Ohio State advanced to play Stanford on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. EST