Archive for December 2010
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Messiah men and Hardin-Simmons women make it a day to remember
No comments · Posted by Jim Matson in General
In short, Saturday gave us a crazy and exciting couple of matches! You can read about both in the headlines, but if you feel tired out after watching the action, join the crowd.
Each match went down to the wire, and each match presented something that hasn’t been a common sight in college soccer these past few years: Messiah teams down a goal. Lynchburg did that to the Falcon men late in their match, and Hardin-Simmons did just that to the Falcon women in the second match.
The Messiah women haven’t lost a match since the Final Four in 2007, and have only given up three goals in the 2010 season. It was quite a sight to see the Falcon pressure in the second half of the women’s final.
It really was a great Saturday for NCAA Division III soccer. Our congratulations to the Hardin-Simmons Cowgirls on their first national championship, and to the Messiah Falcons for their eighth. Well done!
Hardin-Simmons soccer · Messiah soccer · NCAA soccer championship
That second half was one for the memory book. While Messiah developed their offensive attack in a more coordinated fashion than did Lynchburg, it was Lynchburg who had the opportunities – and the statistical advantage.
After Michael Abbonizio scored for Lynchburg off a beautiful (almost Messiah-like) 20+ yard shot that was up in the corner, it looked like the Hornets were on their way to the upset of the decade. But in the final seven minutes, Dan Squire scored for the Falcons on a very controversial play.
Overtime starts.
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Maybe Lynchburg’s post-season run wasn’t so unexpected? Maybe we all should have seen that this team has what it takes to get deep into the tournament. For now, it is 0-0 at the half, the Hornets lead the Falcons 5-3 in shots, and the Falcons have no shots on goal thus far.
But Messiah has been rotating their players off the bench in order to conserve energy against against the heat of San Antonio and the speed of Lynchburg. Fresh legs in the second half might be a difference, as it is tough to imagine Pezon or the elder Thompsons without a point in a national championship match. And as we have seen before, Messiah can put two or three goals together in a short span of time. So it is safe to say that we’ll see a different second half of play than we did in the first.
As you can see by taking a look at the stories above, Friday’s semifinals provided an exciting day of soccer; aggressive attacking, superb passing, great goals, stalwart defenses, and great goal tending. We witnessed shut-outs, close matches, laser like shots, an overtime Golden Goal, and a round of penalty kicks. It was a rewarding day for Division III soccer fans, and a day that put the strength of these programs on display.
At 1:00, Messiah and the surprising Lynchburg Hornets play for the title. As you can read in James Derrick’s article, this match is a tough one to predict. Dial in and watch this one!
At 5:00, Messiah faces Hardin-Simmons in the No. 1 versus No. 2 match that we wish we could see in every NCAA Division III final. Can the Cowgirls withstand the almost incredible offense that the Falcons bring to every match? This will be a great one to watch, and a real test for the first-timer Cowgirls and their coach Marcus Wood.
On to the players themselves; who do you think should be recognized for their play on Friday? If you had to pick a men’s and women’s player of the day, who would it be? Let us know.
Hardin-Simmons · Lynchburg · Messiah · NCAA soccer · Soccer Final Four
After a match in which Bowdoin dominiated in the stats column, the Polar Bears gave up a goal in the 88th minute to allow Lynchburg back in the run. Throughout the match, Bowdoin had opportunites off good shots, but found the crossbar (and other objects) instead. So at 1-1, the golden goal opportunities begin.
Here is the summary from James Derrick:
Second half ends in thrilling manner, albeit after long spells of boredom. The long-ball finally paid off for Bowdoin as Ben Brewster slotted home a roller, after connecting with Bishop’s chip into the box. Bowdoin had few chances following, but Lynchburg was just as lacking in their offensive third. A long Lynchburg cross into the box with two minutes on the clock found Scott Coleman, and his shot, after taking a cruel deflection off of Bishop, found its way past Dan Hicks for an unbelievable equalizer, in unbelievable fashion. With the momentum, and large spells of attacking, Lynchburg may very well be on their way to the National Championship.
Bowdoin soccer · d3soccer · Lynchburg soccer · NCAA Final Four soccer
What a match thus far! Messiah up 2-1 and dangerous on every attack. But Oshkosh has had two of the best opportunities of the half: a one on one with the keeper early, and an open net, both missed. But after going down 2-0, the Titans continued the pressure and finally converted late.
James Derrick, one of our D3soccer.com writers, has this to say from Texas: Messiah’s Renko is one of the reasons the Falcons may win this match. His distribution has been very effective. Another reason is Messiah’s use of the field -going wide frequently, and to speedy mid-fielders Black and Ramirez.
But Messiah will have to keep an eye on Starnes. He is fast and has great touch, and he had a chance (a great chance) to make this one 1-0 early. He will be in the mix in the second half. But Oshkosh has to watch how Messiah is using the width of the pitch to spread out that strong Oshkosh defense.
The second half is set to begin, so we’ll see how things work out. If Messiah scores again early, it may be too much for the Titans.
The 2010 season has now come to this: the final four teams on each side, fighting for that elusive NCAA National Championship trophy. That piece of hardware is not easy to capture in any sport, much less in a crowded field like soccer. But today, we’ll see that crowded field work its way down to two men’s sides and two women’s sides. And in the process, we’ll see if that coveted trophy has a chance at landing somewhere other than in Grantham, PA.
Friday’s action begins at 11:00 and doesn’t wrap up until 9:00 p.m. or so. Our own scoreboard will keep you updated, but the NCAA will also be streaming live video, so there really isn’t an excuse for not diving deep into this year’s tournament.
We love this stuff too, so D3soccer.com has three hardy souls spending the warm weekend in San Antonio. We’ll be posting photos, match stories, and interviews all weekend long, so check back with us for the complete story.
Enjoy the competition, the action, and the true nature of the sport that is played purely for the love of the game. That’s the spirit of NCAA Division III athletics, and that’s what we are all about.
