Wide open tournament

[soccerflyer]

Love seeing the improvement lately. I think we should be heavily favored in the tournament because a second chance game against St Louis and VCU shouldn't present the same outcome. It will be challenging but no team wants to face us the way we have been playing collectively better soccer. I also look at the team on paper and believe our roster has the most talent top to bottom.

A first round home game is a nice accomplishment and it's been awhile since the last several years we finished in 5th to 8th and had to go on the road. Dispatch of Richmond a second time in a row, put the pressure on them early and often, and let's go back to work at the semifinals against SLU on a neutral site with a week of rest. and I hope I'm not jinxing us by looking ahead of the play in game.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[Chris R]

Finishing in 2nd this year and ahead of Sloo was a solid ending to the A10 regular season. We got helped by a late loss by the Bills and also VCU losing to URI today despite dominating was a surprise, although Im not sure it really made all that much difference as we would have been #3 playing #2 Sloo in the semis anyway.

We lead the league in scoring and we have perhaps the best pure scorer in Gemelli, but I have concerns about our goal-scoring ability against the top teams in the A10 because we fumble too many Sheldon crosses.

We finished 8-2 but both losses were to SLU and VCU -- the two best other teams. We scored just one goal in both matches. Here were our results against the bracket:

#1 VCU (L 3-1)
#3 SLU (L 1-0)
#4 MAS (DNP)
#5 SBU (W 3-1)
#6 URI (DNP)
#7 RIC (W 3-0)
#8 SJU W 3-2)

So against the other 7 teams we were 3-2 and failed to beat any team that finished higher than #5 in the A10 standings and only one team in the Top six. I don't know what everyone else's pods looked like but Im not sure ours was the toughest. That said, we had to play both SLU and VCU on the road and maybe we at least get a tie of out of one of those if at Baujan.

I think we can handle Richmond, but I just dont like the matchup vs SLU in the A10 semis. They have our number and though based on stats we played them even and maybe also even in the run-of-play department, its been a while since we've won these type of matches to the point where nobody on the team knows how. Sloo doesnt have that problem. We saw this for years with UD under Tucker -- knowing how to make the big play in the A10 tournament by leaning on experience. Sloo finds ways in the last 15 minutes to exert their will on us.

VCU will wax SJU so they will host. I dont see us with any chance of hosting the tourney by virtue of a UD win and VCU loss. The good news is the SLU game would be neutral-field so that might help us a bit.

Just not sure we can score on SLU. They have the best defense in the A10 and we do NOT finish enough Jess Sheldon crosses inside the box to give me a confident feeling. If we were pretty good this year at winning those in-swingers and putting them on frame I could see us knocking one in, but if you want to beat SLU you usually have to beat them 2-1. Getting two goals on the Bills when they give up 0.6 goals a game -- that's asking a ton. Just not sure we're there yet with the way we finish against the top defenses. Bonnie and GW are not Sloo and VCU. And VCU handled us pretty easily in the lone matchup.

We shall see however and hope springs eternal. I agree we're playing better than earlier in the year when we left 2-3 results on the table. I will be at the A10 Quarters pulling for them. After a relatively disappointing non-con, we grinded out some tough Ws late and that's a sign of getting better.

On another note, some All A10 predictions:

First Team: Gemelli (OPOY, better PPG than Torres and on better team)
Second Team: Sheldon, Yaiza, Huber
All Rookie: Blain

I like what Hegg has done all year but with Sloo and VCU defenses, it will be tough to put any UD defenders on All A10 teams. If we could finish Sheldon's crosses, she'd be leading the A10 in assists and a shoo-in 1st Teamer. Yaiza has been a little hot/cold this year but I think her work commands respect from others. Marlee Taylor's issue in getting any recognition is she did 85% of her work in the first weekend of the season.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	St Bonaventure SAINT BONAVENTURE Founded in 1858, St. Bonaventure University is a liberal arts college located on 500 acres in southwestern New York state. SBU offers 43 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are elementary education, journalism, psychology, accounting, marketing, finance, and management. Total undergraduate enrollment is 2,000. Virtually all freshmen and most undergraduates live on campus. A founding member of the A10 Conference. Famous athletes include Bob Lanier. Historical nickname was the Brown Indians, but later changed to the Bonnies. Their mascot is a wolf.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[soccerflyer]

Just a quick clarification, the VCU loss to SJU, as well as, the SLU loss at Rhode Island yesterday, seem to be some kind of an aberration or they may have been resting some legs for the A10s. Now we have seen numerous times the league leader having a letdown or trap game after clinching. It could be psychological. SJU and Rhody, fighting like hell for the last few berths, simply found another gear that could not be matched by teams that had little or nothing to play for. If either one had lost, they'd have been out and La Salle and George Mason would have been advancing, so it was very critical that both teams at least picked up draws on the last game of the season. I was hoping that VCU could join the rare ranks of perfect A10 teams, and perhaps get the rare second bid but ultimately they threw that away by letting the Hawks hang around.

I do think it is curious that the upcoming quarterfinals are repeats of recently played games as there is no better scouting report as having played an opponent last week. I also hope the neutral site (or home) helps our chances going up against SLU because they're going to have to travel. You can see how SLU plays a whole different brand of soccer at home vs. on the road where they are 2-3-0 in conference, with losses to Rhode Island and Duquesne as well as VCU. They seem to have a slight vulnerability away from Hermann which could give us an edge.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[SLUFLYER]

Adding to Chris's and soccerflyer's comments, as I think this tournament will be pretty wide open.

- Of the 4 quarterfinal matches, 3 are replays of games last week, in which 2 of those 3 were "upsets". One inexplicably at home by VCU to St. Joe's with a perfect A10 season on the line. (More on this game and VCU below)
- SLU lost 1-0 on the road to Rhode Island in the first 3 minutes of OT. A game that SLU thoroughly dominated, as RI only got two shots on frame. I'd be stunned if SLU doesn't take care of business on Saturday at Hermann. I'd anticipate a strong crowd, even with the students on Fall break. I anticipate being there myself.
- VCU losing at home on the final day of the regular season with an undefeated A10 season on the line. Chris suggested VCU dominated. Perhaps they did, I didn't see the game. Some stats might suggest they did, with Shots 24-10 and Corners 17-4. But SJU actually put more shots on frame than VCU at 7-5. I found that interesting.
- VCU in 10 A10 games played 8 1-goal games. And one of the other 2 was a 3-1 W over our Flyers in a game that was statistically even and had the Flyers on their heels early after a PK at the 10:00 mark. Since that Flyer game, they dominated Fordham (who didn't), they played Lasalle pretty even, didn't exactly overwhelm Davidson, and then lost to SJU. And before that stretch, needed OT to clip UMass, as well as 3-2 OT win over a poor GW team.
- VCU certainly remains the favorite and keeps home field if they beat SJU next Sunday. But this isn't SLU of last year. This should be a wide open tournament.
- Dayton at home vs Richmond. Dayton controlled last weekend's game, in a clutch road win that gives them an outside shot at hosting the tournament if VCU stumbles against SJU again. I'd give that maybe a 10-15% chance. But this is soccer. It's weird sport with weird results in seemingly uneven matchups. Should Dayton win and VCU lose, all bets are off and the Flyers immediately have a golden opportunity in front of them.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Fordham FORDHAM Fordham University is an independent Jesuit university established in 1841 as St. John's College on old Rose Hill Manor in the village of Fordham, then part of Westchester County in the Bronx, NY. The name Fordham is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "ford" and "ham," meaning a wading place or ford by a settlement. Rose Hill is the name given to the site in 1787 by Robert Watts, a wealthy New York merchant, in honor of his family's ancestral home of the same name in Scotland. The College was originally staffed by diocesan clergy. The name was officially changed to Fordham University in 1907. Fordham's 10 schools enroll 14,448 students. There are 7,652 undergraduates, of whom 3,842 live in University-managed housing either on-campus or in the local community. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams. Athletic claim to fame is consistent mediocrity in nearly all sports and few A10 title winning programs.

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[soccerflyer]

Originally Posted by Chris R VCU will wax SJU so they will host.

With Jerabek missing from the lineup, VCU is not able to find the back of the net. We are mere minutes away from the top seed losing.

[soccerflyer]

VCU goes down

[Chris R]

#1 goes down to #8 at home. Crazy! And Sloo escaped by the skin of their teeth today 2-1. Scored in the 86th minute to tie, then got a golden goal. Imagine if both #1 and #3 had been eliminated!

Huge implications however as the top remaining seed out of the Semi teams will host the A10 Tourney. If Dayton beats Richmond tomorrow, UD will host and their chances go up SIGNIFICANTLY to somehow win the auto-bid. Especially with VCU out. Sloo remains a big problem though.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

[SLUFLYER]

Originally Posted by Chris R #1 goes down to #8 at home. Crazy! And Sloo escaped by the skin of their teeth today 2-1. Scored in the 86th minute to tie, then got a golden goal. Imagine if both #1 and #3 had been eliminated! Huge implications however as the top remaining seed out of the Semi teams will host the A10 Tourney. If Dayton beats Richmond tomorrow, UD will host and their chances go up SIGNIFICANTLY to somehow win the auto-bid. Especially with VCU out. Sloo remains a big problem though.

SLU was dead in the water after RI packed the box with a one goal lead late.

SLU looked terrible most of the game. They have few finishers who can find the net, often taking terrible shots off frame. They had numerous corners that were embarrassingly terrible, one that actually triggered RI's breakaway goal.

two minutes before their tying goal, these were some quotes from the parents sitting around me:

"Well, at least we get our weekends back."

"Just not our year."

"Ain't gonna happen kids."

What a tremendous opportunity for Golz and the Flyers. To quote Herb Brooks "Now go out there and TAKE IT!!!"

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.