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 realdesire |
#101 | |||
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Posts: 7 09/13/09 02:42 PM |
Montclair State outshot Colorado College 25-11 but could only manage a 0-0 tie (2OT) today in Colorado Springs.
The tie snapped Montclair's 22 game regular season winning streak. They still have a 23 game (regular season) unbeaten streak going.
Last Edited By: realdesire 09/13/09 03:37 PM.
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lastguyoffthebench |
JERZGUY | #102 | ||
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Posts: 1557 09/13/09 04:12 PM |
I agree with you. 2-3-1 after 6 matches and 2-1-1 in region looks like a tough start...but I am betting who they have played will def make them a better
squad. I don't think any team in the NJAC would have seen a series of tougher teams b4 conference play has started once they finish up with Eastern Wed
afternoon. Looks like Calvin and CMU could jump into Top 25. I think its a fine line between scheduling soft and losing to a BS team or scheduling tough and
losing to a BS team...in the end, the team with the tougher OWP and OOWP will get in. I don't think RUC can even think about the dance...they need to
think about Eastern and Willy P.
I think Stockton could be scary good if they start filling up the net like they did against Albright. Stock/Swat will be interesting. Just heard they beat Stevens 1-0 at Swat. |
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njack08 |
Scheduling | #103 | ||
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Posts: 34 09/13/09 05:00 PM |
You better be a top 5 in the country team if u want to schedule tough teams like Camden did. I never thought that it was smart to do that because they were
a good team and not great. Killing your record and demoralizing your players never makes sense to me. Now it looks like they have to win the Njac to make the
Ncaa tourn and that is probably not gonna happen. It looks like they can say they played the best schedule, ok so what. Being battle tested and maybe
going to the Ecac does not make sense to me. Yea, I agree about Stockton. They If they get on a roll watch out but that game vs Msu is at Montclair. That
may be the best Njac game of the year. Stockton has the most players with playoff experience and that may help them.
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joseknowsbest |
#104 | |||
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Posts: 20 09/13/09 06:07 PM |
njack08 brings up a solid team and brings up a point that has been picking away in my head. If you were going to create your school's schedule what would
you rather have? RUC obviously has the toughest schedule, and obviously one that is grueling, but definitely battle tests them for the upcoming njac schedule.
Or you could go the Ramapo route and schedule a boat load of cup cakes and build your teams confidence. Personally I like the way MSU and RSC have scheduled
their year. Both have games that are winnable and maybe a couple cup cakes, but then they also schedule tougher opponents like Muhlenberg and Swat. I think the
mixture of both the tough ones and soft ones builds a team's character and prepares them well for the njac season.
I was thinking about it further and I am really not surprised with RUC's results. Each game they play is such a tough battle both mentally and physically that it is almost impossible for them to play up to their potential. I am not surprised that they fizzled out against Cabrini in that second half because physically a team cannot take on that work load without having an easy W in their schedule. Stockton last year for example had that very slow start where i think they lost maybe 3-4 in a row and they played a cupcake and spanked them. That started i believe like a 12 game winning streak where they never looked back. There is a strategical process I feel in putting together a schedule and I am afraid to say I think OZ missed it with this year's team. They cannot handle the gruel of their schedule, and I dont think it is reasons to do with talent, I think it is mental. You beat a team like Stockton and then look at the schedule and then have to play York? That sucks! If they make it through they will be the toughest team to beat in the njac tournament, that I can promise |
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njac alum |
#105 | |||
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Posts: 39 09/13/09 07:08 PM |
At this point in the early season, I think the top two teams are Montclair and Stockton and then everyone else. Although I picked my top 5 seven - ten days
ago, I would be very hard pressed to do that today. Teams I thought would be doing better by now appear to be struggling and teams that I didn't think
would be strong are doing well.
I'm going to wait until after the 2nd NJAC games to make anymore predictions because quite honestly I don't have a clue. |
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realdesire |
njac alum | #106 | ||
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Posts: 8 09/13/09 07:57 PM |
I couldn't agree more with what you said. Based on the outcome of the out of conference games played so far it looks like Stockton and MSU should fight
it out for top spot in the conference. With that said, the game at Montclair on Oct 17 could go a long way in deciding who finishes first in the NJAC. MSU
has a long home unbeaten streak. The last home game they lost was in 2005 and it was to Stockton!! There could be a lot at stake and a lot of drama going
into that game on the 17th. Of course, that is a month away and a lot can happen but the Redhawk's and the Osprey's have played the best and the most
consistent soccer.
RUC's games vs MSU and Stockton are at home which could prove also interesting...... |
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lastguyoffthebench |
Scheduling | #107 | ||
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Posts: 1558 09/13/09 08:04 PM |
I just had a long discussion about scheduling. What I have taken from the convo...It's an art and a science...an art that many coaches haven't
mastered and an art that either gets your team in the NCAA or doesn't. If you push yourself to the max and don't get there, so be it...if you
don't give yourself a shot to push yourself to the max, you never get better.
If you play no one, say 14-4-1, and you lose the NJAC tourney, you get no bid (ie- Willy P last year). You only give yourself 1 shot to go to the NCAAs...you can only win your conference If you play good teams, go 14-4-1, and you lose the NJAC tourney, you get a bid (ie- Stockton and RUC last year). You give yourself 2 shots to go to the NCAAs...win your conference and get an ATL bid/ To be among the top class in D3, you have to guage where your program stands against the elite...plus, players want to play those teams. Do you deserve to go to the NCAA's if you hide behind a soft schedule? After 2 ECAC's, a NCAA berth, and an NJAC playoff berth, why not challenge yourself. According to the RUC website, before the season began, RUC was 12-12-9 against top 25 teams and 30-4-2 against non top 25 teams in Oz's 3 years there... Here is an important question...is a team more confident after tieing Roanoke 1-1 or beating Staten Island 8-0. I am betting Camden players go on this forum...I would be interested to hear if they would rather be 5-1 before going into the NJAC having played no one or being 2-3-1 ready to show the NJAC what they are made of.
Last Edited By: lastguyoffthebench 09/13/09 10:45 PM.
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JerZguy |
#108 | |||
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Posts: 252 09/13/09 09:44 PM |
I think RUC scheduled too much and too fast... Camden is still an up and going program in the NJAC. I bet if you ask an outsider to name 3 NJAC schools they
will probably say Montclair, Stockton and Rowan University.
By scheduling and not winning those non conference games just proves that the program isn't quite where it wants to be...YET! I think Stockton and Montclair do a nice job scheduling their non conference games. They always have that 2 or 3 respected non conference opponents and then some very winnable games (which actually allows some of the younger kids the opportunity to play) I'd have to agree that it seems like Stockton and Montclair are the two front-runners for the NJAC this year...with everybody else a step or two behind |
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lastguyoffthebench |
Time will tell and other programs with tough schedules in 2009 | #109 | ||
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Posts: 1559 09/13/09 10:42 PM |
I guess the verdict is still out...and not trying to be biased at all.
It's easy to sit on here and discuss without knowing the inns and outs of a program and what they go through to get matches. I dont think RUC will get any more or any less recruits out of it...if they win or lose, they are still playing in CAMDEN. HAHA. The past 4 years RUC have won 57 games. MSU won 70, NJCU 63, Stockton 55, TCNJ 42, Rowan 38, Willy P 37. I wouldn't say RUC jumped the gun with schedule at all. MSU played in 3 NJAC finals last 3 years, NJCU played in 2, RUC played in 2, TCNJ played in 1 and Stockton played in 0. MSU in 3 NCAA tourneys, NJCU in 2, RUC in 1, TCNJ in 1, Stockton in 1. From what I was told, RUC tried to play a ton of 10-8 or 12-6 programs and couldn't get matches vs those teams (still over .500 but win-able games). They were not willing to play soft teams so they had to take it up a notch. If it worked for them last year and they got to the NCAA's, why not do the same. It either backfires on you or it doesn't (it has def backfired on TCNU and Kean past few years). If it doesnt work out for them this year, maybe they change philosophy. I think RUC comes from the Tom Carlin (Arcadia) school of thought when it comes to scheduling. Schools like Stevens and Amherst (who made the NCAA final 4) surely "could" have been on the outside looking in if they wouldn't have won their league bc there schedule was so soft...which is why Stevens has a much more difficult schedule now. I would think that they thought York and Stevens were their reach matches. Calvin and CMU were out of region- whatever happens happens. Noke, Eastern, and Cabrini were 3 teams they thought they would beat (0-1-1 right now- big time problem) that could all win their conference. Take a look at the schedules of these programs for 2009...TCNJ, Roanoke, NC Wesleyan, Muhlenberg, York (didn't win conference again last year and stole an at-large), Susquehanna. All very tough. Maybe we should start a thread with SCHEDULING as a topic and get some other opinions so that people that don't look at the NJAC thread speak up. Very good stuff to debate. |
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njack08 |
Scheduling | #110 | ||
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Posts: 35 09/14/09 03:54 PM |
Jerseyguy made a good point when he talked about the Msu and Stockton schedule. Pretty tough but not ridiculous. You say that the Camden schedule was
made this tough because of Camden's recent achievements? 57 wins in 4 years was basically middle of the pack of the top teams in the Njac. The Ecac
tourn is no great shakes and making the Ncaa tourn and getting blasted in the 1st round was ok but not a great accomplishment. There is a big difference
between challenging your team and embarrassing them with 4 or 5 butt whippings to much better programs especially when you have to play all the Njac teams. I
think the coach overestimated his team. They are good but not close to Stevens, York etc etc and that was obvious when they went to Swat in the final game of
their season where they were overmatched and dominated. Not bashing Camden - I just think that this years schedule will do more harm to the team than it will
help them. Again, I say tough but not ridiculous would have served the team better. Take out the 2 likely beatings to Stevens and York and you have a
challenging and and reasonable schedule. I may be wrong but even this early it looks like Camden will have to win the Njac to get to the ultimate goal - Ncaa
- and that is very very unlikely. We will see.
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lastguyoffthebench |
njack08 | #111 | ||
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Posts: 1560 09/14/09 09:49 PM |
No arguments here really, except for one...
Yes, RUC definitely did get pooped on in the NCAA game- no doubt about that. Swat was very impressive and totally flustered them. I dont think RUC strung 4 consecutive passes. This year Swat beat Stevens @ Swat... does that mean Stevens is going to give RUC butt whippin'? Yes, Oz overestimated his team... but that is just his personality. He loves pushing his team(s) to the limit and challenging them. Plus he thinks he is the man at FIFA, but he really isn't. If you have patience, try and play him sometime. You could run around the block twice before he has his tactics and formation set. Yes, the schedule will definitely harm them more than help them, but they are young. Yes, they will most likely lose to Stevens and York, but I do not see them getting spanked. ****I don't know how you can assume them winning the NJAC is very, very unlikely. Other than Montclair's DOMINANCE of late, the conference tournament has ALWAYS been a battle**** |
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njack08 |
Ruc will win the Njac ?? | #112 | ||
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Posts: 36 09/14/09 10:14 PM |
Lguy: I found a photo of you being interviewed and predicting that Camden will win the Njac
http://blog.kir.com/archi...ushi_in_Animal_House.jpg |
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lastguyoffthebench |
Kean/TCNJ...and Camden sidenote | #113 | ||
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Posts: 1561 09/14/09 10:32 PM |
Should TCNJ be playing Stevens and Messiah. Should Kean be playing Chris Newport and York? TCNJ hasn't won a playoff game since 2005 in the NJAC
(including a loss to Willy P 5-1 last year) and Kean hasn't been in the playoffs since 2006. I think TCNJ's schedule is tougher then RUC.
Something that no one has mentioned or commented on...RUC lost 2 staple players who were kicked out of school this past summer. I wonder what the impact of their loss was on the program. I asked for some RUC feedback and got none...maybe they don't talk when they are 2-3-1. Both players were starters and would have been All-NJAC players this year (Lanuoette and Dougherty). I think losing these 2 guys really impacted this team big time from what I hear. Doc really helped McGrory do whatever he wanted on the field and Lanuoette scored goals off headers and won a ton of balls in the box. I heard they let up 5 of their 8 goals on restarts and headers...with another 1 on a PK. On a positive note, I heard the Medaille (who tied York) staff thought RUC was excellent and was happy they didn't have to play them at the Cialella Classic this past weekend. I am still hoping that their slow start doesn't rock their season. Eastern and Willy P big matches and could be season changers this week... NJACK08- If RUC doesn't make the NCAA, it's not the end of the world...I don't think so...they only made the NCAA's one time since 1970...and that was last year. Just look at Etown...7-9-2 last year...5-0 right now. Look at Stockton not making the NJAC playoffs in 2007...didn't ruin them either...made the NCAA's the following season. I just can't wait for the NJAC regular season to start...records and stats go out the window...it's game time and their will be some epic battles this Fall. None of what we write means a thing...but it sure does pass the time as we wait to see these matches (I still need to go see RUC play) |
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lastguyoffthebench |
Priceless, njack | #114 | ||
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Posts: 1562 09/14/09 10:35 PM |
...butttttt, I was MUCH smarter than Bluto. My GPA was 0.8 my freshman year, as compared to his 0.0....
Last Edited By: lastguyoffthebench 09/15/09 11:17 AM.
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njack08 |
Just for fun, Bluto | #115 | ||
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Posts: 37 09/15/09 03:38 PM |
A few good Animal House sayings that could pertain to Camden:
Game plan for playing Stevens and York: My advice to you is to start drinking heavily! Believing that Camden will win the Njac: Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son!
Coach Oz to his team after the Wpu game: You're all worthless and weak! Now drop and give me twenty!
Coach Oz to the AD after a bad year: Hey, quit your blubberin'. When I get through with this baby you won't even recognize it. What a great movie / Good luck to all the Njac teams this year.
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lastguyoffthebench |
Or... | #116 | ||
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Posts: 1564 09/15/09 05:06 PM |
Dean Vernon Wormer: The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me. I bet that's what he says before tomorrow's game against
Eastern.
Dean Vernon Wormer: I hate those guys! Inspiration before Stockton match during the pregame speech. Boon (woodsy): I gotta work on my game. Otter (oz): No, no, no, don't think of it as work. The whole point is just to enjoy yourself. PS- He hasn't had a bad year yet so I doubt the speech to the AD has even been a thought (maybe this year)...believe he has more wins then loses against every NJAC coach except Sentowski (never beat him), beat Haines the most times with 4 (including 3 KO's to Stockton's seasons) and has never lost to Tony O (Kean), Gilmore (Rowan), Kevin East (NJCU/RUN), or Nazario (TCNJ) in 3 seasons.
Last Edited By: lastguyoffthebench 09/15/09 05:43 PM.
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BlueJayFan |
NOTE TO NJACK08 | #117 | ||
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Posts: 2088 09/15/09 07:56 PM |
Please read the rules of this message board, pinned above. Pay particular attention to the part about me being able to read posts to my grandchildren (who
actually now can read them themselves).
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njack08 |
#118 | |||
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Posts: 39 09/15/09 09:00 PM |
Ok Blue Jay. No offense was intended. I was running out of Animal House material anyway
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JerZguy |
#119 | |||
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Posts: 253 09/15/09 09:08 PM |
All in good fun BlueJay ( I think )
Lastguy... I don't mind scheduling a tough non conference schedule...but why so early in the year? Wouldn't you want to get that 1-2 wins under your belt. Certainly I believe that Oz overestimated his talent at RUC. Its a tough situation for the RUC players and coaches to be in entering the NJAC season... WIN IT or play in another ECAC appearance. It seems as though they have had alot of trouble controlling possession and simply putting the ball in the back of net. Eastern and Willy P are big games, this team needs to build some confidence. A loss to Willy P in the NJAC opener could potentially send this team into a downward spiral for the rest of the season It'll be interesting to see how teams like Ramapo, NJCU and Kean open up the season with the light non conference schedule once the NJAC conference games start up |
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lastguyoffthebench |
JerZGuy- Let's talk more about the NJAC | #120 | ||
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Posts: 1566 09/15/09 10:23 PM |
I think we are all beating this topic to a pulp. We can revisit after they play York and see where they stand then after a few NJAC matches...but I will finish
in saying this bout the schedule...
I can hypothesize the rationale bc I have had the discussion atleast 43 times...schedule tough, steal a few games, not blow any, be ready for NJAC. Unfortunately, like everyone has pointed out...they haven't stole a game and they blew one (Cabrini). Eastern and Willy P are huge and you are right...when you are used to winning and you don't, team dynamics can be effected. I don't think they expected Calvin to be so good (what NJAC team sees teams play from Michigan anyway) and they thought Cabrini was a good regional game against a team that was NCAA bound. The York RUC match was a good one last year...York was better for sure, but York did lose some kids (who I am sure they replaced) and they did a home and home with them from what I was told. I think they should have left Stevens off...but the players wanted to play the national runner up. It's the job of the staff to finish off the schedule, but if you were a player...would you rather go to Stevens or play Neumann? Any competitor would say go for it. Lastly, I think the NJAC schools joining the South region may have been a key player in the way they scheduled. Hard to be paired against those teams if you never play them. The only way the schedule kills them is if they get so beat up from out of conference play (like Kean and TCNJ did in the past) and then they dont make the NJAC playoffs. That would be tragic..but there are still 9 NJAC games to be played and I don't want to get ahead of myself. In the end, you either prove that you have arrived or you are still on the doorstep. Like everyone has said, I still think they are on the doorstep and maybe they took too quick a step to jump through the door. Remember to that CMU (now #13) and Calvin are out of region...so RUC is 2-1-1 in regional play. I think everyone forgets that. Teams that had 4-6 regional blemishes I think made the dance (just trying to remember off the top of my head). If Cabrini and Noke win their league, that helps RUC. Last year, they were 14-3-2 in region I think. I believe in what they do for sure and they have proved that they can play good teams and compete, but I am more interested in talking about all the NJAC teams and hearing people's thoughts on all the teams...not just RUC. I gonna try my best to get out to a bunch of matches this year in the NJAC. |
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