courtside

SLU will be playing in the 3rd annual Spring Cup. (Michigan State and Xavier are past champions) SLU committed prior to the holidays. But now all of the teams and groups are set. Spring Cup has been a 6 team round robin tournament the past two Springs. The event has expanded to 12 teams this year and 4 groups. Group 1: Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio. Group 2: Kentucky, Louisville, Xavier. Group 3 Iowa, Saint Louis, Missouri. Group 4 Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame. ……………….. Past school participants have included: Ball State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Dayton, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Ohio, Xavier. ……………….. Different Women’s and Men’s teams have been playing mini tourneys in Spring Ball to make things a little more interesting and fun.Spring games sometimes get canceled as well, so it’s good to be locked into an event. (Last Spring SLU was supposed to play Wisconsin and Mizzou for example) ……………….. Last year’s event went from later March through later April. It was moved back from the earlier Spring start the year prior which began in late February. ………………

Ahead of tonight’s deadline, there are 210 players registered for this week’s NWSL draft. Notables: SLU opponents: Asman (Penn State) Augur (Georgetown), Bagley (VCU), Donley (Dayton), (Penn State), Folino (BYU), Kaufusi (Utah State), Leas (Georgetown), Linnehan (Penn State), McCarthy (BYU), Mozingo (BYU), Riley (Georgetown), Seelenfreund (Brown), Shepherd (BYU), Smith-Griffits (BYU), Terrell (Creighton) Vaka (BYU), Wade-Katoa (BYU), Webber (Indiana), Wiesner (Penn State). 13 other former opponents registered for the draft from Arkansas, Notre Dame, Memphis, Rutgers, and a few others schools. Sam Cary (Iowa) is registered. (from St. Louis) Eleanor Dale (Nebraska) is deciding between Manchester United, West Ham, Aston Villa. Brittany Raphino (Brown) is deciding among teams in five countries. 5 of 6 All ACC defensive players from Clemson. (Morrison, White, Mackiewicz, Hershfelt, Conti) The 6th Freshman Davis will return to Clemson. Jennifer, Onyi, “Joe” Echegini won the Mac Hermann Trophy this past weekend. The Florida State winger/forward signed the day before to play professionally with Juventus. Amsterdam>London>Starkville>Tallahassee>Turin

Yet here you are just like those same few people. You’re going to tell me how much you don’t read what I post by responding to what I post.

I didn’t say whether or not any of those coaches were seeking a job. I did say that my post was not about choosing SLU’s next coach. I do appreciate you illustrating the grand canyon sized reading comprehension problem with the board. How does that work? People read something, then they fabricate what they read. When they repeat the new fabricated meaning, that doesn’t make it any more true. That sounds like politics. Some people are taking something very simple and making it much more difficult than it needs to be.

No Roy. I told a few people that if they want more information, which they apparently do, they need to be more decent and respectful. I also offered to everyone else that they could message me for more information.

Some people here are frustrated because SLU Athletics repeats its some of its same mistakes and failures without changing their approach. Sounds like your posts. Same failed strategy and same failed material. Sounds like you’re tired. Unlike SLU Athletics, the solution is much easier and much less complex. But the same few people can’t get out of their own way and be decent and respectful. Group social validation must be a powerful drug. It’s funny how I receive a much different tone when some of the same people message me away from the group forum, asking me what’s going on with the basketball program.

I would have eventually posted the answer key and explainer, but after your post, now I won’t after your post. You may want to try a different strategy. The troll/bad post buttons no longer exist because the board moderator removed them. This was at the same time after you spent months clicking the troll post button on all of my posts regardless of content or topic. Those buttons were’t a good idea for exactly that reason. Petulance, impulse control, and the inability to be decent and respectful are some of the reasons why you sit at the kids table. Sure money helps. But it’s more about the other things. Why is do you think I sometimes know things about SLU Athletics that others don’t know? Do you think it’s magic? It turns out that being decent and respectful go a long way Oh, almost forgot, you’d think a big Billikens fan like yourself would recognize the resume of a SLU Head Coach when you saw it. And for someone else who lives in Austin, TX, you’d think that person would recognize the resume of someone who coached there for six seasons.

Tell her yourself. Two more days left in Florida ,today and tomorrow at Lakewood Ranch/Sarasota. (230 teams. 426 universities) Otherwise, there’s another event in March in Bradenton. Some people who asked have their schedules of SLU commits and targets to see this week. Let me know if anyone still needs one.

It's also a good opportunity for Patrick's Olympic hopes, as the U23 Head Coach Marko Mitrovic, is on staff at January National Team Camp. And there are no other U23 keepers on the roster. Patrick had to miss the previous U23 call up in November as he was busy winning MLS Cup. They only took 2 keepers at that camp. There will be 2 more U23 camps before the Olympics. 13 of the players are eligible for the Olympic team. Slonina (only 19), Brady, and Pulskamp have been the other keepers in contention. Nice little few years for Patrick on top of all of his past prior successful experience. 2021 NCAA Quarterfinalist at SLU. 2022 MLS Next Pro Champion. 2023 MLS Cup Champion. 2023 U.S. U23 National Camp 2024 U.S. National Team Camp 2024 U.S. Olympic Team (expected) …………… Patrick is also being targeted by a high profile Premier League team as well.

Good luck to SLU alum Simon Becher as he moves to AC Horsens in the Danish First Division. (relegated from Superliga). New, American majority team owner, (Binnie family) will make a next season push back to Superliga with some new additions. https://x.com/tombogert/status/1742677399224099101?s=46&t=TsCCkuE48YmnkWfoKqc_Ng

Thought exercise for anyone. Without looking up or guessing names, take a look at the following career results from coaches with similar backgrounds. If something isn’t listed, that coach doesn’t have it. It’s just a quick thought exercise. There is no trick. None are suggested to be SLU’s next coach. Perception isn’t always reality. SLU for example had Ken Pomeroy Ratings ratings of 14, 19, and 35 in 2012-2014. SLU hasn’t had a KenPom season in the top 50 since, and, SLU has just one season in the top 60 since those seasons. For anyone unfamiliar with Ken Pomeroy Ratings, this is an explainer of what he does, this is a good explainer: https://www.onthebanks.com/platform/amp/2019/12/9/21002735/kenpom-rankings-explained-how-to-better-evaluate-rutgers-basketball-big-ten-ncaa-steve-pikiell Coach A: 8 KenPom top 50 seasons, 5 of them were top 20. 5 times won 70% or more of league games. 3 Regular Season league titles, 4 league runner ups. 9 NCAA Tourneys. 3 Sweet 16’s. 1 Elite 8. Coach B: 12 KenPom top 50 seasons. 7 were top 15 or better. 4 times won 70% or more of league games. 4 Regular Season league titles. 9 NCAA Tourneys. 3 Sweet 16’s 1 Final Four. Coach C 10 KenPom top 50 seasons. 4 were top 20 or better. 4 times won 70% or more of league games. 1 league title, 2 league runner ups. 11 NCAA Tourneys. 1 Final Four. Coach D 5 KenPom top 50 seasons. 0 top 20. 2 times won 70% or more of league games. 1 Regular Season league title. 2 league runner ups. 7 NCAA Tourneys. Coach E: 13 KenPom top 50 seasons, 6 were top 20 or better. 6 times won 70% or more of league games. 2 Regular Season league titles, 4 league runner ups. 12 NCAA Tourneys. 1 Sweet 16. 1 Elite 8.

https://theathletic.com/4052114/2023/01/03/marquette-shaka-smart-tyler-kolek/

For what it’s worth, “Front Office Sports” reported that Notre Dame is getting $50 million annually through 2029 from NBC. (This is in addition to their current $17.4 million annually from the ACC. Also below) https://frontofficesports.com/notre-dame-and-nbc-extend-media-rights-agreement-to-2029/ https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-leads-power-five-conferences-with-845-6-million-in-revenue-in-2022-fiscal-year-per-report/ Notre Dame has publicly said that it wants its TV money to be within $10-15 million annually, or striking distance, from the Big 10/SEC, where they can make up the $ difference. ND football games had some of the highest ratings of this season in college football. At midseason, only Colorado had more viewers. They had at least 5 top 25 (at the time) games through that period. (Nielsen)

Not at this time but that is always subject to change. For now, SLU has 2 incoming transfers and 10 Freshmen in the 2024 class for next season. The portal is a little bit like the Wild West. There’s a little bit of everything. Some players put their name in the portal and then remove their name. Those players either decide to stay or they don’t like what they see in the portal. Some players transfer after Spring semester. Some players already know where they are going before entering the portal. Some players visit multiple schools and then decide. I know one St. Louis Power 5 Conference player that is transferring to a different Power 5 league. It’s been done a while, but she hasn’t announced it yet. There are a few players still deciding. I mentioned above that Ella Rogers was on the move from Xavier due to their coaching change. She chose Arkansas over SLU, Kansas, and Xavier. She has two starting teammates on the move as well. Their destinations have been decided, but they haven’t announced it yet. So, there’s a little bit of everything with the portal.

Yes. December 1st.

Congratulations to former Billiken Mattyn Summers, who made her transfer to BYU official. She and her BYU team will visit SLU for a non-conference game next Fall. https://byucougars.com/news/2023/12/18/byu-welcomes-2024-transfer-mattyn-summers

Hopeful hire for George Mason. It's challenging to find better experience than the past two seasons with the 2023 National Champions, and a decade in the DMV region: https://gomason.com/news/2023/12/20/womens-soccer-george-mason-hires-national-champion-fsu-assistant-coach-aaron-brunner.aspx It would be helpful for the league to quickly improve the nine teams that hadan RPI worse than 200.

Xavier announced Dean Ward as their next head coach. Ward was the top assistant and lead recruiter at Dayton for six seasons. Prior to that he was on the staff of Brian Pensky at Tennessee for five seasons. Most recently Ward has been the HC the past two seasons at Lenoir-Rhyne, where his teams have had two league titles and two NCAA D2 appearances. Ward is well regarded in the area and region there. It will help with retaining some of their current commits/players. But as is the case with any coaching change, a few Xavier players decided to transfer with the coaching change. That includes holding midfielder Ella Rogers, who took a visit to SLU last week, but she eventually chose Arkansas for her final season. There has been some Jesuit school coaching carousel this offseason. (Boston College, Gonzaga, Xavier, Marquette) None of it will affect SLU. As has been the case in recent seasons, Katie Shields and Chris Allen have turned down interest from elsewhere.

Caroline will be playing her bonus 5th season at TCU. She has a good friend from home on the team. The Horned Frogs have made the Sweet 16 four out of the past six seasons and they have won multiple Big 12 Titles. They are in fact a “Mizzou Family” as her dad will tell you. It’s very common for 4 year players to play their bonus 5th season somewhere else. It’s very different from an underclassmen leaving to go elsewhere. Caroline gave 4 great seasons to SLU.

Guessing and speculation leads to mistakes and misinformation. (It’s a good thing I don’t read or post in the basketball threads much of the time.) Let’s not do that. If you want to know something just ask. There’s nothing bad going on here. Feel free to send me a message.

I mentioned in this thread on December 1st, that some of the 5th year players were eager to return, but, a few were reluctant, but willing to do so. A few needed to be talked into it. Regarding Carol, she has given SLU four great seasons, since returning from injury her Freshman season, to eventually start in the NCAA Tourney game that season. She has been an All Region NCAA player the past two seasons both up top and on the wing. She is top 10 all time at SLU in several categories in three plus seasons. A strong leader and mentor to many players on and off of the field, she is one of the pioneer KC recruits, more specifically, Kearney. She and her family have generously hosted the SLU team for events annually. She is to be celebrated as a Senior, for her many contributions to SLU. Carol made her decision already knowing where she is headed next.

FC Cincinnati has acquired former Billiken Kipp Keller via trade. And they have signed him to a 1st team deal. Kipp played at the same youth club team as FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan. FC Cincinnati was one of the best teams in MLS this season, and, they made the Eastern Conference Playoff Final: https://theathletic.com/5134894/2023/12/13/inter-miami-philadelphia-union-free-agency/

Pleased to say SLU has 4 players on the Top Drawer Soccer postseason top 100 list of players. The list is a combination of regular season and postseason. 56 schools are represented. Only two schools have more players on the list. (Florida State, Stanford). Lydnsey Heckel 18 Emily Gaebe 32 Hamnah Larson 67 Emily Puricelli 93 ……………. Gaebe and Heckel were also represented on the Top Drawer Soccer postseason Best 11 teams. This is also a combination of regular season and postseason. It’s based on a 3-4-3 formation. Heckel was named a top 6 defender nationally. Gaebe was named a top 9 forward. …………… Elsewhere: College Soccer News named both Gaebe and Heckel 2nd Team All Americans. 3 teams. 12 players per team. …………. Final SLU Rankings: Top Drawer Soccer 10 United Soccer Coaches 11 College Soccer News 14 ……………… SLU’s postseason RPI ranking of 10 matches their end of regular season RPI of 2022. SLU went 2-2-1 vs five RPI top 43 teams in the non-conference regular season. SLU added postseason wins over RPI number 38 and RPI number 12, while falling in 2OT to RPI number 4. Last season SLU went 3-1 against RPI top 60 non-conference regular season. ………….. https://x.com/sluwsoccer/status/1733976523734925645?s=46&t=TsCCkuE48YmnkWfoKqc_Ng There are no shortcuts. This photo was taken during the 1st half of SLU commit Rylann Law’s league game, while it was still sunny and 40 degrees. Not pictured, was the 2nd half when the sun went down and her team added two goals to win their game over KCA. Also not pictured. SLU commits Audrey Smith and Ava Rademeyer (temporarily out with injury) winning the next game after that over SLU commit Addy Lang’s team. (Hockett and Chier played the night before.) Congrats to Audrey, Ava, and their team for another undefeated season. They will begin their quest for a 3rd straight ECNL national title in Seattle in June. SLU was unable to make the Norco, GA, Nashville ECNL, and Orlando USYS, as they were both adding players and evaluating players locally and regionally at league games, showcases, and team hosted events. Congrats to Ashley Miller’s team for advancing in their USYS national playoff quest with 3 lopsided wins in Orlando this past weekend. Lakewood Ranch, FL is up next in January. …………….

NCAA Championship: Florida State 4 Stanford 1 5th minute great chance for Stanford. Short corner, point blank shot by Aikey over the bar. Slow rotation for FSU defending. Easily could have been 1-0. Stanford had another decent chance as well a little later. And that could have changed the game. FSU gradually began controlling more possession in the Stanford half. Their first goal was fortunate. Nesbeth forced a turnover snd she played it wide sideline ball to Olsson who was closely marked wide. But her service rolled all the way through the box to Dudley which was very fortunate. One cut inside, a foul and a PK. 1v4. Dudley perfect PK. 1-0 FSU. It changed the game. 24 seconds later and 7 touches later it was 2-0 FSU. Forced turnover, transition up the field, Nesbeth poked it back to to force the turnover, long ball from Gilchrist up to Dudley who lays it off to on running Brown to Echegini as she overlaps. Ball played back to Huff who chipped it over the top back to Brown who never stopped running. She buries it in alone from 8 yards out. 2-0. 24 seconds. ………… 2nd half ………….. Stanford was forced to play a way it doesn’t prefer, and which is challenging against FSU. …………. 51st minute. Stanford got one back. Aikey got past 3 defenders on a quick throw in towards the goal. She played it square to Kitahata who laid it off for Doms. Quick move and shot inside the 18, and Stanford had life 1-2. …………… 56th minute. Gilchrist to Huff to Dudley. Service far post for Nesbeth, point blank stop by Campbell to keep it 2-1. Stanford increasingly had trouble marking Dudley in space. …………… 58th minute off of an own 3rd throw in, Dudley plays a long ball over the top for Olsson 1v1 in space with Wesley. Olsson won the race, left side, far post finish. 3-1. …………… FSU has the size, speed, strength, athleticism to get past Stanford’s elite defenders in space. Vs BYU Stanford was able to stay compact with a leas and get strong help d. It was mostly Mozingo attacking from the wings and BYU possession the whole game. ………….. 61st minute. Gilchrist diagonal ground pass to Olsson cutting in on the wing. She got past two defenders and drew Wesley. But she calmly laid the ball off to Brown, running end to end again, near post, upper 90 finish. 4-1. ………… Echegini, Dudley, Huff make the offense go for Stanford. They are double trouble when they get Olsson, Brown, Nesbeth, and their center backs involved higher. …………. 84th minute. FSU wins a 50/50 ball, Olsson to Dudley, back to Olsson. Ball bounces uo in the middle of the 18. Echegini got their first to knock it. 5-1. Three Stanford players couldn’t clear. ……………

Last call for the College Cup Final Four. Come for the Cougs. Stay for the Seminoles. ……………….. Stanford 2 BYU 0 Two very early goals for Stanford. 75 minutes of elite defending of the best attack nationally. A plethora of BYU scoring chances. And, a little luck. Usual formations for BYU 4-1-3-2 and Stanford’s 4-3-3. Stanford is one of the few young teams to make a deep run in this year’s tourney. It’s mostly first and second year players after 5th year leaders, Doms and Wesley. BYU is one of the oldest teams, and they returned 13 players from their Final Four teams two years ago. 2nd minute Long ball over the top against the BYU press, from Brandt up to Aikey. 1v2 center backs. She split them, and she squared a pass to Montoya right top of rhe 18 1v1 with Peterson. Too much space given. Shot top bins far post. 1-0. 4th minute ground through ball from Wesley up to Doms who cuts to her right and rips it top left upper 90 from 25 yards. BYU plays only one holding mid and Shepherd struggled to get back in position and she gave the space. Perfect shot from distance. 2-0. Middle of first half. Mozingo made several right side diagonal runs. Fryer ripped one off of the post in the 22nd minute after forcing a turnover. 23rd minute Stratton on the ground up to Mozingo again, right foot this time, service to the 6 for Folino who headed it just beyond the post. Very close. 39th minute. Down the right flank past Doms and Brandt, cut inside the 18 but Wesley blocked it at the six. It was going in low far post. 39th minute. Vaka made a run all the way to the 30, slots a through ball to Walbruch who got past Evans, but again, Wesley’s help defense blocks a goal at the 8. Walbruch was an effective strong on the ball big target for BYU. 41st minute. Nice transition goal for BYU as Warner made a left flank run. Good work from Wade-Katoa in the middle of the field to play her in space. Through ball up to Bailey 1v1 with Evans edge of the box. She plays an additional through ball one time finish for Walbruch who split Wesley and Brandt. But the play was incorrectly ruled offside. It wasn’t close. Game changer. 57th minute Mozingo beat two defenders, cut into the 18 from the right side but Wesley again blocked the shot at the six. 57th minute. Mozingo again right side edge of the 18. Centers past two BYU players who can’t get a touch. Ball landed at the feet of Boren back post. She one times a shot under the bar and straight down from 10 yards. No goal. Didn’t cross the line. 78th minute. Walbruch missed a header just wide from left wing service. Caught Campbell off of her line. 87th minute, deep flank run from Smith Griffitts, service at the 6 for Walbruch. Shot blocked again by Wesley. Stanford blocked a lot of shots and they often got a foot on a lot of crosses. They forced BYU to best them wide. (and they almost did) They were not going to get best from 20 yards in their central defense. Great run for BYU, 2 Final Fours in 3 seasons, and, a lot of fun to watch. ………………… College Cup Final Four: Florida State 2 Clemson 0 ……………… A pair of 4-3-3 formations that at times look like 4-2-3-1. …………… Florida State, considered to be the best team this year, has a nice blend of players from Mark Krikorian’s tenure, and 2nd year coach Brian Pensky. Pensky inherited a lot, but he’s added some great pieces too. Recruiting is still elite. No team I ssw was unbeatable. But FSU was the best team I saw this season. This is Pensky’s 2nd season there after having success at Tennessee and Maryland. He inherited Brown, Olsson, Iwai, Echegini, Roque, Neebeth, Flynn. He added Dudley, Van Zanten, Gilchrist, Pais, and Huff. ……………. Good start for Clemson. Bornkamp missed a header. 16th minute. Roque needed a spectacular save on Davis. Nice combination play after the long ball to switch the field. Screen shot from left side 18. Clemson has a younger and less experienced attacking group outside of Bornkamp. So they need their outside backs, Davis and Morrison to get forward. FSU has Dudley, who may be young, but she’s the best Freshman in the country and is likely going pro. Elite size and pace and technical finishing up top. 24th minute Dudley square to Echegini. Through ball wide to Olsson. Service back to Dudley, she missed one that she’d like back, from inside the 6. FSU has a variety of attacking options, direct, wide, combination, isolation. Eventually one of them usually breaks through. They initiate physicality in the final 3rd. Clemson, to their credit, gave it right back in a very chippy 3rd meeting between the two teams. 38th minute. Set piece corner from Huff. Cleared to 30 yards out. But two consecutive half volleys, from Pais and Gilchrist, sent it right side of the box for Zipay with space who adds her own 3rd half volley upper 90 near post from inside the 18. Seemingly harmless play became 1-0, and essentially a 2nd 11 goal. Clemson needed to eventually open up their compact shape. They pressed higher. And FSU has lots of weapons in transition. Clemson tried to keep it compact and opportunistic with its back 6. Morris, White, Davis, Hershfelt, Conti. They were unable to get one on a few outside back runs and service. They did well at this for at least the first 30 minutes. ………… As the game opened up a bit more in the middle of the field, FSU added one in the 53rd minute. Midfield throw in for Morrison. Neabeth had a nice hustle play to step in front and volley the ball up the sideline past Morris to Dudley, who was marked by White. 1v1 in space mismatch. White is a good center back. But Dudley was able to make an inside move along the far sideline and make a long diagonal run. Help d was late on rotation. And Dudley buried it far upper 90 from well inside the box. 2-0. Tough ask for Clemson with their personnel and style to come back from 0-2. 66th minute. Another Morris run won a corner for Clemson. Davis service and Bornkamp put the loose ball just wide. Clemson just wasn’t efficient with 50/50 balls inside the attacking 18. 81st minute. It had been several minutes of the Back 6 for FSU then winning a the middle of field more and more. Brown, Iwai, Gilchrist etc…good combo play. Header for Brown saved right on. Another breakaway for Brown, via a great through ball from Nesbeth. Goal saver from Mackiewicz. The ability to play a wide variety of styles with premier athleticism and physicality, has FSU on the championship door step once again. They can play transition in space. They can play build from the back possession (their preference). They can press and then play back pass possession and re-press. They can do a lot of different things more than many teams. …………….