OkieBilliken Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 @courtside that upcoming game against D3 Blackburn (1-9) isn’t exactly going to turbo charge our RPI. WTH were they thinking scheduling that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 1 hour ago, OkieBilliken said: @courtside that upcoming game against D3 Blackburn (1-9) isn’t exactly going to turbo charge our RPI. WTH were they thinking scheduling that? Friends of the program. Starters will get about 20-30 minutes. It isn’t going to hurt the RPI, which is fine. It’s a little bit of a reset, evaluate more players outside of training etc.. If it makes you feel better, some other schools do it too. Indiana plays D-3 Trine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 TDS Midseason Top 100: Max Floriani. Diego Konincks. …………… TDS Freshman top 100: Carlos Leatherman. …………… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 NCAA Soccer released its top 16 seeds through Thursdays results: 15 out of 16 are in the RPI top 16. They swapped out the 14 for the 18 team. SLU’s RPI is 23. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Major result for SLU's A10 title hopes. UMass is going to knock off Davidson. OkieBilliken likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieBilliken Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 1 hour ago, billikenfan05 said: Major result for SLU's A10 title hopes. UMass is going to knock off Davidson. That is good news! SLU has big job to do tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 7 hours ago, billikenfan05 said: Major result for SLU's A10 title hopes. UMass is going to knock off Davidson. 6 hours ago, OkieBilliken said: That is good news! SLU has big job to do tonight! Missed opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 Offensive juggernaut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 SLU 0 Dayton 0 SLU 4-4-2 Dayton 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 4-2-3-1. Defensively it was SLU’s 6th shutout of the season, matching last season’s total, and one shy of the NCAA Quarterfinal team of two seasons ago. With CJ limited in off the bench minutes, SLU decided to play 2 forwards with mixed results. SLU was fine with the exception of about 20 minutes later in the first half, where there was too much containment and space given. Dayton was content to hit 25-30 yard shots, most of which were harmless other than a few. Very few it any shots or high level chances for UD inside the 18. Instead of switching to a 4-3-2-1, SLU kept the formation but changed its positioning within it. It cut off the backs to wing diagonal runs. Center Backs stepped through. Speed on the wings to pinch the middle but also deny wide. Strong game for Carlos, and the back line. Dayton did a good job disguising its formations and changing them within the game. But SLU made adjustments against that. Lots of opportunities for SLU within the 18 in the first 10-15 to get an early lead, and in the final 10-15 for the game winner. A point out of first, with one league game left. RPI is 31. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 FYI, about a hundred kids in their Scott Gallagher jerseys here at the game cheering for Jack Mika every time he touches the ball, and chanting “We love Mika!” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 3-0 Billikens after 20 minutes 7 shots for SLU, none for Blackburn. Looks a lot like a women’s soccer game honestly, total domination by the Billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 And as I got done typing that, I missed the 4th SLU goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenbill Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 On pace for a 16-0 shellacking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 Now 5-0 with 11 minutes left in the 1st, you’re not wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 6-0 4 minutes left in the 1st, no shots by Blackburn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 25, 2023 Share Posted October 25, 2023 8-0 final score, 31 shots by SLU, 20 corner kicks, Blackburn got off 1 shot with under 2 minutes left, that was their total offense. Game did not look as close as the score and stats would indicate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieBilliken Posted October 25, 2023 Share Posted October 25, 2023 Shocked looking at the latest poll and saw a nearby school is #1. UCF has never been that strong. They had to move to the Sun Belt, because their new conference doesn’t even play soccer. Their women were always good. I think Michelle Akers played for them back in the day. Looking at their roster it’s almost entirely international. Some of those dudes look pretty old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted October 26, 2023 Share Posted October 26, 2023 18 hours ago, OkieBilliken said: Shocked looking at the latest poll and saw a nearby school is #1. UCF has never been that strong. They had to move to the Sun Belt, because their new conference doesn’t even play soccer. Their women were always good. I think Michelle Akers played for them back in the day. Looking at their roster it’s almost entirely international. Some of those dudes look pretty old. UCF is good. Their Men’s team essentially swapped one good league for another. Sun Belt is filled with some Men’s teams from Power 5 leagues. Big 12, SEC, don’t have Men’s Soccer, and some in the Pac 12, Big 10, ACC don’t either. League affiliation is less of a big thing in Men’s Soccer than it is in Women’s Soccer. It’s much bigger in Women’s Soccer. In Men’s Soccer Different schools roster build, in different ways. There are a variety of ways to be successful. UCF was ahead of the curve starting a Women’s program in the early 80’s. UCF has done well to hire coaches to keep it going. The Women’s side has a national team connection, as they train nearby often. The Men have had about 4 small pockets of a handful of years success at a time going back a few decades. Considering their current resources, this is a good time for them. And they have been having success. The UCF Men will be a top level seed this year. And the Women are on the bubble. (They’ll need a win over a good TCU team next week to get in the NCAA Tourney their first Big 12 season.) SLU Men regularly schedule a handful of AAC teams. UK for now is the only Sun Belt team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 We end up the #2 seed in the tournament, hosting #7 UMass on Friday, Nov 3rd at 7pm. Tournament reseeds after the first round is completed, so while we don’t know who will be next, we know we are guaranteed to play a second home game if we win the first game. We didn’t play UMass in the regular season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 SLU 3 Saint Joseph’s 3 Wild one in Philly. Traditional 4-4-2 for SLU. (2nd straight game), but with a twist. At times it was a 4-3-3. Townsend at right wing is a natural defensive midfielder, and played deeper while Seth played higher on the other side. First start up top for Tanner with CJ. 4-4-2 for Saint Joseph’s. SLU free kick. Johnson forces turnover to T Anderson. Townsend to Tanner header, and a full extension by Jackson, left hand diving save, in the opening minute, to keep it 0-0. Several other very early chances for SLU, including Redmon on a ball reversal, as well as S Anderson to Coppola middle of the box as a target, turn and the shot went through the legs of Jackson but kicked out off of him wide. Saint Joseph’s first goal came against the run of play. A nice long ball up the line from Braendvang. Johnson service to Driehhuis who sprinted in between two SLU defenders to get a foot on it near post. Too much zonal marking there with a few defenders caught up higher. Foot race down the line and across the middle, half step slow on both. Lots of other good buildups for SLU without connecting the final play. Set piece service wasn’t sharp. Saint Joseph’s third goal came later. Right wing forced turnover and transition, led to a nice combination play to win a corner for Saint Joseph’s. The ensuing SLU clears were multiple headers straight up in the air, but sent back in for pressure. SLU ground clear to opposing player sends a 1v1 on right wing for the cross which was low and slow pulled back to top center of the box for the finish. 6 different players didn’t do enough on the play. But biggest were right wing defending and man marking in the box. 2-3. Hood in the back side middle from Braendvang. SLU was able to equalize late with more pressure, and salvage a draw in a game they outplayed the opponent but had a few sloppy moments. Right side short throw in from Flynn to Seth, who get around the defender and his near post service to Wrobel was knocked away by the keeper. But Tanner was there to knock in the rebound. 3-3. SLU put on even more pressure after the third goal but ran out of time for another. ……………… A few small things of center backs covering wings with outside backs and dmids caught up, and just a few failed clears for a few chances. Central defending was good. Seth and Mads provided good runs from the wings. Tanner did well at times with his chance up top. ………………. 5 NCAA Tourney bubble teams in the A10. Opportunity for SLU to host 2 conference tourney games and maybe 3 if they can win the first 2. …………… SLU RPI is 32. ………….: Friday night at home. ………….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 Scouting UMass. UMass likes to play a 4-2-3-1. I expect SLU to play a traditional 4-4-2 that they began the season with and have gone back to the past few games. For a long stretch of the season, SLU played a 4-3-2-1. Alec Hughes is one of the best scorers in the country and he plays up top. At times UMass will concede possession, allow opponents to knock it around East West and play for counters and transition. And this can look like a 4-5-1 where they collapse the middle in the final half or third. The approach is to get the game to open up where 50/50 balls are turned into transition. And eventually this will likely happen, as their other approach is to pressure high in the final third. Neither team is a build from the back methodical possession team. Until that happens, use the width of the field out of the back to the wings on the sideline for target through balls to forwards and combination play in the corners. Moving the defense East/West with long diagonal balls can also be effective. Keep the ball away from Hughes as much as possible. The ball finds him inside the 18. Keep him isolated. He’ll at times be supported by Zielonka and Rojas with combination play in the middle. Good set piece game opportunity for SLU. Max near post combos to the back post. de pa Croix-Vaubois is their left back and long throw in player for flick ons in the final third. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 Weather is good at Hermann, oneards to a Billiken Victory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenbill Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 First 20 mins. seem to indicate that the first team to one wins. Both offenses are stymied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 Abonnel made a good save to stop a breakaway. Not much on the corner kicks from the Billikens, Chris Allen needs to draw up some set piece plays for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 0-0 at half, 2 shots each, 3 corner kicks for the Billkens, that’s it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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