courtside Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 I know some folks have posted some of the fall schedule opponents etc...found some dates and times......the season's prospectus is at SLU.EDU site...schedule is not up yet. SLU v ND Fri Sept 1 at 7pm at IU Tourney. SLU v UCONN Sun Sept 3 Noon at IU Tourney. SLU v Santa Clara Fri Sept 8 TBA at Santa Clara SLU v Navy Sun Sept 10 TBA at Santa Clara SLU v Indiana at SLU Fri Sept 14th 7pm SLU v SMU at SLU Sat Sept 22 7pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 the men's and women's teams both added very large recruiting classes. Which SLU program added the most ready-to-play "talent"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 thats probably a question for courtside and maybe sluballs, I don't follow the HS much except what I read in the paper. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman and loyal subject of Billsboy and all ex D1 players and coaches everywhere. You da man Billsboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 18, 2006 Author Share Posted June 18, 2006 Apologies.... IU game is THURSDAY Sept 14th...not Friday 7pm at SLU....and SMU game is FRIDAY Sept 22nd at 7pm at SLU.....both obviously monster games....Mike Freitag(IU's coach, and native St. Louisan....gets geeked up to play at packed house at SLU...get their early for that one..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 18, 2006 Author Share Posted June 18, 2006 As some of you know....the pressure is on Donigan...make the tourney or likely be gone. He knows it, talks about it...etc...and he has the talent to get there. SLU needs to and should dominate the A-10, unlike this past year....SLU still was tied for first and lost in pk's in conf tourney title game. This year it is NOT at SLU like last year...it is in Charlotte...so tougher to win conf tourney... Winning against the A-10 does not spark a lot of college soccer interest. SLU MUST get early season results against the non-conference big boys. SLU will get ND, UConn, IU, Santa Clara, SMU....two of those at home...and have other non-conference games....but SLU needs wins and ties against these opponents. IU is absolutely positive loaded, as usual. Getting them at home.....I would suggest ANY person who has never been to a game to attend this game. It is a guaranteed packed house...great atmosphere...very high level college soccer. SLU must get at least a draw with them. My concern for the team is scoring goals....Dado Hemzagic will play up top more...and must score goals, period for SLU to win. Usually your first year is the BIG transition year. He should be much improved off of his all rookie conference selection. Patterson needs to be fit and contribute up top as well. Midfield will be solid...I expect some Frosh to get some time. Gasporovic must improve in his 3rd year. Angus and Ream should be controlling the right and left back spots. Ream should immediately play as Frosh back there. Benne needs to be healthy for once since his frosh year. If Grazier is healthy he should start in defensive mid, with plenty of solid midfielders for SLU, Sweetin, Aranda, DiRaimondo, the new kid from Dallas...etc...plenty of midfield depth. I would say two biggest questions are scoring goals and goalkeeping. Disbennett must be healthy and must improve. Donigan wisely added several other keepers this year. If can finish and get goalkeeping....they will do fine and be in NCAA and with weaker conference could get a home game or two etc.... If one or both of those areas fail...they will scramble to make tourney and start on road against tougher teams. Hemzagic and Patterson are huge keys....and if someone else can step up and score...the Ky kid or UMass transfer...or if Jimmy Holmes from Priory, who has great speed, great attitude and great effort can have a fast learning curve.....personally I think he will do great at SLU...but not until his last two years, maybe 3 years....I just think the transition will be a steep learning curve for him...which is zero knock on him.... Too many people underestimate the learning curve from high school ball to college ball in soccer...or in any sport....take SLU hoops...it took half the season for the the highly touted Frosh to learn through experience....and improve dramatically....soccer is no different....people get spoiled with occasional Ibisevic type player...they don't come around every year.... I think SLU men will do well and make tourney, and lose in first round or win up to two rounds depending on draw. They absolutely have to get results vs IU and SMU....and a couple on road.....if they for example stumble at home to an IU....etc...which is no shame at all.....they will need to beat an ND or UConn or Santa Clara at neutral or road environment. A few years ago SLU got early season wins at Clemson, Virginia etc....which help put teams in good rankings early....then it is tough to stumble out....need a couple of wins and also a few draws....to have solid resume heading into conference...and frankly they need to dominate their conference with greater margins of victory at home...and keep a clean sheet on road with close wins and draws. SLU women are in better spot right now....SLU finally turned the corner a little bit last year...They should be a an annual NCAA team at this point....I know they have some high level recruits this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Is SLU playing in SMU's tournament again this year. I thought that was an annual thing for SLU. I went to SMU and watched them spank SMU last year (after that game SMU didn't lose again and went to the Final 4). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUBALLS Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Holmes broke his foot at some point in the last few weeks so he'll be working on that this summer. Hopefully he can make as quick a comeback as Wayne Rooney. Courtside nailed everything. Figuring out who's the go-to guy up top will be critical. I think our defense will be solid and experienced, even if Ream steps in to start. Having Grazier out there provides another leader up the middle and an excellent ball winner and distributer from the back. I hope Matteson can make a quick comeback as well after his surgery and if not, hope this Aranda kid is all he is cracked up to be. Matteson is absolutely the leader of that team right now. I'm not sold on Patterson and have yet to see what others have seen in him; I seriously hope one of these goal-scoring freshmen - Holmes or Wysenski(sp) - can make a rapid transition to the college level. But again, as Courtside said, that transition is very tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 There's no doubt in my mind we can contend for a National Championship. We have the team to do it. It's now or never for DiRiamando's class to make their mark on our program after being so highly touted as freshman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 In case there is a small chance someone who doesn't follow soccer reads your post and believes the info....First, one class doesn't make a championship, 2nd a few of those highly talented players left after their Frosh and Soph seasons to play professionally....and last...class rankings are only good on paper, in any sport. SLU will field a competitive team that will be expected to make the NCAA's. Going anywhere with this team this season deep into the NCAA's is not expected by me based on what they have vs other teams. SLU making the NCAA's this year is no lock either...however it will be expected regardless of the level of talent on the team. My expectations....are for SLU to make the NCAA's....and after that it is likely they will get bounced in round 1 or win 1-2 games. Anything more than that would be a pleasant surprise. A lot of very strong teams out there in better situations than SLU at the moment. We'll see how they do against some of the big boys in Sept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecrewfinance Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I think it will help both DiRaimondo and the team as a whole if Johnny can stay in the midfield, instead of sticking him up top again; I think he's more involved in the game if he's allowed to play some defense. That sort of style allows us to have another creative midfielder with speed; hopefully he can make great supporting and outside runs, like he's been known for in his first three years here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 As for the women's team, the P-D All-Metro team was announced today - SLU has locked down almost all of the seniors and has a commitment from the Player of the Year, who was a junior. We also signed a second team All-Metro player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slubaseball42 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I think those expectations are quite low for this particular program. I miean they are playing on THE best field in the Midwest and one of the best in the country. Also, with ther being no football the focus is on the soccer team and the attendance is continually the top five in the country. This is a soccer city and there should be no reason for us to be legit contenders for the national title year in and year out. I have been removed from the university for a year now, what happenned last year? has our talent level fallen from the Brad Smith, Will John, Jason Cole years? Are we even close to being back at that level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 That's awesome for a program only 11 years old!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 21, 2006 Author Share Posted June 21, 2006 Bluecrewfinance.... The goal is to have Dado Hemzagic play up top alone or with Patterson, or whomever else emerges. And I loved the troll in this thread with the Brad Smith comments...he had a nice career as Mizzou's QB. Good luck to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecrewfinance Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I understand the goal, but last year's goal was to have Johnny D play up top and relinquish his midfield responisbilities; really, I'm agreeing with putting Dado up top-I think it'll benefit the entire team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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