Thursday, August 20, 2009
Lady Gophers Soccer
The lady gophers start the preseason with a #18 national ranking. With last year's outstanding season behind them, and loosing many oustanding seniors, they may not be able to match last year's success. They should be a very entertaining team, loaded with local talent. Get out to a match and support MN's only D1 program! Click here for schedule
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1 – 200 of 1273 Newer› Newest»Anyone know what happened to the young defender from Cloquet? It appears she is not on the roster.
Check Gopher website for news regarding parking @ ELR...
Olivia Bagnall plays the full 90 in the first match as freshman and is not even mentioned in the Red Stars season preview for the lady gophers, time she gets some run
Maybe MDW should have talked her up?
They're ranked #19.
Game story and audio interview with Molly Rouse at insideminnesotasoccer.com
That was a nice way to start to the season.
Our backline did a solid job and our GK registered a shutout.
We got goals from 4 different players and assists from 2 others.
All the (healthy) freshmen and reserves (except backup GK) earned playing time.
The Gophers will face a tougher opponent, on the road this weekend , vs Georgia.
The Bulldogs are ranked @ 18, polled to finish # 2 in SEC, and have a Sr who just broke UGA scoring record.
Gophers in the Polls
NSCAA (Great Lakes) #05 Minnesota
NSCAA (National Poll) #17 Minnesota
Soccer Times (Top 25) #18 Minnesota
Soccer America (Top 25) #24 Minnesota
Here we go. Petty jealousy and the regular season hasn't even started.
Just throw it in the bag
gopher loss to georgia bulldogs
0-2
both goals in 2nd half
There goes the ranking.
I talked with a few of the lady gophers. They know they didn't play well in the 2nd half and they they struggled to create any consistent attack. They may not have the personel from last year, but this team will get better throughout the season. They will be a very competative side.
It is difficult to expect this years team repeat last years success. They are younger, but still very entertaining to watch and play up-tempo style soccer. If they can find some consistent scoring and can get better throughout the season they could still make the tournament.
Applause.... clap....and take a bow.... again this year MDW does it again, record of opponents presently, playing this year (26-27-11) lowest in the Big Ten. Record of non conference foes (9-18-7). Keep the Dakotas teams and mid majors coming to keep the hope alive till conference team play begins.
Gophers still manage to stay in two of the polls.
NSCAA (National Poll) has Minnesota ranked @ #19.
Top Drawer (NCAA Tournament Projection) has Minnesota ranked @ 36.
South Dakota State, Georgia, Tennessee, UW-Milwaukee, and Marquette are all tournament teams from last year, which is half of their non conference schedule. Could it be stronger? Sure, but I'm sure the travel budget makes it difficult for them to do much more than that.
It would be nice to see them add another stronger regional type team to that schedule (Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas) and maybe bring them in for the Gold Classic.
The Gophs are fine. Rather support our local girls than a bunch of football imports.
10:49 - if you don't like who the Gophers are playing, don't come to the games. It really isn't a big deal. They play plenty of good teams this year. 5 non-conference NCAA teams and 3 more conference NCAA teams. All with 90% Minnesota home grown players. It is also a reason that the gopher games average close to 1000/game. Georgia considered the Minnesota game last weekend a HUGE game for them, probably their biggest non-conference game. They have beautiful facilities, a really good team, didn't cost a penny to get into the game and still only about 450 fans including the band. For those fortunate enough to travel around the country and see other college venues, you will be hard pressed to find a venue as great as the Gopher's stadium AND attendance. There is definitely NOTHING in the Midwest that even comes close. So for the naysayers, travel around, get off the couch, see some other places and then come tell me the Gophers don't have something special right here. The grass isn't always greener....it definitely isn't greener than ELR's grass.
Godspeed.
I think Iowa State has just as nice a place to call home as Minnesota does, Creighton comes to mind as the best SSS in the midwest.
Agree Creighton is, but it's not natural.
such a huge difference between the two polls (Soccer Times & NSCAA) for a lot of the top 25. anyone have any thoughts?
Dollar night at ELR.
Gophers vs Volunteers.
Big Ten vs SEC Champs.
Come on out, the weather doesn't get much nicer than this for a night game!!!
12:11
Not sure why the difference in the polls.
Maybe who's doing the voting?
But to make it more complicated...
Here's a site that creates a "composite" from the four big rankings.
http://www.collegesoccer360.com/composite_national_rankings.html
Its too early in the season to get a feel for the rankings yet. Give it a few more weeks to let the teams all get weeded out who dont belong (Duke-USC). The week when conference starts is when rankings will become more stable.
A scoreless OT tie (vs. TN) and 4-0 win (vs. NDSU) for Gophers this weekend.
Goals yesterday from Clancy (PK), Rouse (x2) & Bethke.
Assists from Olson & Price.
Cat Parkhill gets another shutout and named a Big 10 FR POW.
Headed to Milwaukee on Fri and Marquette on Sun.
They need these wins.
give these girls a chance, they are young but have talent. Go Gophers!
Gophers still holding on in the rankings...
#23 / 25 (NSCAA)
#39 / 64 (Top Drawer)
Not Ranked (Soccer America)
Not Released (Soccer Times)
A 0-0 draw v Tennessee who was playing with only 10 players due to a red card and no coach the 2nd half. Should of took care of business.
Anon 3:12: AMEN
The Gophers will be fine this year. Why all the people trying to tear them down?
Support this team and all the local kids.
there are always a few who will be overly critical. on the other hand, there are always those who are "sid's" and are 100% rah-rah. there is nothing wrong with injecting a bit of constructive criticism if it is warrranted.
I agree the Gophers will be fine.
They have the talent and are close to finding the “chemistry".
I disagree anyone's tearing them down.
The TN comment was fair as MN missed several great chances that night.
This weekend is must wins for the Gophers.
Every result affects the RPI which is so important come NCAA tournament time.
The Gophers stock will rise a bit by putting Milwaukee and Marquette away.
These games are going to be lot of fun to watch given the rivalries.
MN has players settling into positions and they are due a goal or two.
I think MDW and crew come home with 2 hard fought wins on the road.
3:12- "should have taken"
After watching last night's game I think the Lady Gophers should be fine against Marquette. Nice to see them checking out UWGB/Marq game. Good Luck!
How do you know they were "checking out" the game?
Wow...a ton of ex Bangu kids playing big time minutes for the Gophers as well as a the other kids from Minnesota clubs.
It's great to see a great player like Cat Parkhill "stay home" to play for the Gophers.
Great to see these local girls having success in D1 over the past few years.
It is great to see all of our local girls having success at the Division 1 level.
Whether or not the Gophers will have as great of a run this year as last remains to be seen but early results are promising for this relatively young team.
MDW has done a great job rebuilding this program and getting many of the top players to stay home and play at the "U".
Keep it up ladies!
Today's match v Marquette will be a real test for the Lady Gophers.
Marquette is a strong side and will be a difficult match for the girls.
Gophers lost to Marquette 0-1.
It was a very even match...could have gone either way.
Does anyone know why L Hermann (Eagan grad) who played the last three years at N Dakota and would have been a senior this year is no longer on the roster?
Perhaps someone on the other DI thread might know the answer to this.
That loss to Marquette hurt....
Gophers dropped off NSCAA ranking.
MN now trails Iowa in Big Ten Standings.
Ouch...
i'll never understand these polls. why are the gophers ahead of iowa in the national poll, but behind them in the regional rankings?
If you double check the latest NSCAA Poll...
You will find MN has dropped off the National Rankings completely.
And they are now sitting under Iowa in the Great Lakes Rankings.
They really needed two wins this past weekend.
Here's hoping they rebound at home.
They are not only sitting under Iowa but also CREIGHTON!!! Go JAYS!!!!
socmom - yes, they have dropped out of the top 25, but they are still listing as the ninth next team by points. Iowa has no points at all. You would think that if you had more points on a national basis then you would be ahead of teams on a regional basis.
All that matters is RPI. All the other rankings are to attract attention to websites. Socmom is right. The Gophers need a quality win. They are 4-0 agains small conference teams but 0-2-1 against major conference opponents and have yet to find a goal. That will not cut it to make it into NCAA's. They are going to need to finish in the top 3 in the conference. I think they can do it but they neeed to pick it up.
Anon 6:05 is spot on.
Here's the link to a guy who runs an unoffical RPI report after every weekend.
He also explains and comments on the RPI system and how it's used to determine NCAA at large bids.
http://sites.google.com/site/rpifordivisioniwomenssoccer/Home
He has Gophers sitting at 53/54.
(According to his 2007 and 2008 analysis, no team with final RPI over 47/48 made it into the tournament.
In practical terms, the RPI is the deal breaker for teams who don't auto qualify by winning their conference.
thanks socmom, nice spreadsheet. imo, there is a long way to go and those rankings will change quite a bit (Villanova #3, UCF #5, ASU #10, Penn #11, etc..?). as the schools move into conference play the teams in the stronger conferences (ACC/Pac 10, etc...) will start moving up the list.
socmom -
Thanks for sharing the link to a great information tool.
The Gophers would have had a HUGE boost with a win over Marquette, or especially against Tennessee. However, it is only 1/3 of the way thru the season.
Bottom line, it will come down to how they play in the conference, pretty much like it does every year.
I am also not buying into the RPI data 100%. While I think it is one of the strongest resources to use, I think it is pretty easy to conclude the rankings (especially for the big 10 teams) is far from close to where they could end up at the end of the year.
Indiana #18 - much improved over last year but have played NOBODY. Literally, NOBODY. Those who have questioned Gopher schedules in the past....take a look the other big 10 schedules. some have VERY WEAK pre-conference schedules. Indiana could drop very quickly once they get into conference
Ohio State #34 - may be the most improved team - have done very well pre-season. really struggled last year outside of the PSU win. Interesting to see how they do in conference
Illinois - #42, much better than a 42 ranking, very difficult opening schedule, will move up
Michigan State - #46 - HAVE PLAYED NOBODY. But they are a very dangerous team. They have been trouncing weaker opponents pre-conference. but could drop off....i see them staying at about this place - #46
Minnesota - #53 - much better than #53 ranking, will need to do well in conference season but definitely have the team to do it.
Penn State #57 - MUCH better than this ranking. Probably will win big 10...but lackluster performances in the pre-season against tough opponents. I thinked it was mentioned several times last year....will Toney show up every game...she doesn't usually, but did against the Gophers last year. She definitely takes A LOT games off though.
Purdue #68 - very good team, much better than this ranking, will move up. was ranked as high as #7 in other national polls
Iowa #117 - much improved, scoring more goals this year, probably much better than this ranking, but will have a REALLY difficult time winning enough to get to NCAA'S.
Wisconsin - improved over last year, but still rebuilding
Michigan - way down
Northwestern - struggling pre-conference
CONCLUSION - RPI GOOD TOOL, BUT WAY TOO EARLY TO USE IT YET.
GOPHERS WILL NEED TO MAKE UP A WIN IN CONFERENCE SOMEWHERE TO REPLACE THE TENN/MARQUETTE GAMES, BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY WILL. FINISH THE CHANCES AND THE REST WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.
Nice analysis 12:43.
I agree it's too early to put much weight into the RPI.
However, come NCAA time, RPI is really important.
I'll go a step further.
I think the Gophers need to make up at lest one win with a B10 game ,on the road, vs IL, MSU, PUR.
I like their chances at home vs all their B10 foes.
It goes without saying, they must win both games this weekend.
gee i hope they win this weekend..Nevada? Montana?
12:43..As I understand your post, this is why the conference in general will hurt all B10 teams when it comes to RPI, most of the B10 teams have played NO ONE. And when and if MN beats Iowa, Ind, etc, it wont help the RPI. IL has played some good teams, PSU has played some good teams, Purdue has played some good teams, and beleive it or not, MN has played NO ONE besides TN and MQ. I think like the other poster, MN has to at least place 3rd. I dont see that happening. PSU, OSU, Purdue, IL are all the front runners. If MN takes one on the chin v NW, IA, IND, MSU or MI then they will really be in trouble making it to the big dance. Unless you win the conference, it is all about RPI ratings. MDW has to schedule better preconference games. Do a westcoast trip, invite UCLA/USC/Portland/Stanford up to play, do a few home/home away games. Tennessee is a ok SEC team, but the SEC is in the middle as conferences go. ACC and Pac10 rule, then the WCC and Big-12. UNC and UCLA both have the top 2 RPI ratings. The Big10 is behind the Big12 in RPI ratings.
Hmmm....call some of the best programs in the country and look for a game, I think you've got to be a little more realistic than that, I'm sure those programs can pick and choose who, when, and where they want to play. I agree that I'd like to see them play some better competition but I'd propose some sort of regional type foe from the Big 12, whereby you might be able to pick up a recruit or two in those areas. Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, or Kansas, then Kansas State/Iowa State as the last resorts. Granted it wouldn't vault you up the RPI like UCLA/USC/Portland/Stanford but it would definitely help more than Nevada and Montana.
Games Fri (vs NV) and Sun (vs MT).
On Sat the soccer team is being honored at TCF football stadium for last year's Big Ten Championship.
Go Gophers!
Good win for the ladies last night!
A huge win for the team. They could not afford to lose this game. Same can be said about Iowa, they were exposed. GG's controlled the whole game. Iowa has no speed.
They needed this one.
Here's hoping the Gophers take a little positive momentum into their game on Sunday.
Sitting on 2 Big Ten wins Monday morning would be really nice.
11:06 -
I think you are a little off. Iowa did have a little speed....WAY more than they have had in years past. Their centerback was as fast as almost anyone on the Gophers. In years past, Iowa played more physical and packed it in on D, but they attempted (with better personnel last night) to play with the Gophers and were eventually worn down. The Gophers just had too many weapons, especially on D, for the Hawkeyes.
Well, if you are saying that is speed, then I dont know what you will think when you do play a team that IS fast. I dont think Iowa had anyone on the field that was faster than JC for the GG's. Toney for PSU will run circles around the Iowa defense. So will IL's big forward.
Another thing noticed last nite, the GG's #8 looks like she gets confused on not really attacking, she was hanging back as the ACM and not really getting involved with any attack. There were a few times she was close to the 18 and she just didnt want to make any type of run. Maybe she is suppose to not get to forward, who knows??
how's gopher recruiting looking for the 2010's and 2011's? lots of good players out there. how's mdw doing?
Big Ten not getting any respect in polls.
I would like to see the BIG TEN and BIG 12 do the challenge each year like they have done in the past....this would potentially really help the big ten as they had a really good success rate against the big 12 (partially because the big 12 has struggled with the big 10 style of play). In the end, this would help the NCAA committee and hopefully big 10 as there would be a lot of head to head match ups to use in determining which teams get in based on similar RPI rankings. I think this could potentially help 1 maybe 2 big ten teams get the nod into NCAA's (i.e. Purdue beats Texas A&M this year AT TAMU...Purdue didn't get in NCAA last year because of RPI, but would have gotten the nod with a victory like this).
As for recruiting, who knows for sure, but from what I've heard, there are tons of great players from the 10 and 11 classes and they have virtually ALL been on the Gopher campus, some multiple times.
9:48
Here's the Big Soccer committment link (by college) for 2010 / 2011.
I'm sure it's not exhaustive but it gives you an idea.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=poknaL_RaORDOMcyz_riBDA&gid=9
MDW may have had all of the great '10s from MN on campus for a visit, but she only signed one. Any of the top five or six that went out of state would have made the Gophs better. Let's hope she does better with the '11 class.
Class of 2010 not a great one in MN, MDW justifiably held her fire. 2011 has several excellent players from a variety of clubs. This will be an important instate recruiting class for Gophs.
Technically a 2010 couldn't have signed yet.
ALL recruiting classes are important, especially in state.
For every 1 or 2 impact players that have left the state for other programs, Gophers have gotten 10-15. They can't get them all, but they certainly can recruit them all which they clearly have done.
I'm sure 4:56 meant "verbally committed".
actually 2010 had some very good players. good enough to go to FSU, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Colorado College, etc....
Agree with 5:51. Those 2010s will make an impact at each of those schools -- too bad its not at Minnesota.
Relax all. MDW has proven she can recruit. If she had felt there were many 2010's that could help she would have them. If she feels 2011 class is strong she will get most of the ones she wants. To the field a good weekend for Gophers. A win over an improved Iowa team and a tie at Illinois are two good results to start season. Next up the Badgers.
just because a kid is from here there's this provincial belief that they should play for the gophers. my guess is that mdw would have loved to have had cs, kk, ld, etc... but that they all most likely picked the school that they thought was the best fit for them - and there is nothing wrong with that.
My guess is that MDW recruits her needs and she is doing well and has successfully recruited most of the players she wants from this state and has been very successful with them. I expect that will continue. Interesting opening weekend of Big Ten play with some surprising results. A tie at IL is an OK result but would have hoped that scoring 2 goals would be enough for a win. The defense is not what it was last year, although some of that is because the midfield does not control play as well. Still 1-0-1 is a solid start.
its not the defense that is the problem, they have 2 really good players back there, its the midfield, they arent fast enough to check back and #8 isnt fast enough to attack. MN weakest link is the midfield.
At least give them credit for going forward and attacking and not just bunkering down. They outplayed IL Sunday, the second goal was a bad clearance and a heck of a shot. If they could have had better service from the flank they score another one
12:30
"Experts" can disagree.
Here's a Big Soccer post from Briane Moline (Moline's Musings) who contributes to Illini sports coverage @ http://www.illinihq.com/
from bmoline on BigSoccer
Re: Illinois 2009
Illinois 2 Minnesota 2.
"Rayfield's comments in the recap are telling.
Minnesota gave the Illini a lot of problems in the midfield today.
I was very impressed with how hard they fight for each and every ball.
The Illini struggled to match the Gophers' intensity."
Proving...
Everyone seems the game from a different perspective.
Let's just cheer for all our Minnesota girls NO MATTER where they chose to go play soccer! Reasons for not choosing one school over another are many, and hopefully for all of them great personal choices for the whole package. certainly all the teams are competitive and all will have goods days and not so good days. These are "people" playing, not robots. Just cheer them on!
I don't have a daughter on the team. Who cares about MDW. Let's support the current team. These girls can play. They've showed they have the work rate and focus to compete. The do need to have another MF step up and be a bit more consistent in the attack, if they want to make serious run, but the are fun to watch.
Lets be realistic NW, WI, and CC do not have top programs. FSU yes but NW WI and CC are not as good as the Gophers.
12:41, are you talking about soccer, athletic or academic programs?
But MDW would have loved to have landed CS.
They are far to predictable, this falls on the coach. They have the talent to break down teams and there defense is good enough to keep them in any game but they try and play "Minnesota Soccer" to often...which works well when playing NDSU and SDSU but wont cut it against top Big Ten teams.
an KK might be the best of the "K's".
7:47 agreed, MDW lost both KK and CS who are probably the two best players from MN in 2010.
But its not just MN players -- how can a program with such a "lean" current roster only bring in two players next year?
7:46 -
Predictable, yes, their Winning has been very predictable, almost as predictable as your fabulous spelling. Maybe MDW could hire you to write recruiting letters.
There isn't a coach in the country who wouldn't have wanted CS and KK. It is great for soccer in Minnesota to have players like them playing here for high school/club and if they stay and play for the Gophers, even better, but if not, best of luck to them.
But within the last 5 years, you can count on less than 1 hand the players the Gophers tried to recruit from here that ended up going to another program. It has been mentioned before, but kids don't just choose the program for athletics. There are a million other factors. But get out and see the other schools, see their styles of play, see their facilities. You will quickly find out the grass isn't greener.
In fact, drive over to Madison tomorrow.
Good luck GG's.
The MDW bashing is crazy! She brought the team back from the dumpster (did anyone remember the team she inherited) , won the Big 10 and reaches the sweet 16. The team is young but playing well, they should have beat Illinois (if you give the girl who scored the second Illini goal 100 chances she does not hit that shot again) and Illinois was a top 15 team to start the year. Relax, the 2010 group is not that strong anyway. Give this team a few more weeks and you will see that they will compete.
9:22 - relax. I don't think anyone is bashing MDW as she has done a great job. Most of the comments have to do with a couple of outstanding players who went elsewhere and IMO there is most likely absolutely nothing MDW could have done about it.
9:27,
I agree completely. My nephew was offered a football scholarship from the "U" about 9-10 years ago but he wanted to "get away" to a different part of the country for his college experience. He ended up playing for Colorado. Many kids feel the same way about getting out of their home town for college life.
Others also look at what the school has to offer academically. I'd much rather be looking for a job with a degree from Northwestern for example than from the "U".
Different strokes for different folks.
There are a million other factors. But get out and see the other schools, see their styles of play, see their facilities. You will quickly find out the grass isn't greener.
In fact, drive over to Madison tomorrow.
Good luck GG's.
30/9/09 11:26 PM
isnt greener else where?? You have got to be kidding, maybe you should go watch other venues and YOU will notice how much greener it is during Nov-March. This is a joke post right? have you been to Austin,TX, Portland, Miami Beach, Davidson,NC, West Coast campus's, UDub in Seattle, etc. Heck, even UNLV has a better campus.
11:02 -
I have been to almost every single one of those places.
The topic of conversation was players from Minnesota going to other programs outside of the state. Tell me one player from Minnesota who has been recruited to those programs or was actually considering and comparing MN to those places.
I wasn't saying UMN had a better campus. I was talking more about the soccer - facilities, style of play, quality of team, atmosphere, etc.
And Campus wise, yes UMN is better than some of the ones you listed.
UMN doesn't recruit against those schools. They recruit against other Big 10 and midwestern schools. And if you compare to the normal competitors - Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, Norwestern, Creighton, and others, IT ISN'T EVEN CLOSE.
Sure, great players from Minnesota will always consider the option of playing south where the grass stays greener longer.
But when push comes to shove, especially for a young female leaving home, the pros of staying close FAR out weigh the pros of leaving to go south where their parents will never see them play along with a lot of other reasons.
So thank you for your comical, hastily written, comments.
11:26 was referring to green grass as metaphor. 11:02 had me laughing until he/she kept going and it became clear that he/she wasn't joking.
Anyway, no problems here with MDW, or her loss of players to WI, FSU, NW,and CC. The GGs are doing OK and kids have varied interests. The issue is, if you have a small roster and you lose your in-state talent to others, shouldn't you find some out-of-state talent to fill in? Two 2010s? Thats it?
I agree with 11:50's second sentence in the second paragraph which makes this conversation pretty much a mute point.
Agree that other than CS no real can't miss players in 2010 class. Another reason though for MDW to go light in this class is that she has a large junior class. It makes sense to replenish with the stronger 2011's that would come in after the current juniors graduate.
12:19, you missed the player that will have the most impact out of 2010s, and you are also wrong about the mediocre 2011s. But that is beside the point -- the real question is how can every one of last year's loaded final four teams reload with at least six new recruits (year after year), while a much shallower MN team only adds two? Looks like a step back from the competition.
what every one seems to forget is that a D1 only has 14 full scholarships. that averages out to 3.5 per year and can be sliced up in whatever manner the school sees fit. it may have been as much not having much to offer. there are lots of variables. my hunch is that i agree with 9:50. i doubt MDW didn't pursue them, but they just chose what was the best fit for them.
1:05 -
No, actually it looks like potential scholarships are being held back to be given to a much deeper 2011 class.
Additionally, just because one website has 2 commitments going to Minnesota doesn't mean that is all that are incoming.
Finally, the Gophers have been just fine with the # of subs they have used so far this year. Picking up 2 more for next year is only going to add to it. And currently, I believe the Gophers have one injured player who will be ready to play next year.
I agree with 1:05...UNC is bringing in studs every year, UCLA, Stanford, Portland, anywhere from 4-8 players. All players that are highly regarded as 4 star players. And how can anyone say its a bad thing for a home grown talent to leave the state. Is it about them or is it about Mommy and Daddy being able to go watch them play every weekend?? The pro's of a home grown female player staying close is because they arent a 4 star recruit and they arent being recruited for the UNC, A&M, FSU etc. So, they do end up stayin close to home. Nottin wrong with that!! On the current GG squad, I only see 2 players that can be able to compete for playing time on a top 10 program, and they both play in the back line. Deal with it
1:34 is right. sometimes the truth hurts and sometimes the choices you make have as much to do with the options available.
1:34 -
Deal with what, the fact that GG's aren't near the players as what UNC and Stanford has? That wasn't all that profound of an observation.
UMN just has a bunch of average, no one ever heard of players, who are going out and dominating blue chip recruits on a weekly basis.
How....heart, effort, and organization.
Who cares if the state of MN doesn't have top 10, national team kids coming out every year. They have shown to make up for it in other areas.
I'll agree with you on the heart, effort & organization, but who are these blue chip recruits that they are dominating on a weekly basis?
Just look at the kinds of recruits many of the big 10 teams have...for example, Illinois and Purdue. Gophers should have won last week, but dominated, look at what they did against them last year.
Look at the kinds of players that Tennessee had....at least one national team pool maybe 2. Minnesota dominated them. Should have won that game as well.
With a little better finishing by Minnesota, the success they have had would even be that much better.
Last year AT Penn State. It was a travesty the Gophers didn't win. They completely dominated Penn State and all the top 25 recruits they have.
They didn't dominate Penn State in the Big 10 tourney however.
AT ND, sweet sixteen....last year It certainly wasn't domination, it was more of a U.S. vs. Russia in hockey, but look what they were able to do.
On paper, it just wasn't even a discussion. ND had arguably the best team in their history.
Gophers didn't change a thing, went right at them with what they had. And about pulled of a "miracle."
The success of UM soccer is much like this state's success on the girls club side. The top MN club team will hold it's own against most of RII (the Big 10), but struggles against top clubs from the west coast (Pac 10 & West Coast), east coast (ACC & Big East) and Texas (top tier Big 12 and SEC).
. . . on ice.
i always love the "we dominated but lost" posts. what is this the youth club thread?
2:12
I could be wrong, but the Gophers tied in all but one of the above mentioned "dominated games."
How about some predictions?
Here are the current Big Ten Standings.
Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin (4 Pts); Michigan State, Ohio State, Northwestern (3 Pts)
Illinois (1 Pt); Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State (0 Pts)
The “RPI Guy’s” unofficial Big Ten rankings are as follows.
16 Ohio State
35 Penn State, 38 Illinois, 39 Indiana
40 Michigan State
50 Purdue, 54 Minnesota, 58 Wisconsin
92 Iowa, 99 Michigan
112 Northwestern
MN has 8 Big Ten games remaining.
Tonight: @ Wisconsin
Home Games: Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Indiana
Away Games: Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State
How will MN end up ?
Anonymous said...
I'll agree with you on the heart, effort & organization, but who are these blue chip recruits that they are dominating on a weekly basis?
1/10/09 1:50 PM
Great question, waiting for a answer
Anonymous said...
Just look at the kinds of recruits many of the big 10 teams have...for example, Illinois and Purdue. Gophers should have won last week, but dominated, look at what they did against them last year.
Look at the kinds of players that Tennessee had....at least one national team pool maybe 2. Minnesota dominated them. Should have won that game as well.
With a little better finishing by Minnesota, the success they have had would even be that much better.
Last year AT Penn State. It was a travesty the Gophers didn't win. They completely dominated Penn State and all the top 25 recruits they have.
They didn't dominate Penn State in the Big 10 tourney however.
AT ND, sweet sixteen....last year It certainly wasn't domination, it was more of a U.S. vs. Russia in hockey, but look what they were able to do.
On paper, it just wasn't even a discussion. ND had arguably the best team in their history.
Gophers didn't change a thing, went right at them with what they had. And about pulled of a "miracle."
1/10/09 2:04 PM
Boy Anon, you really stepped in it.
If I recall, Tennessee was playing a man down, and the GG still didnt beat them? Who is the Natl player?
Sweet16 last fall, playing at ND in the ice, again, if I recall, ND spent 98% of the time in the attacking 3rd. MN was chasing (or ice skating). Im sorry, but since your using the what if, I will as well, what if the field was in good shape and not freezing out, I think ND would of put a nickel on the GG.
Hey, I like the GG's..Im a fan of the game. But, for MN to turn the corner, she is going to have to recruit better in the future. Getting the best player out of Iowa days are almost gone, how about the best player out of IL, OH, Texas, Cali?
try starting with MN...
Why is that some folks have to be such "homers" when it comes to the home town team. There is nothing wrong with commenting on a perceived lack of success if someone feels it is warranted.
Why is that some folks have to be such "naysayers" when it comes to the home town team. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging a program's success based on where it was, where it is now, where it is going, and the hurdles (and IMO there are plenty) it has overcome and still faces everyday.
1:34 -
I agree with a lot of your comments, but the GG's are a lot better than just average. They DO have some players.
Yeah, you are right, I was being a little facetious. The Gophers have a lot of talent and some great athletes. they just don't have some of the big names.
So many of you MDW/Gopher bashers are soooo transparent.
Your bias is almost comical as you rip MDW, the program and the players.
7:50 - transparent in what way?
Important game for Gophs tonight. WIS improved but still a year away. A loss would be a big blow to NCAA hopes. Need a tie at minimum.
1-0 Badgers moving towards the end of the first half.
here's a link to follow along:
http://www.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_wsoccer.html?event=812291&school=wis&sport=wsoccer&camefrom=&startschool=&
Gametracker CBS carrying live stats for match wisconsin vs. gophers
1-1, GG's seem to be picking up the pace.
2-1 GG's in OT. Nice comeback and if the stats are any indication a well deserved victory.
Anonymous said...
try starting with MN...
1/10/09 6:23 PM
Ok, last yr and this year, she lost a player from SSM to UCLA, she lost a player from Woodbury to FSU. 2 players if they could of gotten I think would of helped, NO?
They didn't recruit the kid from SSM. She is from Iowa by the way. She wasn't lost.
Woodbury/FSU - been discussed already
So, for those of you currently not happy with the U's recruiting, what are your opinions on how many/which of the top 2011 players from MN does MDW need to bring to the U to show that she is continuing to improve the program and keep the MN talent at home?
Why does it matter who MDW looses as long as who she retains can get the job done?
I'd like to see a list of the top "lost" MN recruits, since MDW began in 2004, and how they fared compared to their Gopher counterparts.
Anone have those facts?
P.S. Gutsy win for MN vs WI.
As I understand, the game began almost 90 mintues late and was played under pretty miserable condtions.
A road win is always a good win.
A ten day, Big 10 action, break for the ladies.
Not sure I like that....
socmom - no one's knocking MDW, just a few folks commenting on the 2010's and 2011's. imo, and this isn't a knock on the local talent, but who would they have lost any of them to? it's not like the top 20 programs in the nation are padding their frequent flyer miles with trips to MSP. there are some programs that truly have a national recruiting reach, but most programs (especially the B10) pull the majority of their kids from the somewhat "local" surroundings. About the only one that might be an exception is PSU. Please note that I said the majority of kids (not all) and when I mean "local" that would be the home state and possibly neighboring states.
socmom you don't have to go back that far, just look at the 2010's she has lost.
But no 2010s or 2011s have played collegiate soccer yet.
That's really the point.
Until a recruit actually starts competing at the D1 level, their talent is really just speculation.
That's why I asked about past "best" recruits.
Previous classes can be measured with the new college yardstick.
Do I think MDW would have liked to land some one or two of the 2010s she didn't?
Heck yes.
But until those ladies start contributing in college, we won't really know how bad a loss the Gophers suffered by not getting them to stay in MN.
The SSM kid ?? She was completely shut down by the Stars at State Cup. A non factor.Poor fit for B10.
The GG'S style of play is anything but creative and B10 soccer is boring.Factor in the weather and it's no mystery why the blue chips aren't interested. That's just the way it is folks.
8:22...I have to ask, were you at that SSM/Stars game?? If so, then you would of seen Danny having his fastest player play a basketball type of face manning her, that, is real soccer, NOT!! Play the game the way its suppose to be played. The sad thing is, if he wouldnt of played a face man, chances are Stars would of won by a bigger score and a prettier brand of soccer. But, lets not chat about club on a GG thread.
So did DS outcoach the SSM team/coach? Did SSM have nothing to counter Storliens strategy?
Was SSM that dependent on one player? Was the rest of their team really not all that good?
Facts are facts -SSM supposedly has tons of big names players. Lots of them go division 1. But they train at least 5 days a week and are still super out of shape. Can someone please explain. How is that possible?
Probably because they are not doing the right types of non-soccer training. Sure, they can play soccer everyday, but if they aren't combining it with some type of cardio workout, their stamina will never really improve.
Not a big surprise to find MN at the top of the Big Ten Standings this morning.
Only 3 other teams have played 3 games, here's how those four stack up.
#1 Minnesota, #2 Purdue, #3 Wisconsin, #7 Indiana
After Sunday, three more teams will have played three games.
And, at least everyone will have played two games.
Monday morning the standings might start showing us something.
SSM won or lost last year based on how the success of CC. Without her they were a just an above average team. Other than her going to UCLA (where she scored her first goal yesterday), the rest of last year's seniors were good but not great. A quality team with decent coaching will usually not have any difficulty taking one player out of a game.
Where is all this "creative" soccer being played on the women's side? And what Universities are playing with such flare? It is such a joke to decree that the Big 10 plays boring soccer. The gophers lead the conference in shots on goal! Have you seen the US women play? Would you call that creative? There is one creative player in the world on the wome's side and not many more on the men's, her name is Marta. Get off teh gopher bashing, they play hard and try try and score goals, which is more then you can say for a lot of top teams in the country.
Big Ten soccer is a lot more like rugby and that's why they get little respect nationally. Nobodys knocking the GGs. They are a very good Big Ten team.
Oct 16th. Toney and Penn State come to town.They have five loses but have played the #'s 5,8,9,14,15th ranked teams in the country. Put your bets down.
Im not knocking the GG's either, Im NOT, however, playing the 5,8,9,14 and 15th ranked teams sure is a nice schedule to play instead of the South Dakota's etc..
Gophers beat USD 0-9.
Not the best level of competition to prepare for Purdue next Sunday.
The PS vs OS game almost turned into a brawl. Cards flying all over the place. The Gophers football team could have used some of their heavy hitters vs Wisc. The GGS enforcer better be ready for PS as they are pretty desperate for wins and will turn their maulers lose again. If the officials lose control this game could get real ugly.
MN picks up a new recruit for 2010 - who the heck is she? Never heard of her. Apparently they feel a need for some help up top - they list her as a forward. Again, never heard of her.
I believe she is from Esko/Carlton.
An All-State player the last couple of years. Probably in the running for Miss Soccer Class A.
How nostalgic: the U still uses HS soccer for recruiting.
12:03
We play PSU and OSU at home.
Hopefully our refs will keep things under control.
We sure can't afford any more injuries right now.
The first offical (NCAA) RPI has been released.
Here's how the Gophers sit compared to other Big Ten teams.
Without an outright win of the Big Ten title, the RPI will become vitally important for landing an at large bid to the tournament.
A win this Sunday, at Purdue, would help MN climb the RPI ladder.
24 Penn St.
27 Indiana
29 Ohio St.
30 Purdue
36 Michigan St.
37 Illinois
43 Minnesota
49 Wisconsin
81 Iowa
98 Northwestern
101 Michigan
GG's RPI is sad!! Even thou they beat SD this past w/end, they still dropped. These is the blame of the coach and the schedule she made for this year. The players can only play the game, the staff has to figure out a better schedule in the future. Look at Iowa's for example, they win the v all the State schools, big deal, they have the best pre-conference record in years, but yet, they get a very low RPI and none of those pre-conference games got them ready for the B10. MN is heading down this same road.
Soc Mom - thank you for sharing the RPI rankings. It is really good to see where everyone stands.
10:48 -
What is sad is a quickly written and emotionally charged response with lack of thought or analysis.
First of all, there are approximately 320 division 1 women's soccer programs. With still a lot of soccer left to be played, Minnesota being #43 at this point in the season is not as horrendous as you make it out to sound.
Secondly, it can be argued that making it to the women's division 1ncaa tourney is as hard as any other sport in NCAA's including men's sports. The number of teams is staggering. But it is definitely a great opportunity for young women.
Thirdly - The Gophers play 10 non-conference games this year. Of those 10, 5 were in the NCAA's last year. That is definitely an upgrade from past schedules. However, how those 5 teams do is completely out of the power of the Gophers. They do not control that SDSU and Tennessee have both struggled this year. Tennessee is historically a perennial sweet 16 team. They don't control the fact that Marquette is struggling and thet UW-Milwaukee has not done as well this year. The schedules are typically set a couple of years in advance.
Fourth - Big Ten has historically gotten an RPI boost from Illinois and Penn State. Penn State has HUGELY underachieved this year. They have a FULL NATIONAL TEAM midfielder and the best GK in the nation and still cannot put it together against non-conference opponents. They are far superior in talent to almost all non-conference opponents yet have really struggled. The Gophers don't control this. Illinois has also struggled.
Fifth - The RPI rankings have the Gophers 7th in the big ten. I think most, including the naysayers, will agree that the Gophers are much better than 7th in the big ten. They are probably going to finish closer to 3/4th with still a chance to win the conference AGAIN.
Conclusion: A LOT OF SOCCER left to be played. These will still change a lot. Sure, the Gophers could have done without the USD game and my guess is that they are not scheduled much in the future.
But to say that a #43 RPI ranking at this stage in the season is "SAD" is a joke.
The one thing about the Gophers is that they are as consistent at about any team out there. you know what you are going to get every game, just read what the opposing coaches say each week. They are going to bring it every night, and their opponents can definitely never take a half or game off.
Keep playing the way they have and they will get another NCAA BID.
I asked MDW this very question and she said that she isn't worried about RPI right now. She said as long as they continue to do well in the Big Ten they shouldn't have an issue getting into the NCAA soccers Big Show.
Also asked her about USD and recent MN Gold Classic with weaker opponents. These tourneys and friendlies are scheduled 2 to 4 years out. It's just the way they are done with D-1 schools. At the time of scheduling both schools were pretty good but programs have dropped in quality since they signed them on the schedule several years ago.
Also, some of the better schools get a fee for coming and playing a non-conference game. There is no budget for that with the womens soccer program.
Yea, maybe so 12:34 & 1:25, but who do I blame then? I am unhappy in my life and must have someone to share in my misery.
Well, here are the facts from 2008.
Last year four teams from the Big Ten (PSU, MINN,MSU,ILL) went to the NCAA.
Purdue, who finished 3rd in the Big Ten, did not get selected.
Michigan State (4th) and Illinois (5th place and 5-5 Big Ten record) landed the at large bids.
If memory serves, the RPI was the difference.
Yep, and it worked out just fine for the Gophers. They have a tougher RPI at this point than they had at the same point last year. They will just need to keep performing well.
Bottom line is the Big Ten is not very good and will have at most 4 teams in the tournament. You need to finish in top 5 in conference to even get a sniff.
Who are incoming players next year?
4:16 - you aren't quite right.
Big Ten conference actually is really good.
According to the most recent RPI conference report from games thru 10/4, the Big Ten is 4th out of 30 division one conferences.
1. ACC
2. Pac 10
3. SEC
4. Big 10
5. West Coast
6. Big East
7. Big 12
8. Conference USA
9. Mountain West
10.Big West
11.Colonial
12.Ivy
Big 10 did get 4 teams last year but typically get 5. 4 is the fewest # receiving bids in the past several years.
Here is one link with 2010 / 2011 verbals listed.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=poknaL_RaORDOMcyz_riBDA&gid=9
imo the soccer rpi is not nearly as accurate as the bball rpi since there are so many fewer games against top teams and the lack of comparing comp scores. the big east has nd, rutgers, connecticut, gtown, etc.... and the west coast has santa clara, portland, san diego, etc..... hard to believe the b10 is ranked higher (maybe due to top to bottom strength).
it's almost more like the fball bcs where the "power" conferences reign.
things do have a way of figuring themselves out of the next month or so.
LOL at 515. ACC and PAC 10 dominate college soccer. There is not a single Big Ten team that could play over .500 soccer in either of those conferences.
542 is on target. B10 had two teams in Sweet 16 last year, none in final 8. ACC 6 and 3. Pac10 3 and 2. The two power conferences placed 9 teams in round of 16 and 5 in round of 8. 7 and 3 for everyone else COMBINED.
5:56
so going with your brilliant observations, then every women's soccer conference in the country except for 2 SUCK. I guess every other school should cancel their women's soccer programs since they just can't complete.
Nice, that would just be brilliant. Let's see, we aren't as good as UNC and Stanford so we should just quit.
Hope you aren't a leader of young women aspiring to play soccer at the next level.
And so 5:15
Since the NCAA Women’s Soccer Selection Committee does use the RPI to determine the 34 at large bids...
You have to look at how Big 10 teams stack up against the "stronger" ACC , Pac 10 , SEC conference teams.
If you sort the current RPIs, for teams in those 4 conferences, you’ll find 32 ranked @ 1-50.
(I used RPI 50 and above based on the last two years NCAA bid results).
Take out four automatic qualifiers and you are left with a whopping 28 teams from just 4 conferences.
I doubt the NCAA committee will give everyone of these teams a nod.
So, you have to take a look at who’s at the bottom of this list.
Currently, those five teams are: Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, North Carolina St. Wisconsin
At some point, it will matter just exactly where our RPI stands versus other teams in strong conferences.
It’s really going to be an interesting process to watch.
Just take a look at the Pac 10, they have NINE teams with RPI's higher than MN.
hey 6:27, did your knee hit you in the chin when you jerked it.....
Last years performance was outstanding and probably a once in a lifetime experience. Like someone said .."too many of the womens top athletes play hockey".
1003, just because someone said it earlier doesn't make it so. (It was probably said by a parent whose kid plays hockey cause they couldn't handle it on the pitch) I disagree with you 100% I would say it goes the other way. The number of girls playing hockey is small compared to soccer even here in Minnesota.The odds are against them having even a minority of the top athletes. Maybe if they had some of the top athletes it wouldn't be so unbearable to watch.
After waching the Minn womens soccer and hockey teams play there is no doubt the hockey players are better athletes. Better conditioned, stronger ,better reflexes and much more physical.Go watch a hockey game.
7:30 pm - what a silly, silly assertion.
Not to point out the obvious, but people tend to look faster on skates. Something about a lack of friction with ice.
Since checking isn't allowed in girl's hockey, I would say that soccer, where shoulder/shoulder hitting is legal, is more physical for girls.
Better reflexes? Maybe with their hands. Not a big requirement for quick hands in soccer.
My observation is that there are excellent athletes in all team sports.
please, after being a Hockey fan my whole life and watching girls high school hockey I've come to the conclusion that Girls shouldn't being playing Hockey!!
11:16 - should we still allow them to vote?
7:17,
Of course women should be allowed to vote...and should be allowed to check in their hockey games as well!
should we start a gopher hockey thread
Anonymous said...
After waching the Minn womens soccer and hockey teams play there is no doubt the hockey players are better athletes. Better conditioned, stronger ,better reflexes and much more physical.Go watch a hockey game.
7/10/09 7:30 PM
I have watched Girls Hockey, at Shattuck, and those Natl Championship teams cannot play Soccer, they do not have the stamina to go 90 mins on a full size field. Hockey players like UNC soccer players get subbed every 7 mins or so, they do not go 90 mins. They might be bigger, but stronger?? questionable.
women can vote? When and how did that happen? ;-) We don't count their votes though do we?
Women hockey should allow checking. Women's lacrosse should allow stick checking
Womens Soccer is by far the most physical sport.
anybody seen the recruiting spreadsheet? it seems to be out of service.
Here's Big Soccer recruit link ...
https://sites.google.com/site/soccerrecruits/
Very nice 1-0 win for Gopher girls over Purdue.
#9 Purdue that is.
SocMom - This should change up some of the RPI rankings.
Yes - good win. I would caution getting too excited about Purdue's #9 ranking. Other than a first week upset of Texas A&M (who have now dropped to #20), they really hadn't beaten anybody. BTW, in what poll were they ranked #9?
Quote from Purdue coach -
“We got beat by a better team today,” head coach Robert Klatte said. “They were more determined than we were. As a staff, as a program and as a team, I think that’s the disappointing part. There was a team here that certainly came out with a greater intensity than we had, and with greater focus and determination, and I think that’s what separated the sides today. They have a great team. They are a good, technical team. They’re dynamic going forward, but we failed to solve their defensive pressure.”
Big win for the Gophers today.
And WOW, nice compliments from the Purdue coach.
This should help raise MN RPI.
What's even better...
Only two more road games left.
Michigan, who hasn't been a terrible threat.
And Michigan State, who seems to have stumbled a bit after the loss of important SR to injury.
Here's hoping MN carries this into next weekend vs OSU and PSU.
Anon 2:31
Purdue was ranked #9 in NSCAA poll.
And despite not beating anyone, the Boilermakers did play Stanford to a 2-1 loss.
I'm guessing that game helped their stature in polls and RPI.
Which is good news for Gophers...
how can losing raise your rpi? sounds like hockey were you still get points for losing in ot.
anyway, great going gg's.
Because these are the RPI "elements", as I understand them...
1: Teams Winning Percentage
2: Opponents Winning Percentage
3: Opponents Opponents Winning Percentage
The system seems to reward "strength of schedule"....
The "unoffical" RPI guy has his report on line.
Here's how MN now stacks up with other Big Ten teams.
Looks like the win over Purdue helped and Penn State is moving up as expected.
(difference between the adjusted / unadjusted RPI)
Penn State (21)
Indiana (22)
Ohio State (23)
Minnesota (29/30)
Purdue (33/34)
Michigan State (37/36)
Wisconsin (41)
Illinois (42/43)
Michigan (83)
Iowa (100)
Northwestern (107/106)
keep it going GG's!
gotta love the polls......MN beats Purdue at their place and are still ranked below them.
On the bright side...
We did move past Purdue in the latest "unoffical" RPI rankings.
Also moved past them in offical Big Ten Standings.
Purdue's win over then #6 Texas A/M and close loss to then #2 Stanford went a long way.
BTW 1$ tickets Fri / Sun for PSU and OSU games at ELR.
This weekend is about as big as it's gonna get for the GGs Big Ten season.
Better face up PS #28 Toney. Shut her down and get a "W".
hope the weather gets a bit better for this weekend.
Hate to raise the "recruiting" issue again, but Top Drawer came out with their 2010 Top 100. No future GG's, but congrats to CS.
last time Gophers had a bunch of top 100's they never did anything. Their current junior class has ZERO top 100 recruits and they are arguably the best class in Gopher history along with last year's senior class that only had 1 top 100.
next topic
When did the GG's ever have a bunch of top 100's?
This sounds like it came from the MN Twins front office - just be content to be good, occassionally pretty good, but never great. If you set your expectations low then you'll rarely be disappointed.
CS had the opportunity to be a Gopher. She chose WI, best of luck to her.
WI and UMN are very different in both soccer and the different fields of study they focus on.
5 top 100's in the class that came in 2006.
Twins analysis is atrocious. If you think they have been less than very successful you live in a sad world.
Who are you comparing too?
Win the Big Ten and compete for a National Championship - not sure how that is setting the expectations too low.
Don't get me wrong as I'm not trying to be negative - just realistic, but just like the Twins had no chance of winning the World Series, the GG's have little if any chance of winning a National Championship. Winning the Big Ten is like winning the AL Central Division (not one of the top 4 conferences). I was thrilled with their success last year, but prior to 2008, when was their last trip to the NCAA tournament?
I guess you're satisifed with being top 20 ONCE in a while and I want them to be at least top 15 ALL the time. Nothing wrong with that.
prior to 2008 - I believe it was 1999 - probably the reason they hired a new coach in 2004.
Have you looked at the records from 2000-2003. They were absolutely terrible and all the best players in the state went elsewhere.
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