IUMS @ Maryland - 10/31/21 @ 1:00

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

3 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

Our offense is just not good enough. 

Agree

[Aaron 4,147]

We lost the Big Ten Title with that horrible performance against Rutgers who has played terribly since they beat us. Win that and you are champions even with a loss today.

Maryland is really good and probably the best team we played this year. Notice how every time we ran Sarver or Endeley on a breakaway they were with them step for step while the other teams recently were leaving way to much space for them resulting in goals. Even when Endeley got around the goalie, the D was disciplined and right there to clean it up. Most teams cannot do that. 

We played four elite teams this year with mixed results. We stole a game against ND they dominated, played really well against Akron before settling for a tie,  beat PSU in a game we played well and got lucky with an own goal, and then today. Somehow we ended up playing the four best teams on our schedule on road and went 2-1-1. 

The losses that were absolutely despicable were the Creighton and Rutgers game where we failed to show up and got owned by teams we are a lot better than. Also took a loss to a Michigan team that will probably make tournament but not as a top 16 seed. That game we gave away, but ultimately Michigan is a really talented team and it went back and forth as a result. We also got a PK call also for our only goal so that helped.

The first game of the Big Ten Tournament is going to tell us if we are truly better than earlier in the year. That Creighton game as bad as it was, will have very little impact on much as far as the season goes. The Rutgers game on the other hand cost us Big Ten Title and the Scarlet Knights have pretty much tanked and stopped playing defense since that. The only teams they have beaten since are OSU and NW who are the two worst teams in the Big Ten and they did not make it easy. Now we can avenge that loss.

Sunday we need to come out angry and beat a team we had zero business losing to the first time and who is really not very good outside of a solid goalie. That win also could lock up a top 16 seed in NCAA Tournament. I have a feeling to get a top 8 though we need to beat both Maryland and PSU on the road in the following games. Can we? sure.  The problem is that will require winning two 50-50 road games that could go either way and that always will be put to chance like today. One thing to note is that we got destroyed by Maryland two years ago in the regular season in College Park, only to come back and beat them in Big Ten Tourney and we will have to do it again. There is a reason we have by far the closest games and most trouble with Maryland of all the Big Ten teams. They are the only team talent wise that is our equal year in and year out and has same history as us.

I like PSU winning title though and is VERY good for conference as a whole. It vindicates every coach who wants to play more offensive style with talent instead of parking the bus. When PSU replaced Bob Warming who was "Mr. Park The Bus" with Jeff Cook they have become an elite team. Hopefully this shows the rest of conference that going attacking heavy is the way to go and it is MUCH better for Big Ten as a whole. The conference has a reputation as being two defensive heavy and less open and offensive like the ACC. IU and Maryland get that for the most part and with PSU again showing that is a much more workable style, hopefully the teams below them continue to realize the way to play soccer is with attacking and not sitting back with ten men in box. Overall it has gotten much better the last few years and I really hope it continues. Its so much better to watch and better for Big Ten and College Soccer as a whole.   

  

[Aaron 4,147]

I missed this, but the committee put out their top 16 and seeds for the NCAA Tournament. We barely made the cut at 15:

https://www.ncaa.com/news/soccer-men/article/2021-10-29/division-i-mens-soccer-committee-reveals-top-16

Our RPI is 16 at the moment, This release was before VCU victory (around 30 RPI) and Maryland loss (around 20 RPI) which probably cancel each other out so we are in similar spot. Hate having to travel all the way to Oregon St for Sweet 16. If we could just get a little higher and maybe travel to UK, Pitt, Marshall or ND those are at least in driving distance. 

Probably need to win Big Ten Tourney to get into top 8 (and beat Maryland and PSU in process as I don't think victories over other teams would move us much higher than 10-15 even if we won the thing). 

Right now though I would just like to get a bit higher and at least hold onto the first round bye and get a better spot if we have to travel in sweet 16. We have not had to play an NCAA Tournament game on the road since 2015 as we have been seeded in top 8 since so all the games have been either in Bloomington or at neutral site for College Cup and COVID Tournament last year. However, this year we may very well be travelling for Sweet 16 after second round home game (assuming we beat Rutgers) baring an unexpected run in the Big Ten Tournament.