Well, I suppose with John Trask going to Wisconsin I'm obliged to start a thread on the Big Ten. I think some folks up there thought we were a package deal - actually - that's just an urban legend. Now I see a fair share of games in this conference every year, whether live or on the Big Ten Network; but it would be nice to have some guys that will be available to report on individual teams this upcoming season. I won't be able to see every UW game this year, I still have UIC to look out for; I have priorities, also; but I'll get up to Madison a few times in the fall, and depending on their road trips (in other words, if it's warm, I'll be there), I'll see some of those also. I would hope that some guys on the IU thread would contribute; I would love to see Bill Archer put his two-cents in about Ohio State, also (but I am aware that he has a blog somewhere that keeps him fairly busy - not to mention a real job). I also realize that no one whom attends Northwestern would ever lower themselves to post on Big Soccer, so I guess I'll have to get up to Evanston more often and continue to harass Tim L. - whom, to be honest, has always been a good sport (well, most of the time) about my rants on his Einsteinian want-a-bes.(I'm kidding TL, seriously) I don't think I'm allowed back in Ann Arbor, even though I love the place - I remember back in the 70's when it was a $5 fine if you got caught smoking pot there - a law that I severely tested with some friends on weekends when I was trapped in the frozen tundra of Houghton at MTU. It was a long road trip, but ......I think it was worth it. I have to believe that Steve Burns isn't very fond of me; but I haven't lost any sleep over it.....yet. Penn State - some big help needed there - I don't even know where it is, I'm assuming it's in Pennsylvania somewhere. Michigan State - never really made it to East Lansing much, I mean between Western and UM, who really needed to go to an agricultural school for fun. So, to make a long story longer, don't be shy, I can't be any worse than I am on any other forum here - so help a brother out with some info.
Sorry - this is a sidenote and not a Big Ten reply, but.....YOU were a Huskie at Michigan Tech?? Oh my!! Were you there just for the ice sculpture contests or the occasional hockey matches againt LSSC? Actually never knew this about you. Made several (say 30-40) trips there myself. The hill gettingout of town back towards Ironwood is a bitch in the winter in a 15 passanger van!
What might have been called "beat writers". Hey, if you are a regular at any Big Ten games and/or teams, post about it. Inside info is always welcome, also.
So to be perfectly clear - this is a thread that will be devoted to covering The Big Ten as a whole, a conference, if you will, game by game, and news item by news item. It's with that in mind that I asked for geographical help from guys located, or following any one of the seven teams in this conference.
And yes, I spent much of my youth in snow shoes and The Library (the bar) in the Great White North - Hockey Night In Canada, Winter Carnival, and 25 cent beers were part of the curriculum; a ratio of 7 men for every woman was no deterrent to going out every night and trying to find a stop light; which didn't exist back in those days within 100 miles of Houghton. Driving in the winter up there was always an event - the entire town was built on a hill, and when you got 300 inches of snow a year (no bs), it was a life threatening adventure. And you wonder why I'm such a nice guy.
Ahhhhhh but there is one BIG red light in hurley !! (LOL) But im pretty sure a bottle of beer is $1.25 now days ! Damn inflation . So oldguy, now that your guy JT has his new players announced , any thoughts on the class or any big ten 2010 rec. class for that matter ? I know of some of these boys but , HS numbers/stats usually scare me and as a whole not a perfect way to determan future college success ! IMHO
Freshman are like mutual funds, you know the saying - "past performance is no indication of future earnings". I hear the two kids from the Chicago Fire are good players (going to UW). I haven't talked to any other coaches in the Big Ten so far this year except John, so I would defer to someone who might know better.
Not official ( I didn't get a phone call); but it looks like Philly Presser will be venturing up to UW to be John Trask's second assistant, good choice here, and reunites Philly with JT - Philly was JT's second at UIC in Trask's first season there.
We go to all the Northwestern games (unless there's a conflict with daughter's travel team). Happy to contribute--but I'm a fan, not a critic. Biased opinions welcomed?
Trust me, all of us are just expressing our opinion. So yes, please, your contributions are greatly appreciated.
oldguy, im suprised you forgot to ask who would be covering last years big ten regular season champs Akron. ;-p looking at their schedules from the past couple of seasons it seems they annually play the majority of the big ten. i would asume it would be the same next season, assuming the big ten still wants to play them.
I expressed that opinion last year. I don't know their schedule this year, but they have grabbed RPI points from Big Ten teams in the past, and I would assume they will continue to do so. Now if anyone feels the need to include Akron in this forum - I certainly wouldn't object to it.
OldGuy, looking forward to your coverage of the Big Ten as I am a fan of the conference but rarely get to see many games live do to the little ones. Altho its great to have the games on TV, its just not the same as watching them in person. Any early predictions on how the league should shape up and which teams have legitimate shots at the league and national title? How do the recruiting classes factor in? Where will IU end up? Can Wisconsin build on some momentum from last year? Can OSU and NW continue their recent run of success? Should be some interesting storylines. Funny thing about Akron is, if I am not mistaken, the last team to beat them is a Big Ten member - 2008 NCAA Tournament - Northwestern, right?
Technicality, although the game counts as a loss, a game that goes to pk's is usually considered a tie - except in the NCAA final. "The run of play" might be appropriate.
I'm a Virginia fan and I count it as a tie. The Cavs won the tie-breaker. Regardless of what the NCAA says, Akron didn't lose to Virginia. Still countin' it as a championship, however.
Wisconsin is still rebuilding, will they be better?, I have a feeling that the sense of entitlement some of these players might have felt won't be around too long. IU - always a contender, no matter what the climate behind the scenes. MSU might be the team to beat this year, good young crop of players. Northwestern - I'll do my best not to piss anyone off there; some solid talent, but depth will be a big question mark. OSU - underachieving since their visit to the Final Four - way over-rated last year; as was the entire conference in my opinion. The one thing this conference has lacked in the last few years is personality; maybe Trask can raise the bar in that aspect.
Trask - provide personality!!! Now THAT is an understatement!! I can hardly wait to see how well he and Johnny B get along knowing they have to play once, if not twice a year. Now we get to throw in Barry G. to the mix...not to mention JT taking Todd's former players at him down in Bloomington this year. So will UW be playing UIC in an annual match - maybe set up a little Cup to play for?
We normally have a very active NCAA Soccer thread over in the Crew forum. Once it gets started for 2010, I'll throw up a link.
IU v. Louisville, March 28, 2010 (re-post from IU thread) IU v. Louisville 03-28-2010 Bloomington, IN 48 degrees, mist and light rain Spring games aren't necessarily worth a whole lot, but for what it’s worth... IU Starting line-up GK: 1 – Soffner D: 21 – Kelly, 25 – Haffner, 3 – Meyer, 5 – Wiet M: 15 – Jordan, 10 – Adlard, 24 – Bick, 2 – Balchan F: 9 – Purdie, 11 – Bruin Subs: 16 – McCarroll, 18 – Blevins, 27 – Tolen 34th minute – Buck Tufty scores for Louisville on a nice cross from Chavez. (Conversation ensues whether Mr. Tufty might be a contender for “best name in college soccer” honors.) Indiana 0, Louisville 1. 55th minute – Will Bruin finishes off a nice cross from Daniel Kelly. Kelly does all the work on a 40+ yard run, making a couple Cardinals look soft in the process, and sends a nice ball to Bruin who finishes neatly. Indiana 1, Louisville 1. 85th minute – Bruin slots a nice ball through to Tolen who puts it away. Indiana 2, Louisville 1. Both IU and Louisville were pretty patient in the 1st half. Hoosiers had a lot of possession, maintained their shape far better than they did in the Fall. Louisville was pretty dangerous on the counter. On a couple of occasions, Purdie’s pace created some discomfort for Louisville. Adlard was strong on the ball - still handling responsibility on corners. The IU backs seemed more physical than previously. Both Adlard (corner) and Purdie (nice, deep run) got the ball to Bruin's head, but the woodwork and the keeper got in the way... The Louisville goal was a really good, precise counter – hard to identify any obvious fault by the Hoosiers. Second half saw IU attacking a little more and taking more chances. Lost their shape at times, creating space for Louisville, who made Soffner earn his scholarship. Kelly’s run that led to Bruin's goal was a highlight - a nice piece of skill and determination followed by a great layoff. He played physically and was really brave on some challenges; he's definitely sore this morning. Bruin continues to improve, was a solid target, and his improved vision got him the assist on Tolen's goal. The last 5 minutes showed some lost focus by the Hoosiers – still a bad habit – but at least they didn’t concede a late goal, which is a nice change. IU played with width, which we hope will continue. Switched the field well, reset the attack, were patient, etc. which, while promising, didn't yield too many quality opportunities. Louisville’s pressure in the midfield showed that IU still has some ground to make up in that part of their game. It wasn't until IU started playing with more urgency and taking chances (i.e. more vertical) that they got on the scoreboard. Generally a good effort by both teams – a fun game to watch given that nothing was on the line. (Maisonneuve and Lolla hugged and chatted a bit before the game. Nice touch.)
Damn Dude - quality write up on the match. Very insightful. Reminds me of Oldguy's posts (RIP). He would be quite proud.
Thanks for the compliment, but let's be realistic - I am not, and don't think I'll ever be, in Oldguy's league. The shoes he left are indeed very large.
Very, very true. Just was posting he would be proud. He always liked someone who could watch a match and reflect on it in a objectively; with knowledge and insight into the porgram. No one will ever fill his shoes - but we can continue to act on the legacy he left on this board. True??