2018 CUSA Women's Soccer Tourney Info/Results

GrandGreen · November 6, 2018

2 hours ago, outoftown said:

Sad to have been right. Not only not getting to host, but also an fully unfair first round draw. If they had to put seeds on thing, there is no way they could giving NT the equivalent of a 14th seed. Not getting how it is TCU gets to host BYU rather than NT.

Still also think however, that the administration really shot the team in the foot by messing up the ranking thing such that they got no votes two weeks straight right when the committee makes that decision. Made it sooo much easier for the committee to screw NT again. That is on Wren not taking care of business.

Now in order to avoid this fate in the future, NT needs to start winning one or two of those (then the powers that be will immediately start to not want to play NT in the first round.

8 hours ago, outoftown said:

Problem is, that they don't seed everyone, they only seed the 16 hosts. After that it is all very "regional" with no official distinction between a 5 and an 16 seed in a region. Plenty of ways to hose folks that way.

Its part of why forgetting to pay the fees for the coaches poll is such a disaster. Had NT been ranked or at least very high in others receiving votes before the choice of the comittee, that would have really raked up the pressure not to put them with someone else who is ranked in the top 25. Alas it took NT more than a week to sort this out (they only managed sometime toward the end of last week).

Has anyone ever verified the story about dues and ranking? Still sounds far-fetched to me. Baker seems a straight shooter, yet there has been no official comment.

Harry · November 6, 2018

4 hours ago, meanJewGreen said:

we got screwed. again

this is bad! They will not let us beat TAMU. Think that Texas game from before that went to overtime.

blurbeard · November 6, 2018

Agree this makes no sense! We should be playing TCU...can you imagine the crowd we would have and it's an easy 30 min drive!

RPI just came out (Texas Schools)

#5 Baylor, #10 A&M, #13 Texas, #19 TCU, #31 UNT, #34 Texas Tech.

All Texas schools got to host first round games even Texas Tech at 34 except for us. Why are we not hosting...heard we did not put a bid in...Texas Tech should be coming to us or at the very least we play at TCU! Bull Shit politics...take care of the Power 5!

meangreenJW · November 6, 2018

10 hours ago, outoftown said:

Problem is, that they don't seed everyone, they only seed the 16 hosts. After that it is all very "regional" with no official distinction between a 5 and an 16 seed in a region. Plenty of ways to hose folks that way.

Its part of why forgetting to pay the fees for the coaches poll is such a disaster. Had NT been ranked or at least very high in others receiving votes before the choice of the comittee, that would have really raked up the pressure not to put them with someone else who is ranked in the top 25. Alas it took NT more than a week to sort this out (they only managed sometime toward the end of last week).

That ranking has nothing to do with the seedings or the committee. Just like in bball, the rankings have nothing to do with the selection process. I have no idea what happened on the rankings and whose fault it was. But a coaches association ranking isn't at all a factor in the selection process.

outoftown · November 6, 2018

3 minutes ago, meangreenJW said:

That ranking has nothing to do with the seedings or the committee. Just like in bball, the rankings have nothing to do with the selection process. I have no idea what happened on the rankings and whose fault it was. But a coaches association ranking isn't at all a factor in the selection process.

You may say that. But if you are a 3 seed (i.e. top 12 team) and you get an opponent for a first round matchup who is in the top 25, you are gonna feel like the committee has some explaining to do. Same as you'd think in Bball, if you were a 3 seed, you would be really angry if you had to play an AP top 25 team in the first round (and so would that top 25 team). Being ranked or at least close to, it just makes it soo much harder to explain.

meangreenJW · November 6, 2018

Just now, outoftown said:

You may say that. But if you are a 3 seed (i.e. top 12 team) and you get an opponent for a first round matchup who is in the top 25, you are gonna feel like the committee has some explaining to do. Same as you'd think in Bball, if you were a 3 seed, you would be really angry if you had to play an AP top 25 team in the first round (and so would that top 25 team). Being ranked or at least close to, it just makes it soo much harder to explain.

I don't agree. Coaches don't care about top 25. They care about analytics which is the RPI. Your argument holds true that A&M is prolly just as pissed as we are but not because anything to do with a top 25 poll that's only for fans. Coaches care much more about RPI which is an objective measure that quantifies the best teams. The reality is the committee makes this clear, beyond the seeded teams they don't take metrics into account. It's geographic. Besides all that, this is the same story we've lived for the life of the program. We've always been placed against a power 5 team in Texas.

outoftown · November 6, 2018

1 minute ago, meangreenJW said:

I don't agree. Coaches don't care about top 25. They care about analytics which is the RPI. Your argument holds true that A&M is prolly just as pissed as we are but not because anything to do with a top 25 poll that's only for fans. Coaches care much more about RPI which is an objective measure that quantifies the best teams. The reality is the committee makes this clear, beyond the seeded teams they don't take metrics into account. It's geographic. Besides all that, this is the same story we've lived for the life of the program. We've always been placed against a power 5 team in Texas.

Except that its a coaches poll in soccer, not the media poll

meangreenJW · November 6, 2018

23 minutes ago, outoftown said:

Except that its a coaches poll in soccer, not the media poll

There are two polls released in football and basketball. Media and coaches poll. None of them in any sport has any impact on tournament seedings.

Edited November 6, 2018 by meangreenJW

outoftown · November 6, 2018

1 minute ago, meangreenJW said:

There are two polls released in football and basketball. Media and coaches poll.

Yes true, but in soccer there is no media poll, the coaches poll is to only frame of reference of importance (other than RPI to some degree)

meangreenJW · November 6, 2018

Just now, outoftown said:

Yes true, but in soccer there is no media poll, the coaches poll is to only frame of reference of importance (other than RPI to some degree)

Regardless, rankings have no impact. MTSU was top 25 in coaches poll last year in hoops and didn't make the tournament. I get the criticism if someone at UNT failed to register for the poll (although I think it's bush league to have to pay a membership to be ranked. I can't think of a single reputable poll in another sport that is pay to play). But I believe a missed 24th or 25th ranking would have had zero impact. It isn't a part of the selection process. Most NCAA selection committees are heavy on admin types (ADs, commissioners and associate ADs).

Salsa_Verde · November 6, 2018

Here’s hoping North Texas scores a goal. As it stands right now, I believe a Coach Hedlund led team has yet to score in the NCAA Tournament.

blurbeard · November 6, 2018

3 hours ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Here’s hoping North Texas scores a goal. As it stands right now, I believe a Coach Hedlund led team has yet to score in the NCAA Tournament.

Who cares, this is about winning and getting fair treatment from the committee! I believe Hedlund has beaten TCU the last two times they have played...now that should have been the first round matchup!

Travis · November 10, 2018

So far, we have had no real offensive threat. We have had a few openings where we did so poorly we shut down any possible threat. We messed it up, not them. :o\ I don't know who our number 22 is... but I am trying to figure out what her position is and what exactly she was trying to do. She was stuck in no-mans land pretty much the entire time she was out there.

aTm is dominating this game with possession. They will get something through the way they are playing.

All in all, this is a fast game so far. We are playing hard... I can tell we want it. Just terrible tactics and ball placement.

Also, the ref is calling the game really well... despite the idiot aTm fans..

Edited November 10, 2018 by Travis

Salsa_Verde · November 10, 2018

Hanging on by a thread so far. Not a fan of the announcers. Apparently North Texas is a borderline dirty team, according to them.

Travis · November 10, 2018

I am also not sure of our forward and what her role is... because half the time she isn't even trying to go for some of the long balls... which is designed to push it high for her. Also, if they are going to push her high and send te ball, she needs to freaking stay high. Just my opinion.

Travis · November 10, 2018

Nice corner play. Almost got one in. First real threat.

Mean Green Matt · November 10, 2018

Man that was close. Two shots at it. Both keepers have made good saves.

Travis · November 10, 2018

I know i am super critical... but half the time I want to ask them, what on Earth were you thinking there?!

Travis · November 10, 2018

These aggie fans are really soccer dumb.

Mean Green Matt · November 10, 2018

We do typically play a long ball style...it seems like we are just kicking the ball forward without much purpose more than usual. We are, however, playing our butts off.

Travis · November 10, 2018

Halftime

Dominated by aTm. Aggies have created about 2 or 3 scoring opporunities during the actual field of play where we haven't had an opportunity at all. We only had one off of a set piece. We need to push our outside mids out wide and actually use them to work the sidelines up the flag. Their midfield is controlling this game and they use their outsides very well. We continue to try to punch it to our forward with no help. This is literally the easiest style to defend against. I know this is just how we play, so lets hope the ball bounces our way (literally) and we sneak through. 22 was a liability for us, in my opinion. I don't know if it was her, or the failure of the coach to give her a legitimate role but we were playing with what seemed like a man down for awhile there. Also, our forward simply needs to push their back line and not get caught chasing an advancing aggie defender.

Sadly, I don't see that happening with this aTm defense.

Travis · November 10, 2018

3 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

We do typically play a long ball style...it seems like we are just kicking the ball forward without much purpose more than usual. We are, however, playing our butts off.

Agreed. their style of play tends to become nothing more than kickball. I believe we have the talent to actually play good soccer. It is just never has been Hedlund's style. Ever. And he teaches the girls to play as such.

And you are right, we are playing hard. We truly want it.

Mean Green Matt · November 10, 2018

1 minute ago, Travis said:

Agreed. their style of play tends to become nothing more than kickball. I believe we have the talent to actually play good soccer. It is just never has been Hedlund's style. Ever. And he teaches the girls to play as such.

And you are right, we are playing hard. We truly want it.

This looks more panicky than our usual long ball style. Interesting no one on the broadcast team has noticed the commentators mics are being left on during the breaks.

outoftown · November 10, 2018

NTs goalie is shining. Has to.

outoftown · November 10, 2018

What I find crazy, is that playing this style, NT still isn't really any good at crossing the ball inside from the side of the 18. The reason this style works in C-USA, is that it emphasizes the physical part of the game and NT is physically superior to C-USA opponents. Then when playing stronger teams, that just isn't there and NT really has no proper offensive strategy that can work against teams that are physically equal.

That said, thee longeer the game stay tied, the more important the physical becomes and the better NTs chances of pulling it out.

Edited November 10, 2018 by outoftown