i feel bad. It's going to be a long season for them. I just watched the first half against Michigan state. Down 1-0 at the half. I know we lost Sa, but one injury can hurt us this much. Maybe there are more injuries I don't know about, but this is bad. Also, who the hell made their out of conference schedule? Seriously, what the f? Creighton, Denver, and Charlotte? We already have to play Maryland, Indiana, PSU, and OSU in conference. Why schedule 3 top 15 teams? Flat out dumb and destroys your team's confidence out of the gate.
Mens soccer
- Thread starter biazza38
- Start date
It's not only the losses, but the total lack of scoring. Three and a half games and not one goal. Not one.
This team looks awful. How did they get this bad this fast?
Can't see this team winning a conference game. 4-0 and not a chance of scoring.
What's Donnigan's contract like? In year 7 this isn't acceptable.
Can't see this team winning a conference game. 4-0 and not a chance of scoring.
What's Donnigan's contract like? In year 7 this isn't acceptable.
I decided to watch the game today against Michigan State.to see what kind of team Rutgers has this season.Sadly,it was a embarrassing game to watch because Rutgers has no offense .Quite frankly the 1-0 score could have been 5-0 in the first half except for the Rutgers goal keeper who made some very good saves.In the second half the score went to 4-0 in favor of Michigan State and it was like men playing against boys.Obviously, there is a lack of talent at Rutgers and it looks like this will be a very long season.
I guess the schedule up until tonight has been difficult. I only watched the first half and while we only gave up a late first half goal, the pressure from MSU became more significant as the half progressed. We did little in the offensive end to create chances and we seemed vulnerable to the long ball in transition. The announcer suggested we had little depth. I guess the second half was more of a debacle and still not a goal.
Every college team will lose players to graduation. It is the managers job to replace them. Donigan has done a poor job of attracting in state talent over the last couple of years and did not prepare adequately for the big losses to graduation that happened after last year. The loss of Sa is huge but one player should not have that big of an impact.
The recruit locally paradigm is out-dated. Mr. Magoo thinking. To win championships you need top-flight players. Does not matter where they are from, and the chances that NJ has enough of these top-flight players year-to-year (particularly those who want to "stay home" for their college experience) for sustained championship level play is not the case. Rutgers is their own worst recruiting enemy. Men's basketball here is the strongest evidence of those failures.
PDA and NY Redbulls have the best talent in the country. Between the two they have won 3 academy national championships in the last 4 years. Park your butt at both places all spring and see what you find. The northeast to soccer is like Florida is to college football, Reasso's great teams were loaded with Jersey talent Muller, Dicuollo, Rammel, Zaun and Lopes were all from NJ. Structure a program that is geared to the development of professional players and they will come. Get them enough time on the ball in the off season and commit to a professional style of play and the best players will stay home. Convince NY Redbulls that it is in their interest to keep the kids close and convince the PDA people that you will do more then kick and run and they will help RU keep the kids home. NJ has a unique and almost cultish youth soccer community that needs to be cultivated and included. The passionate following that we see in wrestling is there for the taking in NJ in soccer. Instead of playing away in places like Carolina or Upstate NY on Labor Day weekend, hold the NJ College Cup on Friday and Sunday night on Labor Day Weekend. Invite Princeton, Monmouth and Seton Hall and watch the local interest grow. Send our kids to the biggest NJ Labor Day Tournaments on Saturday where they can sign autographs and pass out posters and schedules. Make Friday Night games a happening once again at RU,
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So what are the challenges facing RU Soccer in recruiting over the last decade? Is it coaches? facilities? kids just wanting out of Jersey?
They looked like a completely different team out there tonight. Maybe there is hope for the season. $$$$
Injuries and graduations in the wrong spots have crushes us this year. I believe we are without 5 expected starters. No excuses for the 2 blowouts, at all, but hopefully tonight's game gets them back into things mentally.
BTW - we DID get to the B1G semis and 2nd round of the NCAA's last year. Apparently a couple of you already forgot that? Not happy with this season, don't get me wrong, just pointing things out.
BTW - we DID get to the B1G semis and 2nd round of the NCAA's last year. Apparently a couple of you already forgot that? Not happy with this season, don't get me wrong, just pointing things out.
It's all about recruiting. Brian Hawkins was a great get two years ago, but this past year's class was barely D1 level. Compare and contrast - RU Womens Soccer had a monster class this year and a number of those Frosh are contributing big time including one who is third in the entire NCAA in assists. But even beyond recruiting, the Mens team looks lost and uncoached.
0-6 now with Indiana next
Graduation is expected and needs to be offset with recruiting
Injury problems can only be offset with depth. We have 3 starters out with injury right now Sa, Hawkins and Hacket
Romario Thompson is a JUCO that has yet to play, I believe that there must be an eligibility issue with him
Graduation is expected and needs to be offset with recruiting
Injury problems can only be offset with depth. We have 3 starters out with injury right now Sa, Hawkins and Hacket
Romario Thompson is a JUCO that has yet to play, I believe that there must be an eligibility issue with him
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How ugly is this 2016 season going to be? They certainly did not seem to build on the good effort against Maryland. Speaking of likely ugly outcomes, womens volleyball at home this week against Penn State. Yikes!
will be interesting to see what Hobbs does/doesn't do. Says or doesn't say regarding Mens Soccer.
Of course he will get primarily judged on football, basketball, and fundraising.
But I am curious to see what he does here.
I get all of the challenges that DD has faced this year. But as someone said above...the program should be a bit more stable right now.
lets see what happens.
Of course he will get primarily judged on football, basketball, and fundraising.
But I am curious to see what he does here.
I get all of the challenges that DD has faced this year. But as someone said above...the program should be a bit more stable right now.
lets see what happens.
Men's soccer should be one of RU's premier sports, given the talent here in NJ. The right coach would have us at about where RU wrestling is at the moment but in a conference that is not nearly so ferocious for men's soccer as it is for wrestling. I really hoped the Donigan would be that coach, based upon his Steinert pedigree and his success at SLU. It looked as though he had turned the corner last season but this season is shaping up to be a disaster.
I do hope that Hobbs will analyze the situation very carefully. Hopefully, those with more knowledge of the program than I have will make sure that Hobbs is aware of the great legacy of Rutgers men's soccer and some of the great players who were part of it.
I do hope that Hobbs will analyze the situation very carefully. Hopefully, those with more knowledge of the program than I have will make sure that Hobbs is aware of the great legacy of Rutgers men's soccer and some of the great players who were part of it.
It's my understanding that men's soccer is one of the sports that the administration expects to be very competitive in nationally.
You could stomach these results if you saw recruiting going well, That doesn't appear to be the case. Losing and being competitive is one thing. Getting embarrassed and going winless in conference is another. I am not sure how that can be reconciled.
You could stomach these results if you saw recruiting going well, That doesn't appear to be the case. Losing and being competitive is one thing. Getting embarrassed and going winless in conference is another. I am not sure how that can be reconciled.
As I have been saying for years, your coach had to connect with the top local academies .
Donigan has 1 top 30 recruiting class in his time at Rutgers I knew this because I had seen most of the local kids over the years and my research confirmed my opinion College Soccer News had one class ranked at 27 but no other in the top 35. It's no surprise that he is struggling I don't believe that he can be successful long term at Rutgers unless he can turn this trend around.
Donigan has 1 top 30 recruiting class in his time at Rutgers I knew this because I had seen most of the local kids over the years and my research confirmed my opinion College Soccer News had one class ranked at 27 but no other in the top 35. It's no surprise that he is struggling I don't believe that he can be successful long term at Rutgers unless he can turn this trend around.
when a team plays as poorly as this you cannot fire all the players. So its time for a new coach
This team has the passing skills of a u12 travel team.... that is on him and last year was the same
This team has the passing skills of a u12 travel team.... that is on him and last year was the same
Here's the record for the entire season:
0-2 Creighton (home)
0-1 Denver (home)
0-5 Charlotte (road)
0-4 Michgan State (road) 0-4 start, 0 goals scored, -12 gd
1-2 Maryland (home) (OT)
1-3 Ohio State (road)
0-0 Indiana (home) today
Record 0-6-1, 2 goals for, 17 against.
Sorry, I don't expect RU to make the NCAA's every year, but this is totally unacceptable - IMO. Perhaps there are mitigating circumstances, but this team is basically uncompetitive other than occassionally dialing up a strong defensive effort. Certainly Indiana and Maryland are great traditional soccer powers. Creighton, Denver and Charlotte are all highly ranked, so kudos on a scheduling a top-line schedule, but sorry 2-17 doesn't cut it. Not even close.
So tonight they play #15 FGCU at home and are down 5-0 at one point. They wind up losing 6-5 as Jason Wright scores 3. You know things are going bad when they score 5 and still lose given they had scored 2 goals in seven prior games this season.
FYI - FGC is the top-scoring team in the nation and #16 in the NCAA Coach's Rankings. I gotta check but we may have played the hardest schedule in the nation thus far. We are 0-3-1 against the top 10, 0-4-1against top15 RPI, 0-6-1 vs top 25, 0-7-1 overall. Rough. Crazy things is we played much better against the 4 higher ranked teams - Maryland (1), Indiana (6), Denver (8), and Creighton (10), than the other 3 games (FGCU, MSU, OSU). 3 worst games (Charlitte, MSU, OSU) on the road.
We have lost to 1 non- RPI top 25 (OSU). No excuses, it sucks, but that's a damn tough slate.
http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-men/d1
We have lost to 1 non- RPI top 25 (OSU). No excuses, it sucks, but that's a damn tough slate.
http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-men/d1
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I was wondering about this - it has seemed like every game has been against a ranked team so far this year. Will things lighten up a bit?
As usual i see alot of complaining, but I have a legitimate question.
How much of this can also be attributed to age and relative youth?
The junior and Senior Classes as I recall were average, but the last 2 classes (Fr & So) were pretty good.
Is this just a growing pains issue combined with injury losses, or is it something bigger?
I am a firm believer that you should not always look at record as a sign of things being good or bad in the program. Especially in Olympic Sports.
How much of this can also be attributed to age and relative youth?
The junior and Senior Classes as I recall were average, but the last 2 classes (Fr & So) were pretty good.
Is this just a growing pains issue combined with injury losses, or is it something bigger?
I am a firm believer that you should not always look at record as a sign of things being good or bad in the program. Especially in Olympic Sports.
ECO in response we have played:
Maryland (1)
Indiana (6)
Denver (8)
Creighton (10)
Charlotte (14)
FGCU (15)
Mich State (25)
OSU (unranked)
Left to play (NONE are ranked or "receiving votes" as of 9/29):
Wisconsin (4-2-1)
Princeton (4-3)
Michigan (1-6-3)
Northwestern (2-6-1)
NJIT (4-4-2)
Penn St (4-4-1)
Columbia (4-2)
Bradley (2-7-1)
...not exactly a "who's who" of men's soccer.
Maryland (1)
Indiana (6)
Denver (8)
Creighton (10)
Charlotte (14)
FGCU (15)
Mich State (25)
OSU (unranked)
Left to play (NONE are ranked or "receiving votes" as of 9/29):
Wisconsin (4-2-1)
Princeton (4-3)
Michigan (1-6-3)
Northwestern (2-6-1)
NJIT (4-4-2)
Penn St (4-4-1)
Columbia (4-2)
Bradley (2-7-1)
...not exactly a "who's who" of men's soccer.
Nuts...... Was thinking about you today with everything going on in Hoboken. Seeing your post makes me know you are OK. 
Here's hoping some winning momentum to end the season - but zero points and until the FSGC match, only two goals scored all season is still not acceptable. One of the FSGC players now holds the fastest hat trick in NCAA history (under 10 minutes) thanks to us. Yuck.