Let’s fill in the first-round bracket
by pinella
Montgomery will rely a lot on its goalie Megan Herring in the NCS Div. I playoffs that start on Wednesday.
Begone college baskeball and your March Madness!
We have high school soccer and a little November Nirvana!
At any rate, boys and girls gather around, get out your pencils and worksheets (make that brackets) and here we go..
Div. III
Girls
RVC 3, Calistoga 2
Fort Bragg 4, Clear Lake 0
Cloverdale 2, Roseland Prep 0
St. Helena 3, St. Bernard 0
Boys
Marin Academy 6, Fremont Christian 0
International 4, Drew School 3
Calistoga 4, Bentley 3
Head-Royce 3, Fort Bragg 2
Branson 4, St. Helena 2
Roseland Prep 3, College Prep 1
Anderson Valley 3, Sonoma Academy 1
RVC 3, SF University 2 (PKs)
Div. I
Girls
Sonoma Valley 3, Eureka 1
Ursuline 3, Arcata 2
Petaluma 4, Fortuna 0
Boys
Marin Catholic 5, Redwood 1
Analy 3, Maria Carrillo 2
Terra Linda 3, Piner 0
Elsie Allen 2, Montgomery 1
Santa Rosa 4, Healdsburg 1
Sonoma Valley 3, Tamalpias 1
Windsor 4, Arcata 0
Casa Grande 3, Drake 2
Where are the responses to the bold predictions? I have to chuckle over the MC/Redwood prediction knowing that MC had to come from behind in the last 15 minutes to beat Redwood 2-1 in the MCAL Semi-Finals and that Redwood bit MC 3-2 in league play for one of their 2 losses. If MC can hang 5 goals on Redwood, everyone better start worrying.
by Southland guy
only 4-0 for windsor ok has arcata played on turf right? i think windsor to good but cant wait for playoffs
by Daniel
We are seeing Bill’s inside promotion of the Monty keeper for MVP. Brace yourselves….he’s got friends. Note the picture above.
You heard it first here…..elevating medicocraty to heights heretofore unseen.
by it's starting
You are on point “Southland guy”!! Believe me…Marin Catholic wants nothing to do with Redwood. It shall be interesting, indeed.
I will be shocked if Tamalpais gives up three goals against Sonoma Valley. Having coached against both schools over the years, I can tell you that Tam’s defense is probably the most organized in the entire section. Sonoma has talent, and playing on their home field will be huge…but expect this game to be decided in PKs or overtime.
Casa Grande will host Drake, despite being a much lower seed…it baffles me how much of an advantage it is to have lighted fields!! I expect this game to be very close as well, given the fact that Drake can score with the best of them, and Casa’s goalkeeper can shut down the best of them..toss up for sure.
Montogomery is one of those teams that you hate to play against. Coach Dunn always goes out of his way to schedule brutal preseason/nonleague games, and it is in the post-season that this always pays off. Don’t be surprised if this bears fruit yet again. Teams that have blown up records with no substance…watch out for battle tested, hungry teams!!
by MCAL Coach
MCAL Coach has tam gotten new players or something?
by Soccer fan
D1 Girls
Sonoma 1, Eureka 2 Eureka is due, Sonoma is too weak
Ursuline 1, Arcata 2 UHS doesn’t like to “inconvenienced”….travelling
Petaluma 5, Fortuna Fortuna will think they ran into a buzz saw.
D1 Boys
Marin Catholic 5, Redwood 0 no chance Redwood. Stick to lacrosse
Analy 3, Maria Carrillo 0 The mighty have fallen
Terra Linda 2, Piner 1 TL is too deep
Elsie Allen 3, Montgomery 0 Monty has no legs
Santa Rosa 4, Healdsburg 0 JMac to much for the haplessH’s
Sonoma Valley 2, Tamalpias 1 Sonoma is on minor roll
Windsor 4, Arcata 0 refer to buzz saw comment above
Casa Grande 1, Drake 0 Drake, Schmake…..no chance
by First round picker
to it is Starting! That is a cool shot re Megan Herring! All the area’s goalies seem to be well trained. In fact a lot of them are playing in college! Montgomery goalie is playing at SSU. Past Ursuline keepers are playing at Dominican, Santa Clara, Long Beach and Uof San Diego. SR has a keep at Cal and one in the past at SSU. Petaluma has one at Davis. Casa has one at JC, Windsor has one at Dominican, Carrillo one at USD, and Middletown at Long Beach. And that is just the ladies!
by i luv goalies
MC may not win by 5 goals vs Redwood, but they will be in control of the game, and win handily.
Sonoma’s field, not their usual horrible pitch, but the american football
field, is narrow and Tam may not be able to adjust. If Tam packs it in and
goes for counter, they may have a chance – Sonoma by a goal.
Drake takes Casa by 2.
TL and SR are victorious.
Other teams I have not seen.
by e. zabala
Ok…it seems like the whole world (or at least the Soccer world) has been waiting for Fanatico’s picks so here they are:
Lets start witht the D3 girls since Fanatico has seen a couple game on the D3 slate…he has seen RVC and RUP as well as CL girls play:Girls
RVC 4, Calistoga 1
Fort Bragg 4, Clear Lake 2
Cloverdale 1, Roseland Prep 3
St. Helena 2, St. Bernard 0
D3 Boys:Fanatico has also seen his share of D3 boys games as well….
Marin Academy 8, Fremont Christian 0-MA is tough….and they could compete in D1
International 1, Drew School 0- These teams tied the last time they played….so let Fanatico toss a coing…ok IHS wins..
Calistoga 4, Bentley 2-both strong schools but will go with CHS…
Head-Royce 3, Fort Bragg 1-HR is too strong for the Timberwolves
Branson 3, St. Helena 1- the Bulls play everyone hard…including D1 schools…
Roseland Prep 2, College Prep 0-Keep in the the Southwest…RUP all the way here…coach Garcia is doing good things there…
Anderson Valley 3, Sonoma Academy 1-Love the Panthers…they too can compete against many D1 schools.
RVC 0, SF University 2- University always plays everyone tough….there is nothing different here.
D1 Girls:
Sonoma Valley 2, Eureka 0- Trip up North could be tough but SVHS should prevail.
Ursuline 2, Arcata 1-Coach Gilson will have the Bears ready for this one..
Petaluma 5, Fortuna 0- Fortuna trip back home will be a long one..
D1 Boys
Marin Catholic 1, Redwood 2- Wildcats won one and Redwood won one..here is the rubber match…is Redwood ready to shock the world…what the heck….Fanatico says YES….
Analy 1, Maria Carrillo 2- MCHS has something to prove…they backed into the play offs but they had some good games this year…Analy also backed in….Fanatico will go with MCHS.
Terra Linda 3, Piner 1- Piner is just glad to be in the play offs but they are showing up to turn some heads…TL has too much experience in the play offs….Fanatico goes for TL.
Elsie Allen 2, Montgomery 1- This one could go the other way…MHS always plays EAHS tough…EAHS is playing tough the last week…it should continue on Wed.
Santa Rosa 4, Healdsburg 0-Santa Rosa has something to prove…their #2 seed…they will score and often.
Sonoma Valley 2, Tamalpias 1-Which SVHS team will show up…the one who lost to WHS 7-2 or the one who beat WHS 2-1…Fanatico says the second one…
Windsor 5, Arcata 0-WHS should prevail…
Casa Grande 1, Drake 2- Casa beat Drake once….but wed…Drake will return the favor….
Those are Fanatico’s picks…we shall speak on Thursday…FANATICO OUT!!
by Fanatico
Several players on Monty are contenders for MVP and none of them are any more mediocre than the ofttimes mentioned defender from SR.
by dsmith
“Elevating medicocraty to heights heretofore unseen?” That comment be the author who calls himself/herself “It’s Starting”. Isn’t the word you were looking to use spelled: mediocrity? With that comment about the Montgomery HS goalie I think the mediocrity is in your analysis. All she has done is lead the Vikings to #1 in the area, displayed a combination of toughness and intelligence in goal that hasn’t been seen in a while…and oh yeah, will be playing collegiate soocer next year. Her record speaks for itself, doesn’t need promoting, and certainly doesn’t need someone saying tooting the horn of the best goalie in the area is “elevating medicocraty to heights heretofore unseen”. The only plausible explanation is either a. you were a frustrated goalie who never saw game action or b. your own child is being overshadowed buy the great play of the Viking goalie. Cheers to the great season in goal by Meg Herring.
by Reality Check
it would make my day to see both MC’s in boys 1 go down
by Daniel
Reality Check? It takes an entire team to when a game! When the defense lets in maybe an average of 7 shots on goal and a keeper saves those 7 that is great. What about the keeper who has lets say 20 or 30 shots on goal and saves about 18? Makes you think about it more huh? The one’s who work harder are the better goalie!!! And, who decides the MVP, ALL LEAGUE PLAYERS etc? Is it the coaches? Players? Or these bloggers promoting “certain ” players all season?????
by confused
RIGHT ON CONFUSED. I CAN TELL YOU A GOALIE THAT TAKES QUITE A FEW SHOTS PER GAME AND HAS ALLOWED VERY FEW GOALS. THE WOMEN’S GOALIE FROM RANCHO COTATE. SHE MUST HAVE STOPPED THAT MANY SHOTS AGAINST THEIR LAST GAME WITH MONTY. MONTY’S GOALIE, YOU COULD COUNT ON ONE HAND. PUT THESE OTHER GOALIE’S ON A .500 TEAM OR LESS AND I CAN BET YOU WOULDN’T BE TALKING ABOUT THEM.
by VIDDLEMAN
BY THE WAY, THE RANCHO GOALIE HAS MADE AN ALL LEAGUE TEAM TWO YEARS IN A ROW,AS A SOPHOMORE AND A JUNIOR. HAVE ANY OTHER GOALIES IN THE LEAGUE ACCOMPLISHED THIS?
by VIDDLEMAN
Here’s what I see on the keeper comments. As I read the initial comment…it’s not a negative comment on keepers, boys or girls. There is no question….there have been numerous top keepers, no doubt. Some of you folks are too sensitive and far too willing to get nasty..
What I read….speculation that a keeper could be ‘picked’ as the MVP of the NBL. If in fact that is the case…..the question that might be in folk’s mind could be……is that player the most valuable player in the league? Would that team have a different outcome if there was another player in that spot….let’s say for half the season? This will be true of whoever is ‘picked’…whether it’s a forward, middie or defender.
It’s a reasonable question. Think about it….the MVP is the “best” player in the league. NBL isn’t intelligent enough to break this out to best offensive and best defensive player, even though vastly different skills are needed in these areas. They just pick the “best”. Imagine this. ‘hey, vote for my player this year, I’ll vote for yours next year’.
And who decides this anyway…..3 or 4 coaches who show up to a post season meeting? The same 3 or 4 coaches every year. Seems a bit corrupt to me if that’s the case knowing the personalities and horse trading that could/would take place.
Solution:
Have the players decide……what a novel idea. They see all the players…..they bang heads and shoulders with all the players. They know who is best. It would be too simple to hand out a ballot with all the teams with all their players and let the players decide. Eliminate the corruption. Eliminate the egos. Eliminate the controversy.
by 1Coach
You are correct none should be talking about them if their on a sub 500 team. I get your point, these kids don’t get much recognition, and I am sure make many saves. These goal keepers from these sub 500 teams can allow three or more goal against in a game and still, everyone will say how great they played. The goal keeper on a winning team does not have that luxury, If they allow even two goals in a game their team loses! So while the sub 500 goalie is making lots of saves and losing, the goal keeper on the winning team is in a tight game where every save matters.
by SCL FAN
Reality Check
Lemme see if I have this right……you said
“All she has done is lead the Vikings to #1 in the area, displayed a combination of toughness and intelligence in goal that hasn’t been seen in a while…and oh yeah, will be playing collegiate soocer [sic] next year”.
Lead the Vikings? Most valuable player in the league? Really? Do you really think that? Lead the Vikings?
I heard there are a couple more that will be playing “collegiate soocer” next year from the NBL…..could they be considered top players too? I heard some were even heavily recruited for soocer by a number of schools.
No one is saying that player isn’t a good keeper…..but MVP?
by some reality
YOU ALSO HAVE TO TAKE IN ACCOUNT THE DEFENSE IN FRONT OF YOUR GOALIE. IF YOU HAVE A GREAT DEFENSE YOUR GOALIE STANDS AROUND FOR HALF THE GAME OR MORE. DOES THIS CONSTITUTE A GREAT GOALIE?
by VIDDLEMAN
A great goalie is part of that great defense, organizing, playing off line, playing with their feet as an outlet, starting the attack with a good long pass, etc. Oh yea, why are you yelling?
by SCL FAN
NOT NECESSARILY. YOU CAN HAVE A GREAT DEFENSE AND GREAT OFFENSE AND A OKAY GOALIE AND STILL HAVE A WINNING TEAM. JUST BECAUSE A TEAM WINS DOESN’T MEAN A GOALIE IS SOULY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WIN.
by VIDDLEMAN
For those of us who are older futbol fanaticos (fans from this word)
‘goalies’ does not make grade.
They are Goal Keepers or Keepers. Hence on the pitch when you hear
a GK yell ‘keeper’ and not ‘goalie’ there is a meaning…..
Goalies are for ice hockey fans.
If you are a GK, I know you understand.
Yours in Futbol
by e. zabala
e. zabala *** Good point.
And in every other country but USA, that would be the #1 Position.
by MY sons a keeper
VIDDLEMAN(Gary, is that you? LOL)? Turn off your caps, yelling doesn’t help!
by LOL
NO IT’S NOT GARY. SORRY TO DISAPOINT YOU. AND I ALWAYS TYPE IN CAPS. MAKES IT EASIER FOR ME TO TYPE. SORRY IF YOU THINK I AM YELLING, I AM JUST TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE OPEN THEIR MINDS TO ALL THE OTHER GREAT PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE. THEY DESERVE JUST AS MUCH CREDIT.
by VIDDLEMAN
STOP DOING IT VIDDLEMAN…IT’S IRRITATING PLUS YOUR EXCUSE IS BALONEY.
by 1Coach
So am to understand that the keys on your computer get bigger when you use caps. HOLY SMOKES IT WORKS!!!
by SCL FAN