soccer update numero dos

TIU Women's soccer schedule and results.

Here are some interesting statistics (after the 2006 season) that we like to flaunt (they are listed on the front page of the women's soccer site):

1. Won 15 or more games for ten consecutive seasons (1997-2006)
2. Qualified for a National Championship Tournament (NAIA or NCCAA) for the last nine seasons consecutively (1998-2006)
3. Won two NCCAA National Championships (1998 and 2004)
4. Cumulative Team Grade Point Average of 3.10
5. Finished with a Final NAIA National Ranking of # 17 for the last two seasons (2005 and 2006)
6. CCAC Conference Champions (1997, 1998, 1999, 2005)
7. CCAC Conference Tournament Champions (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005)
8. Advanced to CCAC Conference Tournament Championship Game for ten consecutive seasons(1997-2006)
9. Two Michelle Akers NCCAA National Players of the Year (1999-Rachel Verhoef; 2006-Ashleigh Dellos)
10. Qualified for the NAIA Regional Tournament for eight consecutive seasons (1999-2006)

This year we have eliminated a few of these attractive recruiting points, and some are undetermined:

1. We are currently at 9 wins -- to win 15 or more we will have to win a National Championship Tournament.
2. We have yet to qualify for a National Championship Tournament (still can!)
6. We took third in CCAC
7. Did not win CCAC Tournament
8. Did not advance to CCAC Tournament Championship (lost in quarterfinal 4-2 to Robert Morris)
10. We DID qualify for the NAIA Regional Tournament -- this will be the 9th consecutive season!

We play St Xavier TONIGHT at 7pm at St Xavier. This game will determine our post-season play for the next three weeks. If we win we will continue to the Regional semifinal. If we lose we will most likely compete in the NCCAA Region VII Tournament (to get into the NCCAA National Tournament).

We earned a bid to the NAIA Regional Tournament quarterfinal (game tonight against Xavier) by our third-place conference title and our Longo Rating (adjusted results -- I am not going to explain, because I can’t). Other teams, such as Judson, earn their way to a Regional tournament by winning a Conference tournament.

On Senior Day Oct. 21 we lost to Robert Morris in the Conference Tournament quarterfinal. The post-game speech went something like “you lacked discipline and you lacked urgency.” Coach Gilliam went on to tell us that we had nothing promised to us concerning the future of our postseason and set the mood “the season’s over and let’s honor the seniors.”

I think I was the only senior who was not crying. I knew it wasn’t over. I also think we were getting business done, as usual, on the field until the second half when RMC went on a four-goal scoring spree in a span of 15 minutes or less. Yes, 15 minutes of a lack of discipline. It was pathetic to watch. We crashed their defensive third for the next 30, nearly scoring a handful of goals – a lack of urgency? – but only chipped away one. That’s how my collegiate soccer career “ended.”

Coach likes to call our bid to NAIA Regionals a "second-chance." That's bull dust. We earned our Longo Rating, despite our deceptive record. And we took third in the CCAC. This is our first chance at the 2007 Regional Tournament and we earned it just like every other team competing.