Moline's Musings

Soccer Tuesday 9-22

Posted by: Brian Moline

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 2:24 PM

Another Tuesday is upon us, which means it's time to take a look at the world of women's soccer.  Polls come out on Monday and Tuesday, and the results are mixed this week for the Fighting Illini, as they appear in two of the four national surveys.  We'll start with the poll most often referenced by those in media and sports information circles, the NSCAA Top 25.  Alas, the Illini don't make the cut this week, even after two wins over the weekend.  They are among the top teams receiving votes, and a win against Minnesota this weekend may be enough to bounce them back into the rankings next week.  As for the Big Ten this week, three teams are in the top 25, led by Purdue, who dropped four spots to #15 after a tie against Milwaukee on Friday.  That's the same Milwaukee team that the Illini dispatched 3-1 on Sunday.  Also making the cut are Indiana, up three spots to #19, and Ohio State up four notches to #21.  Joining the Illini in the "receiving votes" category is Michigan State.  Once again, Penn State is not receiving any votes this week, and the Nittany Lions will open up Big Ten play at Michigan State in what should be a very interesting matchup.

The other poll that leaves Illinois out this week is Soccer America.  They like Michigan State more than most, ranking the Spartans at #13, which is down two spots from last week.  A quick note about Michigan State's non-conference schedule:  calling it soft would be an insult to soft schedules everywhere.  MSU left the state for only two of its eight matches, and only one was against an NCAA Tournament team from last season (UC Santa Barbara).  The Spartans tied the Gauchos in California, and also tied Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti.  So, it would be safe to take MSU's 6-0-2 start with a grain of salt.  I'll start taking the Spartans seriously if they get a win over Penn State on Sunday.  Now that the rant is over, the Spartans are joined by Indiana, up three spots to #19, plus Ohio State and Purdue, tied at #25. 

Meanwhile, Illinois drops one spot in this week's Soccer Times poll, from #20 to #21.  Purdue is the top Big Ten team, but they dropped seven spots to #18, while Michigan State fell one spot to #24.  Indiana and Penn State both received votes in this coaches poll.

Last, but not least, is the Top Drawer Soccer poll, which ranks the 64 teams they think will make the NCAA Tournament.  Illinois has appeared here all season, and this week they're up six spots to #29.  Joining the Illini from the Big Ten are Michigan State, down two spots to #13; Penn State, up a spot to #22; Indiana, jumping from #36 to #31; Ohio State, up eight spots to #33; and Purdue, falling from #28 to #36.

Let's take a look at what happened in the last weekend before Big Ten play:

Thursday September 17

BYU 2 Northwestern 1

Friday September 18

Illinois 2 Loyola IL 0

Purdue 1 Milwaukee 1

Michigan State 2 Kent State 0

Ohio State 2 North Texas 0

Santa Clara 2 Wisconsin 1

Indiana 2 Green Bay 0

Iowa 2 Iowa State 0

Minnesota 4 Nevada 1

Sunday September 20

Illinois 3 Milwaukee 1

Ohio State 2 Toledo 0

Penn State 2 James Madison 0

Michigan State 1 Eastern Michigan 1

Notre Dame 2 Northwestern 0

Iowa 3 Northern Iowa 0

Michigan 1 Miami FL 0

Minnesota 1 Montana 0

Stanford 6 Wisconsin 0

Best weekend:  Michigan.  The Wolverines were dominated statistically in their match against Miami of Florida.  However, Michigan came out on top where it counted most, on the scoreboard.  That was a huge win for Greg Ryan and Michigan program that has struggled to start the season.  The Wolverines are now 5-5 on the season, and have a little momentum heading into the conference season.

Worst weekend:  Michigan State.  When you play a nonconference schedule as soft as the Spartans have, you can't afford to slip up.  That's what they did on Sunday at Eastern Michigan in a 1-1 tie.  At this point, no one on MSU's nonconference schedule appears to be an NCAA tournament team.  The Spartans will find out quickly that Big Ten competition is a bit stiffer, as eleven-time defending conference champ Penn State comes calling on Sunday.

Prediction Time

I'll once again try to pick all of the Big Ten conference matches this season.  You'll notice that there are some Thursday contests this season, including one for Illinois against Ohio State coming up on October 22.  Here are my picks for this week.  As with last year, I won't pick any ties, and my winners are in bold.

Thursday 9/24

Iowa at Minnesota.  I thought about picking the Hawkeyes in this one, but even in down years the Gophers are awfully tough at home.  Against a border rival like Iowa, I expect them to be on top of their game.

Friday 9/25

Purdue at Wisconsin.  The Boilers have had a full week to prepare, while Wisconsin is coming off a brutal road trip on the west coast.  The Badgers are still a year away from competing for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Indiana at Northwestern.  The Hoosiers have reverted to their 2007 NCAA Tournament form, while the Wildcats have struggled through the non-conference season.  The Cats' homefield advantage on the lake gives them a fighting chance.

Sunday 9/27

Penn State at Michigan State.  Some people have written off Penn State after a 4-4 start.  That's a big mistake.  This is still the most talented team in the conference, and they played a brutal non-conference schedule.  They might not be the dominating team of a few years ago, but MSU will find out the Nittany Lions are still the team to beat in the Big Ten.

Michigan at Ohio State.  Lori Foster has her Buckeyes playing well to start the season, as they look to bounce back from a lackluster 2008.  The Wolverines have gained a little confidence with two straight wins, but they have struggled away from Ann Arbor.

Indiana at Wisconsin.  I struggled with this one.  As much as Indiana has improved over last season, something tells me they won't be perfect on opening weekend away from home.  The Badgers will be desperate for a win.

Purdue at Northwestern.  It seems that Purdue rarely loses a match they're favored to win.  This one certainly qualifies.  This is a similar situation to the Indiana-Wisconsin match, in that the Wildcats will fight throughout to salvage a win at home, but in the end Purdue's superior side will take the match.

Minnesota at Illinois.  It's SoccerFest at Illinois this Sunday.  Illinois is 3-0 in this event, including a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Penn State in the inaugural SoccerFest of 2006.  The good SoccerFest mojo continues for the Illini here against the Gophers, who have struggled away from home.

Coverage this week:

I'll talk with senior Courtney Bell this week and get her thoughts on the non-conference season, and this weekend's SoccerFest.  Also, we'll be carrying this Sunday's match against Minnesota on tape delay.  It will air after St. Louis Cardinal baseball, at approximately 5pm.  Thanks for reading.

bmoline@wdws.com

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