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I Am Sure You Know . . .

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Post by wrv Fri May 16, 2008 7:59 pm

. .. about the Pilots highly rated recruiting class. If you needed confirmation, SoccerBuzz offers this comment:

http://soccerbuzz.com/recruits08/confbreakdown.htm#westcoast

Go Pilots!

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Post by Geezaldinho Fri May 16, 2008 10:30 pm

Yeah, I saw the list. I guess it's gratifying, but I'm betting you feel sort of like I do.
We've been talking about our kids for over a year now. But somehow the buzz ranking really doesn't excite me a whole lot.

More important to me is how those players will fill the needs of the program and how they will blossom into memorable D1 players who will play up to their potentials. (I feel pretty good about it). I'm including Kreminski, who Buzz didn't even mention.

The classic example I guess is the famous 2001 class of Jessica Heller, Linsey Huie, Kristen Moore, Kristen Rogers, and of course, Christine Sinclair. That class was ranked 5th or 6th, and players were instrumental in 2 championships. I'd stack them up against any other school's class of that era. Fact is, if you saw Christine play for around 10 minutes you should have ranked any class she was in #1. The players who joined her still rank among the best ever. I sure rank them above the #1 and #2 classes that year.
They weren't the only example, either.

I suppose next week we'll get a 6-15 ranking from Buzz compared to the other colleges.

To me it will mean about as much ...
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Post by wrv Sat May 17, 2008 9:17 am

I think the comparison of recruiting in the WCC and the confirmation that even SoccerBuzz opines the Pilots bested Santa Clara is both interesting and new, albeit about a thoroughly discussed topic. I have always felt that SoccerBuzz had/may still have a bias in evaluating our recruits versus Santa Clara. For instance, I think we had a stronger class last year but sure enough the Buzz suggested otherwise.

I continue to be grateful for your constant updates, insights and cheerful asides here even if feeling like you is something I hesistate to admit, but in a weak moment . . .

On your point that the development of the recruits is more important than one enthusiastic soccer sites views, I agree . . .Kreminski is an ommission I hope we can confirm ourselves to be a glaring one in a couple of years. The failure to rate the Sinclair class #1 in the country either reflects a lack of knowledge or a bias. I assume they did not know enough about Christine. I do note that they rated the class and players of USC quite highly two to three years ago, and you know what USC did this year . . .

Go Pilots!


Last edited by wrv on Sat May 17, 2008 9:48 am; edited 1 time in total

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Post by ninjapizza Sat May 17, 2008 9:35 am

I don't think Canadians can be/are ranked by these US-based sites.

I think this came up the year Kara Lang was a freshman. Everyone regarded her as the #1 recruit, but it wasn't really reflected on any lists because she's Canadian. I think maybe Amy Rodriguez was considered #1 that year, instead. That's not really a hugely controversial selection, though.
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Post by GUPhantom Sat May 17, 2008 11:34 am

I'd certainly rate the 2003 class right up there as one of the most talented and productive group of players assembled...with Angie, Steph, Lisa, Cori..etc! Throw in Megan Rapinoe (who I always consider part of this in-coming class anyway...and I'd say this class was the best overall).

Portland Ruth Gilliam G Portland OR Lincoln HS Oregon City Herricanes
Portland Cori Alexander G Martinez CA College Park HS Pleasanton Rage
Portland Elsa Hume F Victoria BC Canada Claremont HS Lower Island Metro
Portland Stephanie Lopez D Elk Grove CA Elk Grove HS Elk Grove United
Portland Becca Meierbachtol M Hood River OR Hood River Valley HS FC Portland
Portland Lisa Sari M Longview WA Mark Morris HS FC Royals
Portland Jennifer Tuttle F Cupertino CA Presentation HS
Portland Angie Woznuk F El Cajon CA Univ of San Diego HS San Diego Surf
Portland Kari Evans D Glendale AZ Mountain Ridge HS Sereno

GO PILOTS!!!
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Post by purple haze Sat May 17, 2008 1:38 pm

What these rankings suggest -- even though flawed, as is any arbitrary sytem -- is that the Pilots should be WCC and NCAA title contenders for another 3-4 years. All it takes is the recruits playing up to potential, avoiding injuries, gelling as a team, sublimating egos, learning and improving, not having too many players called up to national teams, avoiding transfers to other schools, not griping about playing road playoff games, retaining the top coaching staff, exploting lucky bounces, seizing opportunities ... and a lot more involving luck, fate and character.

We'll know more when the games are played on the field, not in someone's fantasy league. We'll all be watching great soccer whatever the score.

I get worried when too much emphasis is put on rating high school players as young as sophomores. Women's soccer is refreshingly different from the men's sports obsessions such as baseball (overanalyzed statistics), football (overanalyzed draft picks) and basketball (overanalyzed salaries). I enjoy watching Pilot players develop over the course of a college career.
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Post by UPSoccerFanatic Wed May 21, 2008 5:36 pm

Here are two interesting data tidbits from the Soccer Buzz ratings:

(1) Of the players rated in the top 100 by Buzz, 30 = 30% are going to West Region schools. The West Region comprises 15% of the Division I schools that have womens' soccer.

(2) Of those 100 players, 11 = 11% are going to West Coast Conference schools. The WCC comprises 2 1/2% of the Division I schools with women's soccer.
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Post by wrv Wed May 21, 2008 8:28 pm

Well now that I did not know--an interesting comment on recruiting in the west, at least in 2008. It would be interesting to see how that statistical analysis across a period of years. Are you suggesting that women's college soccer is stronger in the west? Hmmn . . .

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Post by UPSoccerFanatic Wed May 21, 2008 9:40 pm

Who me, suggest that women's college soccer is stronger in the West?

You might want to see the very long technical paper I wrote on the NCAA's ratings percentage index and its relation to the West Region for the 2007 season. If you're interested, use the following link, go to the first blog entry on the link, and download the attached paper: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=650592&page=5 Rolling Eyes
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