Congrats to ALL who earned honors!! What GREAT news can do nothing but help recruiting!!
http://www.scarletknights.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/110615aaa.html
http://www.scarletknights.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/110615aaa.html
Wright B1G OFFENSIVE POTY!! Donigan COTY!!
- Thread starter AreYouNUTS
- Start date
Congrats to all the players named. It's been a great year. I might remind everyone that Terry Shea was also named coach of the year by the Big East coaches
Didn't mean for my post to appear so negative. In haste I didn't really convey my thoughts properly. I have been following RU athletics for over 35 years now and I have seen my share of "false prophets" Donigan has done a good job this year with the team and the players that have been recognized are all deserving. Yesterday was another good win and will probably seal a bid to the NCAAs. All I am saying is that I have seen my share of Wenzels, Grabers, and Bannons over the years and I will give it more time before I get too excited.
Just like in football, NJ recruiting is the key. We need to keep the best players in the area home. The two top academies in NJ basically have all of the best players. If you look at the rosters of the NY Redbulls and PDA academies at the U-18 level, you will basically see the the top 30-40 players in NJ and NY listed. When we get our share of these players consistently, we will have talent to match up with the Georgetowns and Marylands of the soccer world. That's the level I expect that we should be at.
Just like in football, NJ recruiting is the key. We need to keep the best players in the area home. The two top academies in NJ basically have all of the best players. If you look at the rosters of the NY Redbulls and PDA academies at the U-18 level, you will basically see the the top 30-40 players in NJ and NY listed. When we get our share of these players consistently, we will have talent to match up with the Georgetowns and Marylands of the soccer world. That's the level I expect that we should be at.
In addition to what I wrote earlier, I was fortunate enough as a Rutgers soccer fan to see the the 89,90 and 91 teams play often. Through that period, we were one of the top programs in the the country. The soccer played by those teams could be magical at times. Bob Reasso could recruit with the best of them in NJ. Dicuollo, Rammel, Lopes, Zaun, Miller, Muller, Brauclie were all top NJ players. (sorry about the spelling) Bob Reasso was a hard worker and very detail oriented, it was not by accident that he succeeded. The teams drew big crowds and the games always felt like a big event. The team will graduate Lourie, Morgan, Tainter, and Correa. You never know who else you might lose if players decide they need to move on. Donigan needs to keep a consistent flow of top NJ players to continue the progress made this year.
Football's big 2006 season and national exposure allowed the opportunity to recruit better. that was never fully realized, although playing in the crumbling Big East was one of the big reasons. Hopefully, the soccer coaches (men's & women's) can capitalize on great seasons (thus far... keep it going!) in the B1G. Any of you with teenagers know that soccer has grown tremendously in NJ in the last decade.
We all have Snowboarder, trust me, I get it. I think DD has taken a lot of steps the past couple of years, however, in the right direction both inside and outside of the program itself, to make it what it once was, and one we can all be proud of again. Fingers crossed!
