Wofford vs UC Santa Barbara Opening Round

[dungeonjoe]

I guess all the arrogance has to go somewhere since there is no football team at SB.

[oldT-Dog]

Rifle Team is most likely doing about as good as your Water Polo Team. With only 4 scholarships in our program you guys should be embarrassed if you only win 2-0. We have no post season history and we have no pressure to win. You guys have a great soccer history and it looks like an awesome place to play. We are used to getting shafted by the NCAA it is part of playing D1 sports at a school with only 1300 kids.

I think that having two games canceled, High Point and Clemson hurt us as far as RPI, but who cares we are in uncharted territory anyway. Thanks for telling us how great your stadium and "Soccer School USA" is we'll see what happens Thursday.

[Ruckus]

These posts only further substantiate that 1) class and decorum stops at the S.C. line; 2) California needs to fall into the Pacific Ocean (or become a Mexican Province); and 3) it will be the purest form of joy and entertainment if we win.
Good luck to you too. What fine sportsmen you Gauchos appear to be.

[BigJohn94]

Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

(Never thought I'd be posting this on the Soccer thread.)

[Gauchofan]

Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

Big John-

UCSB has an education which his focused on "Facts, furthermore substantiating or refuting Theoretical claims." Religious gospel is normally dismissed as being irrelevant.

P.S. Harder stadium security will be checking for Shepherds bags filled with stones. Now that I know your secret weapon, it aint a secret anymore.

I do wish you guy's the best! Just be sure and make it competetive.

(Never thought I'd be posting this on the Soccer thread.)

[Ruckus]

We will do our best. You Gauchos make sure to show up on our board again if we win.....we know you will most certainly want to give us your congratulations, right?

[Gauchofan]

If you beat us, I promise to show up and say congrats. Then and only then would I be a poor sport.
http://www.youtube.com/UCSBGauchosAthle ... wysmpuL0zA

[gauchofire]

I'll be the nice cop I guess

Anyway, just to give you a little background about the program and UCSB: As mentioned, we don't have a football team (lost it during the great California football attrition of the 90s) so soccer is the big sport on campus played at the former footballs stadium. UCSB led in average attendance the last two years and is leading again this year with over 4,500 a game, with our biggest being slightly over 10,000 against Indiana. Partially due to great fan support, UCSB will be hosting the College Cup next year (speaking of which, we lost it in 2004 against Indiana on PKs and won against UCLA in 2006). Here's what happened on campus after UCSB won:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml8fRjDn5eM

We're coming off a bad conference tournament loss but hopefully the team has worked on what they need to. The long distance travel and the atmosphere of the stadium will probably not help Wofford. Good luck on the game and hopefully it's a good one

[Ruckus]

Wofford is a small private school of 1300 in Spartanburg, S.C. Our average SAT is score is about what our total enrollment is. We have no graduate programs but are proud to be one of the first Phi Beta Kappa charters in the country. Our team plays in our old football stadium that seats about a third of yours. We have been one of the worst teams in the SoCon since we joined in 1997; but thanks to a new coach and extreme dedication by the team we won our conference. I am sure you have nothing to worry about. In fact, your team can probably just throw their cleats on the field Thursday and win going away. I just hope we can find our way those 1,000 or so miles and get to the stadium. You know, big cities and bright lights confuse us sometimes.

[oldT-Dog]

A couple of other factors that are working against us:

1. Kickoff is 7pm PST which is 10pm ET. The team is leaving today so no real time to get acclimated.

2. It will be a tough assignment for any referee with 5,000 + screaming Gauchos, so I expect there will be some "Home Cookin' "

A couple of factors working for us:

1. Team is led by 10 seniors who have been very instrumental in guiding program through this season.

2. They have played in big time college atmospheres before. They have played @ Clemson, @ University of South Carolina, @ NC State and @ Wake either this season or in recent years.

3. The Gauchos just got beat by Irvine 4-1 bc Irvine changed the way they played you from two previous occasions. In fact reports indicate they created high pressure among your back line and this caused several uncharacteristic mistakes. Be on the look out for Kentrel Owens on our front line. He is most likely faster than anything you have in the back and his motor will not stop for the full 90+.

4. Our back line consist of speed and size with 3 of 4 being seniors and a senior goalkeeper.

As I have said before you guys should win. You have more $ in your program, greater tradition with recent trips to final four and a national championship, you are at home and we are traveling across the continental US. However, looking at your record, I don't see anyone in the top 20 that you have beat this year (see http://www.nscaa.com/seniorRes.php?it=1199 for latest rankings) with the exception of 2 close wins over Irvine but they just beat you 4-1. The other top 20 team you played, San Diego beat you 4-2. Were either of those games "Close"?

[ocgaucho]

I hardly think anything said to this point has been "classless" or "lacking in decorum", but I guess something else residing within S.C. state lines is thin skin.

You never answered gauchofan's corn or flour question, but since your Terriers are meat-eaters, we can stuff the tortillas with Pup-perronis or Snausages, but again, you'll have to let us know which you'd prefer.

[kcsbloco]

Any chance of an internet broadcast, or even a television one on some obscure channel that I might get on DirecTV?

You can hear it on the radio at http://www.kcsb.org, and we'll do our best to keep it as unbiased and impartial as possible. If you want to help, I'd love it if you'd message me some relevant facts about this Terrier squad, to make the broadcast all the better.

Thanks, and good luck on Thursday!

[lawdog]

Thanks kcsbloco,

If you go to the Wofford Athletics website and click on men's soccer, you will find a pretty complete 2009 men's soccer media guide for the Terriers. One thing that stands out is that it is an academically talented and accomplished group. Another is that they have come a long way in a short time (and hopefully can build a tradition).

BTW, I have not seen the campus, but passed through the town of Santa Barbara some years ago and thought it quite idyllic.

[Ruckus]

S.C. has thin skins or California has big mouths? Remind me again who came on who's board and started the snotty trash talk about "close games" (that's classless in my book)? Don't pick the fight if you don't want the response.

[oldT-Dog]

Agreed. Especially when "ocgaucho the clown" is critiquing our top 20 record, a close game with NC State and UCSB's top 20 record is 2-2 with two 1-0 wins and two losses being 4-1 and 4-2. Not sure why a record mostly full of branch schools in Cali makes someone quite so conceited as to tell us not to get our "panties in a wad".