Time to look at another GK?

[GoZipsGoZips]

Opinion Requested...Is it that important for Meves’s resume to have started every game? We seldom see any playing time for GKs. I thought that maybe Western Michigan would be a good time to see another GK… but who? McAdams looked pretty tough and is apparently the second team guy… but what about Van der Merwe (6’ 4”) or Fenlason? Start McAdams… platoon the others in the second half?Also... Ohio State plays at Louisville tonight… key game. We might like OSU to win to boost our RPI rating when it comes out.

[zip37]

WHY?

[Z.I.P.]

Did you say, "We might like OSU to win."? Wow!

[fknbuflobo]

Did you say, "We might like OSU to win."? Wow!

Yes, that is correct. An OSU win knocks down Louisville further in the polls, and also bolsters Akron's RPI.

[Ando]

Having talked to the team a bit, they all seem to still think Ponikvar's the number 2.MacAdams is transferring out at the end of the semester.

[skip-zip]

Did you say, "We might like OSU to win."? Wow!

Yes, that is correct. An OSU win knocks down Louisville further in the polls, and also bolsters Akron's RPI.

Hope for a win from a sports program that already believes they are superior to us, kicked a ball at the head of one of our players last year out of frustration, and has a coach that seemed to excuse it as something minor?I have them 2nd to Ken+ on my list of schools I like to see lose. And if they didn't have an attitude like they are God's gift to college athletics, I probably wouldn't care what they were doing down there.

[Z.I.P.]

Did you say, "We might like OSU to win."? Wow!

Yes, that is correct. An OSU win knocks down Louisville further in the polls, and also bolsters Akron's RPI.

Hope for a win from a sports program that already believes they are superior to us, kicked a ball at the head of one of our players last year out of frustration, and has a coach that seemed to excuse it as something minor?I have them 2nd to Ken+ on my list of schools I like to see lose. And if they didn't have an attitude like they are God's gift to college athletics, I probably wouldn't care what they were doing down there.

Sorry Skip, but we disagree again. How ANYONE could be ahead of the State University Bullies in the "dislike" poll is beyond the Z.I.P.'s comprehension.

[GoZipsGoZips]

WHY?

Why? ???What if Meves twists an ankle and goes out for a few games? What if Meves bails on us at the end of the seaon?. Do we know that Poni is the guy to go to in 2012? Is he our #2 GK this year?We have no one with game experience aside from Poni... and we got a bunch of GKs this year for some reason. Why not give them some game experience? We have looked at a lot of other positions.Consider this... when Porter was interviewed after the Saint Louis game... he stated that Dagilis was ready... stayed sharp after playing behind Zarek... and he "brings it" every day to stay that way. You can't always count on that. With our back line... now and in the past few years... S.O.G.s are hard to come by for other teams... especially MAC teams. The last time we played WMU was the MAC Championship... and we beat them 4-0. WMU was 10-8-2 last year... they are 3-4-0 this year. Seems like a good game to give Meves some rest... and try a couple of other guys. Or... we could start Meves and platoon in the second half... provided we have a lead and no other injuries or issues.

[GoZipsGoZips]

Having talked to the team a bit, they all seem to still think Ponikvar's the number 2.MacAdams is transferring out at the end of the semester.

Cool...Nice to know that we have a 6' 5" GK for 2012. I was afraid that Poni was falling in the ranks somewhat. Porter said somewhere... maybe a video interview... that he brought some GKs in to put some pressure on Meves... so I assumed that the new guys are pretty good too.Too bad about McAdams... probably he just wants to start somehwere. Hope he does well... just not well against Akron.

[yazan07]

In my opinion, there just really isn't any point in playing another goalkeeper. GK isn't like other positions. They aren't running around as much so they really don't need to "rest a game." If anything, I would think taking them out a game would make them less sharp. From every high level of soccer I have watched, you just don't pull a keeper unless he is hurt or playing poorly. Until then, there is no reason to pull Meves. If the concern is that he may leave at the end of the season and that we need to give someone else some experience, well we will have eight months to figure out a replacement, not a problem. Putting in a backup keeper because you think that the opponent is easy enough that we can do that really shows that we wouldn't be taking that game seriously, and we all know what happens when you don't take a lesser opponent seriously: Cleveland State beats you.

[Zip_ME87]

Having talked to the team a bit, they all seem to still think Ponikvar's the number 2.MacAdams is transferring out at the end of the semester.

I'm sorry for McAdams, but Ponikvar should be Meves' 1st backup.

Why? ???What if Meves twists an ankle and goes out for a few games? What if Meves bails on us at the end of the seaon?. Do we know that Poni is the guy to go to in 2012? Is he our #2 GK this year?We have no one with game experience aside from Poni... and we got a bunch of GKs this year for some reason. Why not give them some game experience? We have looked at a lot of other positions.Consider this... when Porter was interviewed after the Saint Louis game... he stated that Dagilis was ready... stayed sharp after playing behind Zarek... and he "brings it" every day to stay that way. You can't always count on that.With our back line... now and in the past few years... S.O.G.s are hard to come by for other teams... especially MAC teams. The last time we played WMU was the MAC Championship... and we beat them 4-0. WMU was 10-8-2 last year... they are 3-4-0 this year. Seems like a good game to give Meves some rest... and try a couple of other guys.Or... we could start Meves and platoon in the second half... provided we have a lead and no other injuries or issues.

Poni did an outstanding job last season filling in for Meves when David was fouled and taken out at Northern Illinois. Our back line let a number of balls through that Poni had to save. I'm confident in his ability to step in again if needed.The bigger question..."Is Meves the best we have?" He's committed several errors this year that could easily have proven costly...most memorable was the inability to clear early on against New Mexico with Barson saving us again by kicking the ball out just before Sandoval reached it. Does Meves get too much credit given our back line play?

[GoZipsGoZips]

Did you say, "We might like OSU to win."? Wow!

Very few ZipsNation guys seem to get this... take away the OSU fan base in NE Ohio... from the Akron fan base... and there is very little left. Just go into a REAL bar during an Ohio State game. There's just more passion for OSU football in Akron and in NE Ohio than there ever will be for the Pilsbury Doughboy coach and his pathetic football program. There's a thousand times more passion for OSU in football. There's also more passion for Notre Dame... not quite sure why... but there is. ZipsNation will never change that.May father went to OSU... I went to OSU... grew up pulling for OSU... and grew up disliking most other Big 10 Schools... some more than others... but I still pull for ALL Big 10 schools over the ACC or SEC. There's someting at stake here in NE Ohio that goes beyond what UA can offer... and that's FOOTBALL and BASKETBALL pride on a national level... and the Big 10's struggle to stay competitive on a national level.You must be a closet ACC fan... or SEC fan... if you do not pull for the Big 10 schools!!! Of course... in soccer... I'm not an OSU fan... at all... still have that bitter taste after playing OSU in the 2008 NCAA... even though we won.But... I'm still practical. An OSU win helps our RPI... and it could be the difference in keeping a #4 seed later on. If it were not for our RPI... I would pull for Louisville... as they are a Midwest team... and they have a real shot of beating some ACC teams in the NCAA if they stay high in the rankngs...and play at home.

[Zip_ME87]

Very few ZipsNation guys seem to get this... take away the OSU fan base in NE Ohio... from the Akron fan base... and there is very little left. Just go into a REAL bar during an Ohio State game. There's just more passion for OSU football in Akron and in NE Ohio than there ever will be for the Pilsbury Doughboy coach and his pathetic football program. There's a thousand times more passion for OSU in football. There's also more passion for Notre Dame... not quite sure why... but there is. ZipsNation will never change that.May father went to OSU... I went to OSU... grew up pulling for OSU... and grew up disliking most other Big 10 Schools... some more than others... but I still pull for ALL Big 10 schools over the ACC or SEC. There's someting at stake here in NE Ohio that goes beyond what UA can offer... and that's FOOTBALL and BASKETBALL pride on a national level... and the Big 10's struggle to stay competitive on a national level.You must be a closet ACC fan... or SEC fan... if you do not pull for the Big 10 schools!!! Of course... in soccer... I'm not an OSU fan... at all... still have that bitter taste after playing OSU in the 2008 NCAA... even though we won.But... I'm still practical. An OSU win helps our RPI... and it could be the difference in keeping a #4 seed later on. If it were not for our RPI... I would pull for Louisville... as they are a Midwest team... and they have a real shot of beating some ACC teams in the NCAA if they stay high in the rankngs...and play at home.

Well, it's over, and Louiserville won 1-0; so, you can stop arguing about it.

[GoZipsGoZips]

Having talked to the team a bit, they all seem to still think Ponikvar's the number 2.MacAdams is transferring out at the end of the semester.

I'm sorry for McAdams, but Ponikvar should be Meves' 1st backup.

Why? ???What if Meves twists an ankle and goes out for a few games? What if Meves bails on us at the end of the seaon?. Do we know that Poni is the guy to go to in 2012? Is he our #2 GK this year?We have no one with game experience aside from Poni... and we got a bunch of GKs this year for some reason. Why not give them some game experience? We have looked at a lot of other positions.Consider this... when Porter was interviewed after the Saint Louis game... he stated that Dagilis was ready... stayed sharp after playing behind Zarek... and he "brings it" every day to stay that way. You can't always count on that.With our back line... now and in the past few years... S.O.G.s are hard to come by for other teams... especially MAC teams. The last time we played WMU was the MAC Championship... and we beat them 4-0. WMU was 10-8-2 last year... they are 3-4-0 this year. Seems like a good game to give Meves some rest... and try a couple of other guys.Or... we could start Meves and platoon in the second half... provided we have a lead and no other injuries or issues.

Poni did an outstanding job last season filling in for Meves when David was fouled and taken out at Northern Illinois. Our back line let a number of balls through that Poni had to save. I'm confident in his ability to step in again if needed.The bigger question..."Is Meves the best we have?" He's committed several errors this year that could easily have proven costly...most memorable was the inability to clear early on against New Mexico with Barson saving us again by kicking the ball out just before Sandoval reached it. Does Meves get too much credit given our back line play?

I didn't want to have to say that... but this is also a question. I'm still a Meves fan... but I wonder what gets into his head sometimes. He was called last season... or maybe 2 seasons ago... for delaying a goal kick.. after a few warnings. You would think that he takes warnings seriously by now... but he doesn't. Even his parents were yelling at him last weekend!!!Meves has been playing behind the best defenders in the nation for the past 3 years. Just look at the Pro Drafts to see that. Although his Goals Against Average is outstanding... his saves to SOG is not going to lead the nation... or maybe even the MAC.I don't really think that Porter is actually "Resting" anyone on the team. He is just looking at his options... and evaluating talent... and chemistry... at MOST positions. Of course... chemistry is probably least important at GK. And... occasionally Porter is making a statement that if you have a good week in practice... you are going to get a shot at starting.We know that Poni is a great backup... but we do not know what anyone else can do... under the pressure of a game.I'm just curious... what do we have at GK? Porter was not looking for average GKs to put the pressure on Meves.... so we probably have some good talent at GK.

[Zip_ME87]

I didn't want to have to say that... but this is also a question. I'm still a Meves fan... but I wonder what gets into his head sometimes. He was called last season... or maybe 2 seasons ago... for delaying a goal kick.. after a few warnings. You would think that he takes warnings seriously by now... but he doesn't. Even his parents were yelling at him last weekend!!!Meves has been playing behind the best defenders in the nation for the past 3 years. Just look at the Pro Drafts to see that. Although his Goals Against Average is outstanding... his saves to SOG is not going to lead the nation... or maybe even the MAC.I don't really think that Porter is actually "Resting" anyone on the team. He is just looking at his options... and evaluating talent... and chemistry... at MOST positions. Of course... chemistry is probably least important at GK. And... occasionally Porter is making a statement that if you have a good week in practice... you are going to get a shot at starting.We know that Poni is a great backup... but we do not know what anyone else can do... under the pressure of a game.I'm just curious... what do we have at GK? Porter was not looking for average GKs to put the pressure on Meves.... so we probably have some good talent at GK.

I really didn't want to say it either. I'm still a Meves fan, too, but we've seen numerous miscues even going back to last season. Nobody's perfect, but wow, some of those errors could have been extremely costly if not for Barson and others. Of course, that's what makes a team...players working together and covering for each other when necessary. So, my concern also is changing the team dynamic if we start substituting GKs.

[ejcool27]

I used to play keeper in High school and I know college is a different world, but as a keeper I never wanted to come out even if we winning by 5 or 6. Teams practice for a reason I know it's not as good as a real game, but I would rather keep our top keep in then rest him and have it go to his head.

[Crew8]

I don't mind seeing Meves sit a game if they have a stretch of 3 matches in 7 days like maybe against a W.Michigan between a Ohio State home and UC Santa Barbara road match. Even at the top level you see goalkeepers receive rest in a week stretch of 3 matches, but its usually in a Cup or Tournament the backup participates in. The backups have little to no game experience. What if Meves is injured, or receives a 2nd Yellow for delaying? I believe Porter keeps his GK backups in prime readiness though.Its a thought and I like the question. Honestly I'd probably stick with Meves, he's gotten us this far, but he scares the hell out of us all I'm sure of with mistakes. Every goal kick, he seems to be so indecisive where to kick the ball. Who is he trying to fake out, running back and forth before he kicks the ball. lol

[yazan07]

I guess my other answer to this question is that I trust Porter because he has never steered us wrong before! Whoever he chooses to play is probably the right man for the job.

[Zip_ME87]

I guess my other answer to this question is that I trust Porter because he has never steered us wrong before! Whoever he chooses to play is probably the right man for the job.

I wholeheartedly second that! There is no perfect right or wrong answer. It's judgement, and there's no one's judgement I trust in soccer more than Caleb's. That doesn't mean that we can't have a discussion.

[Z.I.P.]

I guess my other answer to this question is that I trust Porter because he has never steered us wrong before! Whoever he chooses to play is probably the right man for the job.

I wholeheartedly second that! There is no perfect right or wrong answer. It's judgement, and there's no one's judgement I trust in soccer more than Caleb's. That doesn't mean that we can't have a discussion.

I remember having this discussion three years ago in the stands at the U. of New Mexico. The father of the then-goalkeeper said "You never change the keeper during the game, it will ruin his confidence, and it doesn't help a keeper who comes in cold." I remembered the game three days earlier when the Hawaii women's coach switched goalies with 12 minutes left, thinking the game was salted by the two-goal lead. Result: A 3-2 loss. Mr Bush knew what he was speaking about.