Exciting back and forth game that's still 0-0 with just over 20 minutes left in the second half.  Amherst has unbelievably hit the cross bar four times including two on back to back shots form just out the 18.

It's the matchup that everyone expected.  Williams will certainly be more ready this time and I would be shocked if they dont come out firing given how the last meeting went.  However, I believe Amherst is clearly the better team.  Should be a great game that comes down to the wire.  I cant predict a result that is anything but a complete guess, just never know when rivals meet this late in the season.

Like a Saint from above, delivering a bit of sanity

The girl throwing the ball twice at her head, is that intentional? That is really poor if it is.  Sandy, viewing that as related to anything that happens with the men's team is foolish.  Tying is back to the AD, LaPaz, is equally silly. All the people disparaging Amherst share one thing in common: they lost to them.  It reads as bitter.  Deuce, I was not present for the incident you refer to, but read that as a pretty one-sided account.  Even if those actions were exactly as you describe, I can't imagine there is a piece of the story that is being left out, or that you are just unaware of.

Turning to the NESCAC awards...what a complete joke. Purdy? Purdy had a strong freshman season and since then as been just average.  Stats wise he is middle of the pack goalie and didn't strike me as being too special in anything I saw this year. If you want to go goalie, I would select Finan.  Do you think he was knocked because Morrell also gets time? Noon or Heo are the only two field player choices in my eyes, which is where I think the award should have gone..  Noon if your judging production, Heo if your looking at the person who most impacts each game.  That Heo isn't on the first team...c'mon. User from Williams also probably deserved at least second team recognition. Nizzi from Hamilton perhaps as well.  It seems there is a concerted effort to get someone from as many teams as possible represented on one of the teams.  Not sure I agree with that philosophy.

Also, are these awards not a bit hypocritical? I grant that comparing a goalie and field player is a difficult task, but if in POY you value a goalie over a field player how does Bull not win rookie of the year over Rashid? Bull didn't have to do much, but when called upon stepped up. Hard to overlook 12 shutouts (really 15, in three games he didn't get credit for a shutout because he was pulled).

Final piece to address in the All-Nescac nonsense.  This goes back to everyone disliking Serpone (which I also do, but not the degree other seems to).  I dont think he will ever win the award (conversely, it  the rest of the NESCAC coaches would be willing to kiss Russo's hands).  It seems to be accepted that getting to the top is easy, staying at the top is incredibly difficult.  Undefeated a year after winning the title, dominant both offensively and defensively, losing a top player/captain, and thoroughly out coaching your opponent in the conference title game (my understanding is that the voting happens after, or at least is based solely on the regular season, but it helps make my point).  Serpone seems like an obvious choice.  Yes this is Amherst heavy, but they were the decidedly the best team in the league this year, so that makes sense.  As far as Shapiro's involvement in this debate, I agree what he has done at Tufts is tremendous and they will be in contention for the next couple years.  But this award is just for 2012.  Several posters, myself and LaPaz included, noted at the start of the year that Tufts was a talented team.  I expected them to push Amherst and Williams all year.  At the end of the day I actually feel they underperformed this year in not finished above Wesleyan.

Addressing a couple of topics...

first, the Amherst/Serpone classy thread, which seems to have started from a comment of mine.  I didn't say Amherst was classy, I said "class of the league" which in my eyes is a comment on their quality not style.  You may disagree on that front too.  Having said that, I don't agree with all of your points.  1) if you stood near their bench for the purpose of seeking out instance in which they swore, seems you might have been pre-disposed to reach a certain verdict. swearing though, especially at a college level, is hardly a problem.  2) don't agree that Amherst is any more inclined than another team to go in on dirty/reckless challenges. 3) yelling at the ref for every call, I agree with you there.  that drives me crazy. 4) I dont blame Fikke, I actually see that as classless on the other end.  You know he is going to throw it long and hard, if you dont want to get hit, dont stand where he releases it.

second, I have never read LaPaz's comments as classes.  This is a message board, your are allowed to be critical. It is not being broadcast at Bates, Middlebury, Amherst where players can't avoid it.  Also, nothing has crossed a line.  Bates is bad, Midd had a weak year, and Amherst plays a direct style (though poor is in the eye of the beholder).

Lastly, Meisel as player of the year is preposterous.  He may a decent player, fine leader and so on but you can write that story for so many players.  Colby was really bad in conference this year, and this is a conference award. This award will deservedly go to Noon. An all conference selection, first or second team, would be a more fitting accolade.

I wasn't commenting on Tufts' worthiness, just the likelihood.  Three teams ranked ahead of them in the final NCAA regional rankings (Williams, Babson, and Brandeis) all will need a pool C bid.  They would be the seventh team from New England.  Doesn't seem out of the question, just borderline.

well well deserved title for Amherst.   Serpone gets a lot of crap and is not the most well liked coach by opposing teams, but three NESCAC titles in his first six years is special.  He had his team up for this game, Russo did not.  Hats off to him.  Also, any ideas why Rashid, User, and Ebobisse didn't start?  In light of Williams' slow start seems like a decision worth questioning.

The archives will show that Amherst and Williams played this season almost to a complete draw with the exception of the final, but in my eyes Amherst  was a better team this year and by far the class of the league.  I didn't watch all of the games (including the tie against Wesleyan), but there was not a single moment all year that I thought there was a chance they would lose.

I don't see a third NESCAC school getting in to the tournament (though my grasp of the national D3 scene is minimal).  Tufts will have its fingers crossed pretty tightly on Monday.  Obviously a lot depends on the draw, but I think Amherst and Williams can both make noise this year in the NCAA.

Williams gets Colby in a spot I would not be envious of, playing with nothing to lose.  I just don't think they have the talent to do much with that freedom.  Williams 3-0.

Roughly the same story for this second game, just with a small talent gap.  Midd 2-0.

This is a really important game for each.  A home quarterfinal game is still possible for both Bowdoin and Trinity, especially in Bowdoin can knock off Tufts in the last week.  I think Bowdoin will win this game and keep the possibility of earning that game in their own hands. Bowdoin 1-0.

Wesleyan is going to park the bus in this one.  I expect Amherst almost all of the game to be played in front of Wesleyan's goal.  I actually think Amherst benefits from a team sitting in on them.  Even though they have talent to play I think the are more vulnerable to a team going at them.  You open yourself up to a big score, but the record over the last years seems to say Amherst will get a least one if you sit in and won't have to defend much.  Amherst 1-0

I think this will be a high scoring affair.  Both teams can score, and neither, particularly Hamilton, is stout defensively.  Hamilton has a lot to play for, win and they are in a good spot with Conn College finishing against Amherst.  I think they can do it. Hamilton 3-2.

I agree that injuries aren't an excuse.  Amherst will be starting their fourth string center for the third game in a row this weekend.  Granted one of those games was a meaningless non-conference joke.  The expectation at midd should be that they can sustain a few injuries and stay afloat.

LaPaz, I have't seen Tufts' goalie, but he has only let in two all year and has the highest save percentage.  Why are you so down on him?

This is what I'm expecting this weekend...

Bowdoin will handle Conn relatively easily, though the tallies won't reflect the tenor of the game.  Bowdoin is going to out shoot Conn at a little better than 2:1 but the final will be 1-0.

Hamilton and Bates play each other in what is probably each team's only strong chance at a win this year.  I have no idea which of these teams is better.  Just because life is ironic, i see it at 1-1.

 
What to make of Trinity this year? They sit fourth in the standing but without any really impressive results.  Interestingly they were outshot in their win against Hamilton and got three goals on seven shots against Conn.  Not to harp on a point I've already made, but this seems like a really down year for the league.  I find myself thinking about who isn't as bad in most of the games.  I think trinity isn't as bad.  It's difficult to pick a team that has't score a conference goal. Colby ends that tomorrow, but doesn't get a win. 2-1.

Finish off Saturady with the two better games of the weekend.

I see a bit of a barn burner here.  Tufts really has a chance to do something this year if they can get three points out of this game.  I think Amherst is vulnerable down the middle of their defense.  They start a inexperienced sophopmore and now a converted midfielder in their center back spots.  Can Tufts attack through the middle? Caslin has stepped in nicely into the holding sport and bring a sense of calm to the field for them.  Satnos and Hoppenot need big games.  I think Amherst gets it though 3-2.

Even with the all that's been said about Middlebury, I dont think they will stay down.  They've lost against each of their quality opponents.  Wesleyan is certainly a quality oppenent and is very strong at home.  I like Midd 1-0 just because sometime things dont go as you expect.

Lastly, this game could be a big trap for Tufts.  Emotional let down from either a big win or crush defeat.  Either I think Bates has a chance to get points from them.  Unfortunately they're Bates.  In what will be the sloppiest game of the weekend, Tufts 2-0.

the strongest impression i came away from this weekend is the league doesn't seem to be as deep as i expected.  amherst and williams might make this a two horse race.  middlebury is way down this year.  bates, hamilton, conn college (and probably colby) are going to seriously struggle getting points off anyone but each other. I am not convinced about bowdoin or trinity either. that leaves wesleyan and tufts.  i said in the last post that amherst williams and tufts could finish 1-2-3 in any order, but what an uninspiring pair of results tufts got this weekend.  i think it was reasonable to expect at least four points from tufts.  tufts and wesleyan fall just behind amherst and williams in my eyes.

having said all that, amherst and williams each seems to be in a really good place this year.  both have  a stingy defense and potent, diverse offense. 

I was only able to tune into the second half of the Amherst/Bates game when it was already 1-0.  Bates may have had the ball on Amherst's side of the field for one minute total in the last 30 or so minutes ofthe game, and never held possession there (that also was aided by the fact that Amherst had a strong wind at their back).  I didn't think Amherst was overly impressive though.  They struggled to connect passes it seemed, and none of their shots were that threatening from what I saw.  The one goal was just because both Alejandro and Federico Sucre are tremendous in the air (it happened to be Federico who put that one in).  I think amherst still has attacking talent, but they need a cog in the midfield to put it all together if they want to live up to the lofty ranking they currently hold.

I'm interested, LaPaz, what happens with Tufts' goalie.  They seem to have their teams since I started following the NESCAC (about five years ago). Looking back at your preseason you have Amherst, Williams, Tufts as the top three.  I agree, but could see any possible order between them.

the first game, wesleyan hosting tufts, is the best and best interesting to me.  tufts seems to have been getting a little better each of the past three years.  beating wesleyan in middletown would show they are real this year.  wesleyan has two wins already, but I'm not sure either was really a quality opponent (I think bowdoin might be in line for another tough year 8 goals against southern maine notwithstanding) ill say tufts does it 1-0.

it is a big weekend for hamilton to show that they can hang with nescac teams. their first of two road games and arguably the  most difficult away fields has them at conn.  i think conn get by them 2-1.

sadly for hamilton, if my first prediction is right, theyll be playing a a weslayen team coming off a loss.  tough spot. wesleyan 2-0.

middlebury might be down, but colby is worse.  midd 2-0.

williams is a very interesting team to me this year.  what do they say about quarterbacks? if you think you have two quarterbacks, you probably have none.  I don't like the switching of the goalies.  have the better one win the spot and stick with him. User and Mohammed can be a dangerous duo leading the attack.  i like williams here.  1-0.

huge talent gap here, but the same was true last year and it was one of amherst's closest games of the season. amherst has a freshman goalie, but if he proves to be solid this is going to be another impressive year for amherst.  im not sure anyone will be able to come close to putting up the goal numbers amherst will, so many options.  only three important players lost from last year.  they're coming out firing i believe 4-1.

lastly, bates gets off what would be a 14 games NESCAC losing streak if they drop it to Amherst but taking down Trinity in a high scoring affair 4-3.