It's tough to compare the leagues/teams with a small sample size of matches, but I think looking at Hamilton's recent transition to the NESCAC is a fair gauge and, based on that, I would disagree pretty strongly that the aforementioned LL teams compare favorably with mid-table NESCAC teams. SLU is a great side and has been for a very long time. Beyond that, I don't really see many others that would finish in even the top half of the CAC.

Really looking forward to some great matches this weekend. The Jeffs and SLU should provide some fireworks in a really tough contest. I'll be expecting the winner of this one to move past Williams on Sunday after the EPHs secure a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

Final post about all this nonsense before my mind moves on to the NCAA tournament and watching some great DIII soccer (unfortunately via webcast instead of in person  )

This year and last year are the first two years that Serpone has had teams comprised of entirely players that he recruited if my math is correct. Putting the talent together and creating a team that runs like well oiled machine is part of the coaching process too.

2011: 16-2-2 Nescac Champs...Beat Trinity 1-0 in regular season and 2-0 in Nescac Finals
2012: 15-0-2 (so far) Nescac Champs....shutout Williams twice including 2-0 win in Final @Williams

I would like be so bold as to describe that as outcoaching....but the results speak for themselves.

LaPaz, thanks for the irony in your last post. I enjoyed it.

Good luck to all in the tourney, including SLU Sandy...would love to watch another match between SLU and Amherst if they are both fortunate enough to advance that far. It would be very intense I'm sure.

First time poster. Had to respond to this diatribe against Amherst and shed a little light...

"Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself...The desire to destroy what others build has it's roots in the soil of envy."

Lapaz while you do seem to have watched a lot of Nescac soccer, you are blinded when it comes to the jeffs. They've been one of top 5 teams in the region, if not the best one, for the past 5-6 years. No team plays beautiful soccer. As a previous poster mentioned, it's the nescac. It's tough, hard nosed soccer and winning 1st and 2nd balls. 80% of it is ugly 100% of the time. But that other 20% can sometimes be pretty special. This goes for every single team in the CAC...all capable of special moments, but not 90 minutes of great soccer. You seem to begrudge Amherst's "style" simply because they have size and are capable of scoring on a lot of set pieces. You describe them scoring goals on set pieces as "hoofing" it forward as if every team in the Nescac does not try to do the same thing on set pieces...score goals.

The jeffs, as well as many teams in the league, are indeed capable of doing some very special things in the final third with their creative attacking core. Sandy and deuce, for your viewing pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bimkPkIu-Ck&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I'd like to congratulate Amherst, Williams, tufts and Wesleyan on great seasons. Filled out my bracket and have each of them going deep. Looking for a tufts/Williams rematch and a surprise to the rest of the country wih a deep run from a tough Wesleyan squad.