Amherst with an all time garbage half. Guys running around with zero plan, just hit and hope. Losing their heads too. Late tackles, reckless tackles. No surprise, hope Olaf can find one here.

Coach Ortega isn't even an assistant coach, anyone who knows Amherst soccer knows Shea and Serpone do everything. Ortega basically lays out the pylons at practice and was waiving goodbye to people who he didn't even play against. If he does get a head coaching job somewhere, I wouldn't expect it to be a team who will ever play in the NCAA tournament. Classless and pathetic.

Years prior Amherst had been criticized for being the lowest of low when it comes to class. Justin Serpone is about as classless and fake as they come. After games he pretends to be emotional and praising of the opponent when he spends the entire game being deranged and low class. Amherst College loves to make videos about "what makes Amherst special", and then you see scenes like this where a kid who hasn't even got a jersey and is riding the bench the whole year waiving goodbye to opposing fans. I have zero problem with giving it back when someone gives it to you, but can't imagine the Middlebury parents were too worried about the actions of a benchwarmer. Big CB for Amherst from Australia loves to be low brow, did it last year against SLU. Serpone is running a sheep factory of kids who all act the same with zero individuality, which includes being classless in reality, and "humbled" in interviews.

The NESCAC is also simply better at recruiting students for school. Some of the top liberal arts schools in the country, naturally attracting top athletes who are also drawn in by the excellent athletics record. During my time at school, I could never understand how conferences like the Centennial get so many bids. Not that those schools are not good teams, but truly not good enough to warrant the amount of bids they did. Last year Vassar and SLU won their first round games, and got bounced by two top 10 teams in the country at that time, yet the league continues to get little respect. SUNYAC getting two bids while the LL is weird as most LL schools beat SUNYAC schools apart from Cortland and Oneonta. I do think both those teams deserved at-large bids, no doubt, but Brockport struggled with St. John Fisher, and were a controversial bubble team. In my opinion, SLU needs to schedule a couple games out of region in non-conference. I understand playing in region helps your regional ranking, but why not bolster SoS by playing a few team out of region. Save a game against Potsdam and play a Babson or Hamilton.

I can understand that the travel is difficult, I don't doubt that plays a factor in performance, but I am sure if you asked the majority of Northeast team is they would rather fly to Illinois to play a team like Lake Forest in the first round, they would take it every time. I also think that while travel can be used an excuse for performance one way it also serves as a motivator in others. Travelling together, eating together, solely focused on the game has you more times than not mentally prepared. Kids aren't flying in on Friday night for a Saturday morning game. Again, I don't discredit that travel can hurt teams. My bottom line is one side of the bracket is significantly deeper than the other. Top teams are top sides in all the regions, but the difference between playing a NESCAC second round and not is big.

Probably slightly biased, and I understand cost and geography play a big role, but it feels as though teams on the east coast, specifically the northeast get screwed over in these draws. Teams such as St. Olaf, UChicago, Calvin get a free run to the sweet 16 as the AQ's from that region are so poor. I understand to win the whole thing you have to play good sides eventually, but it just feels west coast and Midwest teams have an easier start of the journey. Hobart draws CWRU, to then basically play Cortland. Those are two tough games right off the bat. Vassar last year had to beat a good Babson team and then played Bowdoin.

I fully expect whoever draws Elmira, most likely Cortland or Oneonta, to pump them. On a decent field against a half decent opposition, they get beat by 3-4 goals.

Marco Wong another unsung hero of the SLU team. While is efforts were hardly ever truly appreciated, he did so much in breaking pressure and tracking ground. An extremely underrated player in the SLU 2022 team. Missing Toni Rogilano is also a big gap. Rarely got beat, and got forward so often. The SLU 2022 team was special, and frankly, if the first 15 minutes at Amherst went differently, I think they would have had a real chance at the Ship. All hypotheticals of course, but something to ponder. Tosh needs to be particular in his recruiting for next year, potentially go back to the Durocher roots of NYC and internationals. With a league that is dwindling in quality, the only way to attract top talent is to sell the prospect of a NCAA run. The SUNYAC is no better of a league than the LL, but it seems those top teams of Cortland and Oneonta constantly have NCAA experience as a selling point to recruits. Sad for the graduating seniors of this year, but excited for the years to come, SLU is a remarkable program, and like many others on this board, I have a real sense of pride in the future of it.

Does SLU not get a bye, swear they do?

SLU looked good against Bard today. Don't let the record be a reflection of Bard. A side that showed they can create chances and if not for some unlucky knock downs and bonehead moves, they had moments they looked they could score. Eric Edmonds and Henry Brown working non-stop up top, great to see that sort of work rate. Jeremy Ogango stood out as the best player for SLU today. Mogul continues to beat his man 8/10 times. I can't quite understand the hype for Vassar. SLU played poorly and Vassar still hardly created anything. The LL is about getting hot at the right time, this 5-0 win today could be the start of the fire for SLU, excited for them going forward.

Tale as old as time: Clarkson and RIT burning out in the league after starting hot in non-conference. RIT only had a chance whenever SLU wanted to give them one, which again, is typically how SLU concedes. If SLU can grab 4 points from next weekend, playoffs are essentially locked up. Hobart vs. SLU to end the year seems to be lining up to be the title decider, as it usually is. Excited for the SLU boys, but a lot of season left. Side note, I said it before the season, but I want to double down: Bard WILL win one of their last 4, and looking at who those opponents are, it will have massive implications to league positioning and postseason birth.

Other than the Clarkson commentator having the mic literally in his mouth for half the game, great win for SLU. Clarkson back to reality after starting non-conference hot (as always). Big win for SLU!

Quote from: kevdog on August 19, 2023, 08:36:57 PM
I think Baker was also injured for most of the season and he was solid on the right side of the defense his freshman year. I was wondering if their were any transfers from other schools that came in who might be impactful if there were any.

No transfers as far as I know.

Felt like making a prediction chart for the league this year. Bias towards the Saints for sure.

1. Vassar
2. SLU
3. RPI
4. Hobart
5. Skidmore
6. Ithaca
7. Union
8. Bard
9. RIT
10. Clarkson

I see Bard picking up a win this year for sure. Coach TJ has gotten that group better every year. Clarkson bottom, SLU bias aside I think the turnover of coach will hurt them. Vassar stays strong, but SLU right behind, could be another case of ties making the difference. Player of the Year: Max Mogul.

Quote from: stlawus on April 12, 2023, 10:02:06 PM
The Clarkson head coach position is currently being advertised.  I wonder where Carter Lincoln is off to. A bit surprising given their relative success last season.   Aside from hockey there is rarely any long term coaching tenure at Clarkson.  The baseball and softball coaches are really the only current coaches who have been coaching for a sustained period of time.  The university has invested more in athletics in recent years, but they are still well short of the rest of the league.  Their academics speak for themselves, but I wish they would do more in the athletic department.

Hearing Carter has taken the assistant coaching job at Syracuse.