Paul Newman, your non-begrudging praise is acknowledged and of course, well received. There is an uncensored version of my report where I deal with the MFers issue, but I do know that if I met any in person, that the conversation would most likely be a fun one and whilst that person may not walk away believing Amherst MSOC is actually a force for world good, I at least know it would be a cordial discussion.

I get your point about people not underestimating Amherst more generally and that's fine.  Perhaps my purple antennae are particularly sensitive to discussion about the national landscape. To be fair, Tufts and Midd were the standouts in what was a very even NESCAC and deserved more recognition. 

I've thought a bit about the Amhating point of view and my conclusion is that if I had never been aware of D3 Boards, I would have been completely oblivious to the grievances expressed.  I think it comes up to my Australian upbringing where aggression is a natural part of sport and I haven't seen anything in the last three seasons that I haven't seen in playing/coaching/watching more than 45 years of sport.  That's not the same as justifying it, but what I am saying is I don't actually care. 

What I do know is that next weekend we will have EnmoreKitten with us in downtown Enmore and are going to go frame by frame through a Director's Cut version of all the Final Four games and I know it's going to be so much fun.

^ Love it friend!

Thanks for the response, Enmorecat.

I get that you don't care (which is exactly how I would be feeling today in your shoes and maybe more broadly), but why exactly do you think Amherst is disliked?  Why disliked more than Tufts, Messiah, Midd, W&L, Mary Wash, Hopkins, St Olaf, Denison, Trinity, etc?  Is it solely because Amherst is so phenomenal?  Complete prejudice based on absolutely nothing?

Also genuinely do not know what you are referring to about attention and the national landscape.  Amherst AND NESCAC have dominated the "national" threads as well as the NESCAC thread (and as you may have noticed the NESCAC thread outpaces all others combined by a wide margin).  How much time was spent on how many NESCACs were in the top 10 of the NPI, and how many made the Sweet 16, Elite 8, and F4?  A complaint about not enough attention, for the Mammoths, or any of the other bigger name NESCACs, just seems odd for someone who has been as committed to and vigilant in monitoring this board. Even your buddy was joining a few others in begging posters to stop focusing on NESCAC.  Not easy to navigate when it's too much and when it's too little...but it's always complaints about one or the other. 

Quote from: Ejay on December 08, 2024, 02:15:38 PMI've heard a few ideas that would make for intriguing ways to break a tie. I haven't given much thought to either, but they sure sound interesting.

1. Start removing players (similar to hockey). OT1 is 10v10, OT2 is 9v9...
2. Conduct PKs before the game. The PK loser knows they have to win in OT so they'll be more inclined to attack.
3. Use statistics... Winner is team with fewer fouls and cards; team with more shots; team with most corner kicks, etc.

4.  Play until there is a winner.  No gimmicks needed. 

On the other hand, if the World Cup can be decided on penalties, then D3 college soccer can do so.

Fun fantasy exercise.

EJ changing when the PKs happen and how it plays into the game is still Pks.

If you want to go to foul count  and cards fine. Most will never agree on stats  You value offense and I value defense. Many on this forum has the misconception that stats (almost all offensive) tell the story line of a game and that is a false narrative

Paul Newman, I am agreeing with you on everything. I look forward to one day seeing you in Downtown Enmore.

Quote from: SKUD on December 08, 2024, 03:23:13 PMFun fantasy exercise.

EJ changing when the PKs happen and how it plays into the game is still Pks.

If you want to go to foul count  and cards fine. Most will never agree on stats  You value offense and I value defense. Many on this forum has the misconception that stats (almost all offensive) tell the story line of a game and that is a false narrative

Responding to me?  How do you know what I value?  I just nominated Silvester to win MVP and highlighted GKs and CBs in D3.  And I have no interest in going to foul counts and cards.  None.  But, hey, maybe the rules cmte will welcome ideas from the board or at least find them entertaining.

Quote from: EnmoreCat on December 08, 2024, 03:34:44 PMPaul Newman, I am agreeing with you on everything. I look forward to one day seeing you in Downtown Enmore.

Lol, so in other words, you do not care....even though you talk about these themes perseveratively.  Iirc you once complained during a late Spring or Summer that the Liberty League thread was too active.

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 07, 2024, 04:08:07 PMThat Novak from England is a heckuva of a player.  Never loses a ball or a challenge and almost always does something positive with the ball too.  Same with Murphy.  The Haberman kid for Conn is gonna be one of the best players in the country the next couple of years.

Reminiscent of the W&L game.  Strong 10-12 minutes for Conn to start, and then pretty much all Amherst after that with Conn getting just enough occasional chances to think they will get one.

Despite the losses, Conn's young core will get them back. No doubt.

Responding to me?  How do you know what I value?  I just nominated Silvester to win MVP and highlighted GKs and CBs in D3.  And I have no interest in going to foul counts and cards.  None.  But, hey, maybe the rules cmte will welcome ideas from the board or at least find them entertaining.
[/quote]

I was responding to EJ not you PN. I favor the play till they drop option and really don't like any other option.

Cross-posted from the Women's Soccer thread (which doesn't get many views)

NCAA Women's Championship game 2024

Wash U 3 - William Smith 0

William Smith did an admirable job holding Wash U off the scoreboard, but it always seemed a matter of time.  Wash U was just too strong, too technical, and too athletic for William Smith.  Once the dam broke, Wash U piled it on for a scoreline that makes it seem like total domination, even though really the 2nd and 3rd goals were scored a little over a minute apart with about 15 minutes to go.  Still, Wash U. could have done even more damage with a few crossbars and posts (and non-calls on a trip in the box) helping out William Smith.  William Smith almost got one back with a free kick that snuck past the wall and was kept out by a full stretch dive from the Wash U GK, but by that point it would have only been a consolation goal.  A VAR check in the 89th minute changed a yellow to a straight red and gave William Smith an advantage for the last 90 seconds, but they weren't able to capitalize.

D1 football also feeling the growing pains of a new post season playoff.

Of 12 spots
the big bad SEC 2 teams
ACC 2 teams
Big 10 4 teams

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 08, 2024, 03:08:10 PM

Quote from: Ejay on December 08, 2024, 02:15:38 PMI've heard a few ideas that would make for intriguing ways to break a tie. I haven't given much thought to either, but they sure sound interesting.

1. Start removing players (similar to hockey). OT1 is 10v10, OT2 is 9v9...
2. Conduct PKs before the game. The PK loser knows they have to win in OT so they'll be more inclined to attack.
3. Use statistics... Winner is team with fewer fouls and cards; team with more shots; team with most corner kicks, etc.

4.  Play until there is a winner.  No gimmicks needed. 

On the other hand, if the World Cup can be decided on penalties, then D3 college soccer can do so.

Ties and PK shootout are a brutal way to end and in a game like this it is a shame.  However, if the coaches wanted to win they can change their conservative tactics (and they did not).  It seems that NESCAC teams and their coaches are happy to go to PK as they have confidence in their keepers. 

Quote from: SKUD on December 08, 2024, 03:23:13 PMMost will never agree on stats  You value offense and I value defense. Many on this forum has the misconception that stats (almost all offensive) tell the story line of a game and that is a false narrative

Recognize that "offensive" stats are in fact defensive stats.  You can "win" the stat matchup by only having 1 shot on goal if you concede 0 shots.   

I may be very naive and I understand if this take above has some traction, but I don't think going for PKs in part because of being so confident about your chances follows logically, and so I don't think this is it.

I understand that teams don't want to lose on a mistake, especially as the game gets late, but Amherst surely didn't want to risk losing on PKs to the very same team that cost them a national title 3 years ago.  Serpone himself has suffered enough heartbreak to want that.  Superficially I can see a bit stronger argument for Conn, but even with Conn, the statistics are against you when you've won so many straight, and just in this very tournament we've seen teams win easily in PKs only to lose easily in PKs the next week.  Plus, the chances of Conn besting Amherst via PKs in two national title games, even with Silvester?  I suspect Burk also has been around long enough to realize there is no reason to have high confidence about PKs.  Not high enough to roll the dice like that.  Does anybody think Conn played for PKs in the 1st round of their title run against Salem State? After years of heartbreak in the Elite 8, do you think Midd was satisfied going to PKs with Babson?  Imho the only teams that play for PKs are the ones who are 35 to 1 odds or far worse.