FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[dlippiel]

Great ATR write-up on Middlebury back-up QB Jared Lebowitz. It sounds as if he wouldn't be a back-up at too many other D3 schools in the nation. dlip totally gets the Vermont draw having graduated from UVM and having spent a little time at and around Middlebury College. The dogs and mountains...nothing like that state. Lord dlip misses Vermont.

Anyway, great article and dlip is wishing both Lebowitz, Milano, and the Panthers all the luck as the season continues.

So dlip, why the affection for Union College if you're a UVM grad? Pep's older sister lived in Richmond near Burlington for many years when her husband was working for G.E.  And, Pep last month crashed the wedding of one of his former student employees who hails from Orange, VT. Gotta love dem Green Mountains!

Dlip is a one and only Doid (Schenectady local and/or Schenectadian) since birth. His father took him to Union football and hockey games well before Dlip could remember. His first memories are right around '82. Since that time Dlip and Mr. Rlip have missed few games on the gridiron. It's something we have a passion for and a timeless connection to (dlip apologizes for being overly dramatic). Mr. Rlip, dlip's father, imbedded the love and passion for everything Union from birth.

Mr. Rlip has been watching sports at Union since he was a very young person who grew up less than a mile from campus (we're talking since the late 40's/early 50's). As a retired General Electric Draftsman his number#1 hobby is watching and supporting all Union Sports. This hobby has been passed onto Dlip and is one Dlip embraces wholeheartedly (and will do more of as his children continue to grow). We bleed ****ing Garnet through and through!

[AUPepBand]

Great ATR write-up on Middlebury back-up QB Jared Lebowitz. It sounds as if he wouldn't be a back-up at too many other D3 schools in the nation. dlip totally gets the Vermont draw having graduated from UVM and having spent a little time at and around Middlebury College. The dogs and mountains...nothing like that state. Lord dlip misses Vermont.

Anyway, great article and dlip is wishing both Lebowitz, Milano, and the Panthers all the luck as the season continues.

So dlip, why the affection for Union College if you're a UVM grad? Pep's older sister lived in Richmond near Burlington for many years when her husband was working for G.E.  And, Pep last month crashed the wedding of one of his former student employees who hails from Orange, VT. Gotta love dem Green Mountains!

Dlip is a one and only Doid (Schenectady local and/or Schenectadian) since birth. His father took him to Union football and hockey games well before Dlip could remember. His first memories are right around '82. Since that time Dlip and Mr. Rlip have missed few games on the gridiron. It's something we have a passion for and a timeless connection to (dlip apologizes for being overly dramatic). Mr. Rlip, dlip's father, imbedded the love and passion for everything Union from birth.

Mr. Rlip has been watching sports at Union since he was a very young person who grew up less than a mile from campus (we're talking since the late 40's/early 50's). As a retired General Electric Draftsman his number#1 hobby is watching and supporting all Union Sports. This hobby has been passed onto Dlip and is one Dlip embraces wholeheartedly (and will do more of as his children continue to grow). We bleed ****ing Garnet through and through!

Perhaps this isn't the place for this (which CAC posters will likely confirm), but Pep has a similar story with Alfred University. Grew up on a farm two miles from campus, mother worked at AU as a secretary, father was local farmboy who went with his father to his first football game at AU when Alex Yunevich arrived back in 1937. He's missed perhaps three games since. He's 87 years old and bleeds purple and gold. Pep has the same blood. Pep's Pops was a wizard on the basketball court in high school (a Section V championship to his credit) and had followed the Saxons in roundball as well. That got old when AU program went into a tailspin for a couple decades....but Pops is back now that the basketball team is fun to watch again.

Pep believes our stories are not all that uncommon.

[Nescacman]

Great ATR write-up on Middlebury back-up QB Jared Lebowitz. It sounds as if he wouldn't be a back-up at too many other D3 schools in the nation. dlip totally gets the Vermont draw having graduated from UVM and having spent a little time at and around Middlebury College. The dogs and mountains...nothing like that state. Lord dlip misses Vermont.

Anyway, great article and dlip is wishing both Lebowitz, Milano, and the Panthers all the luck as the season continues.

So dlip, why the affection for Union College if you're a UVM grad? Pep's older sister lived in Richmond near Burlington for many years when her husband was working for G.E.  And, Pep last month crashed the wedding of one of his former student employees who hails from Orange, VT. Gotta love dem Green Mountains!

Dlip is a one and only Doid (Schenectady local and/or Schenectadian) since birth. His father took him to Union football and hockey games well before Dlip could remember. His first memories are right around '82. Since that time Dlip and Mr. Rlip have missed few games on the gridiron. It's something we have a passion for and a timeless connection to (dlip apologizes for being overly dramatic). Mr. Rlip, dlip's father, imbedded the love and passion for everything Union from birth.

Mr. Rlip has been watching sports at Union since he was a very young person who grew up less than a mile from campus (we're talking since the late 40's/early 50's). As a retired General Electric Draftsman his number#1 hobby is watching and supporting all Union Sports. This hobby has been passed onto Dlip and is one Dlip embraces wholeheartedly (and will do more of as his children continue to grow). We bleed ****ing Garnet through and through!

Dlip....I can relate. I was clearly the black sheep in my family having attended and played 'ball for a fine Nescac school, which to my father's dismay. My Father and sisters both attended the "U" in Schenectady. My Dad was a former Dutchmen lax captain and football player from Mr. Rlip's era (I am certain he saw my Dad play). In his honor (he passed away in 2007), I was in Philly with a bunch of his frat brothers to watch Union slay goliath (also known as Minnesota) and win the 2014 D1 National Hockey Championship. It was a night to remember.

[amh63]

Talking about black sheep and all, is there any hint that Union would consider returning to the Nescac....being an original member?   Or is the love of D1 hockey too strong.  This is assuming that the conference forgives the original sin....and extends an olive branch

[Nescacman]

Talking about black sheep and all, is there any hint that Union would consider returning to the Nescac....being an original member?   Or is the love of D1 hockey too strong.  This is assuming that the conference forgives the original sin....and extends an olive branch

amh63...No shot...two years ago there were some rumblings that MIT had an interest in joining the NESCAC, but that went nowhere (although we would substitute MIT for Conn College in about a second).

[Nescacman]

2015 Week #3 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings

We are still looking for our first upset and surprise as we head into Week 3. The fantastic four (Amherst, Trinity, Middlebury, Wesleyan) all won to no one's surprise. One of them will get their first loss this week as Amherst and Middlebury face-off in what will be our game of the week.

Here are the answers to last week's questions:

-Was Amherst QB Foy's performance in Week 1 the real deal or a fluke? Appears to be the real deal.
-Can Middlebury get their ground game going against one of the weak sisters in the league? No and this could be their Achilles Heal this week against Amherst.
-Is this the week that Coach Dice gets his first career win for Wesleyan on the road at Hamilton? Yes and congrats to Coach Dice.
-How many 100-yard rushers will Wesleyan have this week? The over/under is 3. Surprisingly, none.
-Do the Kelton's of Willytown keep the game close at Hartford State? Surprise, No!
-Has QB Lommen turned it around in his second year for the Kelton's? The jury is still out on Lommen. We think his M.O. is he plays well against the bad teams and not so well against the good teams.
-Does Tufts master Bates and make it two in a row on the road? Yes, Tufts mastered Bates with the voyeurs watching in Lewiston.
-Do Colby and Bowdoin show us anything to believe that either team will get more than one win this year? The short answer is no.

Week 3 questions:
-Can Middlebury keep it close against Amherst with a one-dimensional offense?
-Who is going to be the primary back this week for Amherst?
-Does Wesleyan put it all together and have less than 100 yards in penalties?
-Does Trinity's defense continue their fast start?
-Will Tufts continue to impress and go to 3-0?
-What crazy things will the HCOF have to say this week if Williams loses to Bates?
-Will Bates or Hamilton get their first wins this week?
-Does Colby have any rushing yards against Wes this week?


1. Amherst (LW #1): Good tune-up win for the Lord Jeffs last week, as they get ready for their showdown with Middlebury. Should be a great game.

2. Middlebury (LW #2): Although Middlebury continues to struggle running the ball; their passing attack is working like a charm. It will need to be on overdrive this week to have a chance against the #1 ranked Lord Jeffs.

3. Hartford State (LW tie #3): As we stated, a big win versus a bad Williams team going nowhere in desperate need of a coaching change did not get us on the 'State bandwagon. However, the fact that they lead the country in scoring defense does. We think they will face tougher competition this week from the Conts, but the result should be the same (a win).

4. Wesleyan (LW tie #3): Interesting facts...Wes is #2 in the conference in both total offense and total defense and leads the country in rushing defense yet has a loss and slips one spot in our rankings. Why? They are among the national leaders in penalty YPG averaging 125 YPG and they are -1 in turnover differential thus far this year. As we have said time and time again, if you control the clock in and win the penalty and turnover battle, you will win the game. Wes is not doing that as they have in the past. This is a young team that we think will start to mature as the season moves along and once they do, watch out. 

5. Tufts (LW #5): Congrats to the Jumbos on win #2. We think they go to 3-0 against a rebuilding Bowdoin squad before they head into the tough part of their schedule. A 5-3 season is not out of the question for the Jumbos.

6. Williams (LW #6): Here we go again. Williams will face a hungry Bates squad this week. We think there is a definite possibility that the HCOF may never win another game in Willytown. He'll last the season but won't make it to 2016. Actual quote from the HCOF..."We were able to move the ball so there was some really bright spots and score isn't really indicative of the way the game actually went. If we were able to tuck it in a couple of those times we were in the red zone, it's a different football game"....really...you had 176 yards of total offense??? Here is what he had to say about now rotating two QBs..."We just use Mark (Pomella) to let him do the things that he can do and help us get a spark and make plays. Now teams have to prepare for it, which is great". So let me understand this, instead of playing one bad QB, they are now playing two bad QBs. I am sure the rest of NESCAC is shaking in their shoes at the thought of facing Lommen and Pomella. For the record, Pomella was 0-4 with 1 INT. The HCOF can't go fast enough.

7. Bates (LW #7): Tough loss to Tufts last week. We think Bates has played better than their 0-2 record indicates. We like them to get their first win this week.

8. Hamilton (LW #8): Played well in the first half against Wes. We think depth is an issue. They really seemed to get pushed around in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. Although the score was close, Wes had a TD called back for a penalty (what else is new), fumbled on the 1 yard line and ended the game in the victory formation on the Conts 1 yard line. Plus, Hamilton's TD (back of the end zone catch) was very suspect (if D3 used instant replay, we think the TD would have been ruled a non-catch since the receiver did not seem to have control). Bottom-line, the score could have easily been 14-21 points worse. With that being said, the Conts are improved and they will win some games this year as their schedule softens up after this week.

9. Bowdoin (LW#9): We think Bowdoin is going to have to wait until week 8 to have a shot at a win when they play Colby. Although we like Coach Wells, we are going to have to give him a few recruiting classes to see if he can make a difference.

10. Colby (LW#10): The nightmare continues this week as they travel to Middletown to face the Cardinals.

[dlippiel]

Talking about black sheep and all, is there any hint that Union would consider returning to the Nescac....being an original member?   Or is the love of D1 hockey too strong.  This is assuming that the conference forgives the original sin....and extends an olive branch

No, it would never happen. Academically many professors, administrators, etc would love it. However the focus at the school (athletically) is entirely on hockey and has been for at least the last decade. There is no stopping that big machine, win or lose, now. They love every minute of it and understandably so. dlip gets it.

Great hearing the stories posted above fellas! Thanks for sharing!

[amh63]

Gentlemen....let the previews begin!
Amherst's preview of the upcoming game Middlebury is on the Amherst football website.  A podcast of the Coach's comment is also there.   Wow, the SID has got the routine down...head of the pack.

[polbear73]

Bowdoin's normally skimpy preview is up on their website too. Tufts actually has lost 5 in a row to Bowdoin, something no other team has sin a very long time!

[lumbercat]

If Union is looking to move to a conference that embraces strong academics while maintaining a great D3 football fit the answer could be the UAA. Some quality Football is played in that conference. Such a move would not affect the Union D1 Hockey deal and the conference is down to 4 prestigious members....

(Let me issue a disclaimer here- I am making no judgment on the academic level of the schools in the Liberty League, I am just responding to a post on the board where a Union return to the NESCAC was floated.....just posting a thought)

The Football side of the UAA has recently been compromised by changes within the conference and the fact that their members share a lack of unison relative to the athletic programs they sponsor. This has really fragmented things in this prestigious D3 conference which has always been recognized as a very strong academic league. The Football side of the UAA has crumbled.

Regardless of opinions of the NESCAC it is commendable that most NESCAC schools are on the same page in terms of the varsity sports they sponsor and things are pretty consistent across the board.

Notable exceptions are the absence of Hockey at Bates (a glaring embarrassment to anyone on the planet who bleeds Bobcat Garnet) and the lack of a Football program at Conn College.

The UAA has been an enigma- unable to pull together a consistent football conference they were actively searching for additional members to sustain their fine league while some of their schools were going in different directions. Tuft was heavily rumored, at one point, as moving to the UAA under the reign of their  now retired AD but that proved false.

Union would be a great fit for the UAA and to add the requisite 6th team the UAA could invite MIT, a school very worthy of the UAA which is now entrenched in a disjointed Football conference where they don't fit well.
There it is.... a very good 6 team league with high academic standards and most importantly NCAA tournament eligibility.

Carnegie Mellon
Washington U
Case Western
U Chicago

Add Union, MIT, Coast Guard and bring Rochester back in. A great 8 team conference and an upgrade for all, academically and athletically.

[amh63]

Lumbercat....maybe they could make you Commissioner of the UAA! ..truly. Innovative thinking.
Did not know that Bates has no ice hockey team.  Remember the days Amherst was starting a women's ice hockey team.  Coach at the time was happy to get her second goalie.  Team built up and won two National Titles.  Head coach went to Div 1 and present coach chasing those glory days.  Oh well, Amherst doesn't have varsity rowing status....while Bates won a women's National title.  Trade offs can be hard.  In my days....there was even a ski team and Amherst even owned a ski slope near by...Glory days!   Nah, not really.

[Pat Coleman]

UAA charter/constitution requires members be members of the Association of American Universities.

[polbear73]

http://tuftsdaily.com/sports/2015/10/08/0-2-bowdoin-looks-upset-2-0-tufts-homecoming/

Good article in today's Tufts Daily on the Bowdoin-Tufts game and the relationship between the two head coaches. 

[Nescacman]

For those going to Keltontown this weekend, we found the following on the HCOF's website..."passive alcohol detector"...really?!?

Tailgating Rules at Football Games at Farley-Lamb Field at Williams College

Game Day Information for Weston Athletic Complex

Parking

There are several surrounding lots:

Lansing Chapman Rink parking lot – located across the street from the Weston Field Athletic Complex off of Latham Street. Handicap spots available.
Lot off Water Street – ample parking is available just around the corner. A 5 minute walk to the Weston Field Athletic Complex.
Lot inside Weston complex -- tailgating spots will be available inside the gates of the Weston Field Athletic Complex adjacent to Farley-Lamb Field on grass. First come, first serve basis. Handicap spots available.
Tailgating

Tailgating is available on the grass adjacent to Farley-Lamb Field.

For football games, the gates to Weston open at 10:00 AM. For Homecoming, Weston gates open at 8:00 AM.

First come, first serve basis. No reservations.
No charcoal grills allowed.
Attendees prohibited from bringing alcohol into Weston Field Athletic Complex.
Unsealed plastic or paper containers checked with a passive alcohol detector.
No cans, no glass.
No RV's or similar large vehicles.
Visiting Teams

Visiting teams will be housed on the east side of the Team Support Building, closest to the Taconic Golf Club parking lot. For convenience, supporters of visiting teams are encouraged to utilize the space in that surrounding area. Public restrooms are available under the main grandstand.

[gridiron]

Nescacman--Williams tailgating has the most supervision in the conference resulting in being the least tailgate-friendly.  Best to understand in advance to avoid disappointment.