New England Soccer Discussion

[blooter442]

Yep, Brandeis can compete academically with a good portion of the NESCAC.  Was just trying to say (and I know these are big generalizations) that when you think of the overall vibes NESCACs tend to attract the "preppier" really smart kids in your high school with the more social activist smart kids leaning towards a Brandeis.

Certainly fair. I still want to call you by your former name, but PN will have to do.

[Jump4Joy]

One of my favorite Coven stories speaks to his absolute and deep commitment to his program. Word has it that back in the day, after a loss at Babson (storied rivals in the 70s and 80s), he was too upset to get on the bus. He walked all the way back to Brandeis! He's no saint--and would probably not want to be remembered as such. Has always been a fun guy to watch a game with.

[All NESCAC]

I'll chime in as well.  Kind of hard to wrap one's head around how special and unique it is to have a 44 year career at one place, whether in D3 soccer or really in any area in life.  This last half-decade or so at Brandeis really could not have gone any better in terms of Coven putting his final signature on his career.  And he always as far as I can tell has given Margolis tremendous credit for the program resurgence and for re-energizing and influencing him.  It does seem that he is beloved by his players and that he does not take that for granted.  And to have Brandeis now among the most elite soccer programs in the country is quite the accomplishment.  Brandeis obviously is right smack in the middle of NESCAC-land.  In general, I wouldn't consider Brandeis a competitor with NESCAC schools as Brandeis would seem to attract a different kind of student.  I think of Brandeis (and Holy Cross) as the two New England schools similar in academic reputation to the NESCACs but not necessarily big overlaps with them.  Brandeis is well-known for being 50% or more Jewish and also for having a proud history of focusing on social justice.  I've always thought of Brandeis as a place that attracts and nurtures students who truly want to make a difference in the world.  All that said, I think in recent years Coven and Margolis have been able to get some players that either could have gone to NESCACs or where NESCACs have dropped the ball and missed out.  At any rate, a huge congratulations to Coach Coven.

Well said. In my opinion, the Holy Cross parallel is a very good one, and one I had never thought of before. One interesting thing is that – while the 50%+ Jewish student body was true historically – it is now less than 50% if I am correct. It's certainly getting more diverse every year.

In terms of non-athletic admissions, Brandeis competes with a few NESCACs, mostly Colby, Bates, Conn. etc. I don't think that Brandeis is competitive with Williams/Amherst/Middlebury/Bowdoin/etc., but I would say it is quite competitive with the other NESCACs: I myself chose Brandeis over Conn. College, although I think I would have been happy at Conn., and I know of at least two kids off the top of my head who chose Brandeis over Colby. I even know one kid who chose Brandeis over Bowdoin, although I think that is certainly the exception and not the norm. This is not meant to be a brag piece, but just to illustrate a bit about Brandeis' admissions alongside those of the NESCACs.

Most importantly, I think you do well to recognize that Coven has indeed credited Margolis time and time again with transforming the program. He even said after his 500 win that he would "not be standing here today if it wasn't for Gabe Margolis." Whether that means particularly that Margolis helped save his job or he wouldn't have reached 500 wins, I don't know, but he certainly recognizes the role that Gabe has had in Brandeis soccer this past decade.

Congratulations Coach Coven on an absolutely tremendous career.  I got to know him first through club soccer and then when he recruited my son....yes he was still writing those hand written notes to recruits back in 2010 and 2011.  Great guy who told it like it was...no bs...his former players love him...he and Coach Margolis have done a tremendous job with the Brandeis program over the last 8 years both on the field and especially recruiting in Massachusetts...congratulations and good luck with your next adventure!

[blooter442]

One of my favorite Coven stories speaks to his absolute and deep commitment to his program. Word has it that back in the day, after a loss at Babson (storied rivals in the 70s and 80s), he was too upset to get on the bus. He walked all the way back to Brandeis! He's no saint--and would probably not want to be remembered as such. Has always been a fun guy to watch a game with.

I have heard that as well! Agree with the rest of the sentiment: he is a kind, well-liked, and jovial guy, but isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Apparently he was too mad to even speak to his team after the Wheaton debacle this year, and according to a newspaper article featuring Ocel, that moment had an impact on the players. Of course, I don't think this was the only thing that led to Brandeis' surge in the second half of the season – the defense gelled and improved, injured players came back, etc. – but it certainly was a moment that made the guys realize that they had to get their act together quick, and they did.

Another Coven moment: 2013, a home game against WPI. Brandeis got a penalty and the WPI coach said "so just cause I don't know the ref means that I can't get a call?"

Coven turns to him and goes: "his name is Cyrus...with a C!"

[blooter442]

It's official: Margolis will take over as Brandeis head coach next year. http://www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/msoc/2016-17/releases/MargolisCoach

[NEsoccerfan]

It's official: Margolis will take over as Brandeis head coach next year. http://www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/msoc/2016-17/releases/MargolisCoach

Zero surprise there. Gabe has been running that team for over 5 years, and I can't wait to see him bring deis back to the final 4.

[Off Pitch]

A look at this year's NE teams in the final NSCAA top 25.


15. UMASS-Boston: It is unfortunate that the Haverford debacle happened to UMB, because the Beacons were really starting to gather some credibility as a top New England team. Kenawy had a good year and I like Cunha and Martinez a lot. The biggest issue I see for UMASS-Boston has nothing to do with graduation, as they only lose 7 players out of 32, but the collateral resulting from the frankly inexcusable behavior that was encapsulated at Haverford that calls into question the Beacons' credibility as a program, which could certainly hurt recruiting/etc. I assume Williamson will never be allowed to play in the NCAA again, and would be disappointed to find out otherwise. To rehash a point I made earlier, while I do respect the work he's done in getting in "non-traditional" students, I do not think Beverlin is mature enough to be an NCAA head coach. From a talent perspective, though, I think there's no telling what UMB can achieve if they stay healthy and keep their composure.

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/massachusetts-boston-men-s-soccer-receives-public-reprimand

I didn't see this at the time of the announcement (March), but the NCAA decided on a "slap on the wrist" penalty for Williamson.  It will be interesting to see if he is back as 29-year old soph for UMass-Boston this year.

[Mr.Right]

A 1 year suspension is interesting as I suppose that is better than a life suspension and do not forget the public reprimand

[Off Pitch]

If I read it correctly, the suspension is only from the NCAA tournament.

[4231CenterBack]

What a joke.  Among other things, he head-butts a referee who is half his size.  Nothing happens to Beverlin either... Also curious if Williamson escaped a battery charge with the local Haverford PD.

[Clotpoll]

The really horrible thing was that UMB parlayed that fracas into a long break for the players not sent off.

[blooter442]

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/massachusetts-boston-men-s-soccer-receives-public-reprimand

I didn't see this at the time of the announcement (March), but the NCAA decided on a "slap on the wrist" penalty for Williamson.  It will be interesting to see if he is back as 29-year old soph for UMass-Boston this year.

That is absurd. Absolutely ridiculous.

Yes, people make mistakes, particularly in the heat of the moment, but that doesn't mean that people shouldn't be held accountable for their actions. The bans on Williamson and Khang are laughable at best – akin to Jara getting a yellow card for a clear elbow in the Chile-Germany game this past Sunday.

What's more, the comments from UMB players and parents on the YouTube video – including Khang's mother – revealed that the community had learned virtually nothing from the whole ordeal. I cannot judge her as a parent based on one isolated incident, but I found it absurd that she would serve as an apologist for her son. Sure, love your kid unconditionally, but you shouldn't be afraid to condemn them when they do something completely unacceptable – much less seek to minimize his behavior.

[OldNed]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but I was looking at last year's NSCAA D3 All New England team, and there's a player from Hamilton on the team.  Does anyone have any idea why Hamilton is considered a New England region team?

http://www.nscaa.com/web/Awards/Recipients/2016_NSCAA_NCAA_Division_III_Men_s_All-New_England_Region_Teams.aspx

[Ommadawn]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but I was looking at last year's NSCAA D3 All New England team, and there's a player from Hamilton on the team.  Does anyone have any idea why Hamilton is considered a New England region team?

http://www.nscaa.com/web/Awards/Recipients/2016_NSCAA_NCAA_Division_III_Men_s_All-New_England_Region_Teams.aspx

I can only guess that it's because Hamilton is in the NESCAC.

[Pat Coleman]

That's correct -- generally the NCAA sports committees like to keep all of a conference's teams in the same region. Obviously that's not always feasible (UAA) but it is the goal.