New England Soccer Discussion

[Mr.Right]

Serpone would never schedule ECONN...DeVito would play them in a heartbeat...

Why do you suppose he scheduled RIC?

Amherst has played RIC in the past during Serpone's tenure and have handled them with relative ease. RIC has historically been an average team that has a history of being average athletically but usually an undisciplined mess. They usually do not sit in 10 deep and will play their opponents straight up in a 4-4-2.  ECONN has no problem sitting 10 deep against better competition and are a much better coached side than RIC. So basically it is much less of a risk to play them.

[ECSUalum]

Mr R.  Thanks, Looking forward to more of your keen insights on D-III Soccer this year!!

[amh63]

Amherst graduated an all-American GK that was a 4- year starter in Bull.  There is a new GK for this season.  RIC is a " better" team to check out new GKs in the first game of the season than a stronger ECSU team. .....see I told you ECSUalum.  Amherst has two conference games following in the early part of the schedule.
See that the Wiilimantic Brewery is in the Old post office building!  Maybe a bucket list candidate.

[ECSUalum]

See that the Wiilimantic Brewery is in the Old post office building!  Maybe a bucket list candidate.
The beer is very good as well.  The owner also schedules Beer and Beer and Wine dinners, pairing wines and the home brews with excellent dishes by the restaurant's superb chef!!

[ECSUalum]

http://www.beaconsathletics.com/sports/m-soccer/2015-16/releases/20160727mcf6z3
http://www.beaconsathletics.com/sports/m-soccer/2016-17/releases/20160715luyvly
UMass Boston looks to have graduated high scorer Pedro DaSilva, (Goals, Points 15,34); Elton Teixeira 8,24, and Goalkeeper Alfonso Rosales, 0.88 GAA, but returns So Forward playmaker Mohammed Kenaway 9,25; Sr Forward Edmilson Barros 9, 23, So Midfielder Guilherme Barbosa 7, 16; and So Midfielder Denis Martinez.
I think the 2016 team could be even better than last years team, especially if they play a more disciplined team approach, maintain their Excellent defense and can reload a good GK.

[Off Pitch]

Season predictions

LEC
1.  UMass-Boston 
2.  ECSU
3.  UMass-Dartmouth
4.  Rhode Island
5.  Plymouth St.
6.  Western Conn
7.  Keene St
8.  Southern Maine

NEWMAC
1.  Wheaton - best in class of a down year in the NEWMAC
2.  Babson - less quality depth returning than in recent years
3.  Springfield - play ugly soccer but have some athletes
4.  MIT - lose four starters including two most dynamic offensive players
5.  WPI  - lose two leading scorers from an offensively challenged side
6.  Coast Guard - they play hard and are ultra-fit
7.  Clark - thankful to have Emerson in the conference
8.  Emerson - have never won a NEWMAC game

[Off Pitch]

CCC
1.  Gordon
2.  Western New England
3.  Endicott - lose 60% of their offense to graduation
4.  Wentworth - started eight Fr and Soph last year
5.  Roger Williams
6.  Nichols
7.  Salve Regina
8.  Curry
9.  U of NE
10. Eastern Nazarene

[ECSUalum]

Eastern Connecticut State University's 2015/16 men's soccer roster posted today:
http://gowarriorathletics.com/sports/msoc/2016-17/roster
6ft 1 in Fr MF George Spanos (Waterford HS) was listed in d3soccer 2016 recruits
6 ft 0 in So MF Kuba Kazmierczak (New Britain HS) is transfer from U of Hartford
5' 9" Fr Midfielder Dimitrios Dalardha is a transfer from Loyola Univ. MD but did not play
Need to research the rest of the freshmen.

[Off Pitch]

Season predictions

NEWMAC   (Revised)
1.  Babson - two projected starters for Wheaton have apparently transferred to Babson (O'Rourke and Fromhein) shoring up Babson's midfiled depth issues.  Will need freshman forwards to make an impact.
2.  Wheaton - transfers tip the scale to Babson
3.  Springfield - play ugly soccer but have some athletes
4.  MIT - lose four starters including two most dynamic offensive players
5.  WPI  - lose two leading scorers from an offensively challenged side
6.  Coast Guard - they play hard and are ultra-fit
7.  Clark - thankful to have Emerson in the conference
8.  Emerson - have never won a NEWMAC game

[ECSUalum]

Umass Boston picked as #1 Team in LEC Preseason Poll:
http://www.littleeast.com/sports/msoc/2016-17/releases/20160830_MSOC-PreseasonPoll

[Mr.Right]

More shocking is Keens St picked to finish 3rd to bottom. This was once a storied program and a top New England contender. I am not sure what has happened the past 5-6 years but I do not think it was Ron Butcher retiring as his final 3 years were not very good either.

[Off Pitch]

Keene St lost 7 of their last 9 games last fall.  Their current roster of 26 has 11 freshmen, 7 Sophs, 6 Juniors and only 1 Senior.  This season looks like a rebuilding year at best.

[ECSUalum]

7 of 11 UMB 2016 freshman recruits from overseas, ie Cape Verde Isl, Brazil, Netherlands, etc
http://www.beaconsathletics.com/sports/m-soccer/2016-17/roster

[ECSUalum]

Here is ECSU Sports Information Staff Greg Hyman's report on Eastern Mens Soccer for 2016:
http://gowarriorathletics.com/sports/msoc/2016-17/releases/msoc_preview-2016
Key word for the 2016 Warriors will be depth!!

[Mr.Right]

Interesting that Western Conn made longtime successful Women's Head Coach Joe Mingachos as its Men's Coach. He took WCONN's womens soccer to great heights including a NCAA Final 4. He has the pedigree to really turn the Men's program around. It will be interesting to follow and they are playing a decent out of conference schedule as well with Trinity(CT), Union, Vassar and Springfield on the docket along with league games against UMASS Boston and Eastern Conn.