NESCAC 2011

[Giggs]

With all due respect to Mid & Williams, the three important games are Trin v. Wes today, then Tufts v. Bowdoin, and Colby Bates.  Wes actually has the opportunity to get home field with a win coupled with a Bowdoin win over Tufts--which also will put Bowdoin securely in the playoffs.  Don't want to run all the possibilities, but these are the games with ramifications.

[Giggs]

Wes wins with two second half goals.  With that result, Bowdoin secures a spot in the playoff's.  Last spot is between Colby, Bates, Trinity.  Colby needs the win to jump to the eight spot.

[Ocean 1]

Great comeback by Wes with less than 10 mins. to go to register those 2 goals. Would be a nice touch and major progress for the program to see Wes secure the 4th seed position and home advantage in the NESCAC quarters if Bowden can beat Tuft's at home tomorrow.

[Giggs]

Actually Trinity is also out, with a tie or better Bates is in, Colby is in with a win.  Rest of the games are about seeding (or home field for Tufts).

[Jump4Joy]

Three cheers to Amherst on their undefeated regular season.

[amh63]

For soccer fans, both the mens and women's games will be web casted as Amherst hosts both conference tournament games.  There is also an interesting soccer story on the website...Backup goalie for the men's team. B. Saldana, played in the net for two of his national team's games.

[machine54]

Where did all the front running EPH fans go ??

[Ocean 1]

Where did all the front running EPH fans go ??

Right behind you Machine.

[amh63]

Sorry the game that started at 2 PM was not webcasted.  The men's game at 2:30 had its webcast canceled due to the weather.  Oh yes, Amherst beats Bowdoin 3-2 in OT.......Amherst had beaten the polar bears 2-1 in 2 OT up in Maine earlier.  Wonder how the weather affected both teams.

[Jump4Joy]

Weather during Amherst/Bowdoin made all the difference. While playing on grass, Amherst dominated early, going up 2-0 in the opening 10 minutes and looking like a team that would make Bowdoin feel like they had made the trip for nothing. Once the surface changed, Amherst's triangle passing and surgical through balls went numb, as the ball's movement became unpredictable, deadening at inopportune moments. This is when Bowdoin realized they could make a go of it, smartly sending long diagonal balls over the top to dump and chase. Boy, were they good at it! They got one on a PK just before half and knotted it up in the second. Interestingly, they pulled off their #1 playmaker, who left the game perhaps because her pretty possession style did not match the conditions/tactics. (Could have been for other reasons, but that's my guess.) Amherst finally caught on to the necessary tactics (necessity being the mother of invention) and changed their style in the final 20, really pouring it on in the final 10 with chance after chance in the danger zone and allowing stingy opportunities for Bowdoin (who was still able to send it a few times into Amherst's end). Given the absolute flurry of attack going into the OT, it was not a surprise that Amherst solved the problem less than two minutes in. Good effort by Bowdoin. Deserved result for Amherst.

[Jump4Joy]

So it's an Amherst-Williams championship final.
Williams might be a bit more stretched than Amherst going in, as they played Middlebury to a 0-0 2OT tie, broken by the Ephs on the sixth PK, 5-4.
Amherst handled Wesleyan with a 3-0 scoreline that echoes the story from their last meeting just two weekends ago. Wesleyan played determined high pressure throughout the first stanza, knocking Amherst a bit out of rhythm with some physical effort but not enough. Wesleyan was celebrating what they thought was a go-ahead goal in the first half, but the play was ruled offside. While part one ended 0-0, Amherst had the run of play but not by a vast amount and had nothing to show for it until the second half when they took over and put Wesleyan out of reach. At 1-0, Wesleyan still had a few fast breaks on counterattacks, but couldn't string it together in the final third. At 2-0, Amherst was not looking back and didn't, sealing the deal late in the game for the win.

[Jump4Joy]

Ocean, predictions for tomorrow?

[amh63]

Amherst wins over Williams 2-1 for the conference championship at home today.  It was Williams 1-0 at the half.  Amherst came up with the equalizer in the 2nd half midway and closed the game near the end.

[Jump4Joy]

Yes, it was Williams, 1-0 at the half. But that's just a sidebar to the real story. Amherst absolutely dominated in possession, shots and corners (especially in the first half). Williams weathered several solid scoring opps and were on their heels throughout the first stanza. However, Williams tallied the only stat that mattered with about 8 mins left before intermission on a counterattack down the left flank and an early cross to the 5'11" target at the 12 spot who met the ball with enough force to knock it past the attempted punch by the Jeffs' GK. Amherst regrouped for the second half and came out on the attack again, but this time met with some Williams confidence as the Ephs played a bit more on their front foot by winning 50/50s and intercepting passes. Still, even with the Jeffs chasing the game, the Ephs' possession remained less than the Jeffs' and stayed for the most part inside their own end (some just over the midstripe into Amherst territory). The Jeffs would not quit. The fans could sense that Williams started to believe they could hold on, but at around the 8 min mark, Amhers showed they had never stopped believing in themselves and tied it up with a crack from outside the 18, rocketing from left to upper right of the frame. The Jeffs did not seem the least bit interested in overtime. Once they smelled blood, they went for the jugular, winning a crucial corner on the right. An Amherst centerback found herself toward the back post and inside the six with time and space to head the service home. For a tense moment after the ball crossed the line and immediately ricocheted out (the ball rebounded off a defender's torso, but she was well into the goal), hearts fluttered as players and fans waited for the conference between central official and the AR, but the AR's immediate determination of the goal stood as confirmed, and, four minutes later, Amherst had the the championship trophy in hand! Onto the big show with NCAAs around the corner. Amherst is an automatic as conference champs (but would have been a lock anyway with their #1 NCAA regional ranking), and Williams waits for an at-large bid. Go 'Herst!

[machine54]

Amherst showed from start to finish why they were the class of the conference.   What a shame for midd, 11 wins,  six straight shutouts,   a win v williams, 200 scoreless minutes v Williams and quite possibly no NCAA bid, we will see tomorrow.