NESCAC

[Bucket]

I think we need to add a little context for Midd's early season struggles. Depth was going to be a factor for Midd this year, and the Panthers could ill afford to lose players to significant injury, but that is what has happened. Three starters are out with knee injuries. One (Redmon) is done for the year, another (Portman) has yet to play, and the third (Smith, a starter since his freshman year) is out indefinitely.

[LaPaz]

Every team has to deal with injuries, point is why does Midd not have the depth to replace these players. I could see a Conn or Bates not being able to but not a good enough excuse. Also, Smith is a back and Porter and the other kid are not top quality players. They are good but does not account for there lack of goals.

Sat:

Bowdoin v Conn 1-0 Just a complete guess here. I actually think Conn is better than they are playing but have been awful on the road. Bowdoin is 5-1 with road wins over Babson and Midd and 3 cupcake wins. Will they actually come out and try to play aganist Conn instead of playing 4 deep in the back in front of a very average goalkeeper? Conn has been playing a 4-3-3 with Hawkey making dangerous runs up front but no one able to deliver him a decent ball. Conn has some fast backs and I do believe this will be closer than last weekends games for Conn but still a loss.

Hamilton v Bates 2-0 A must win for both teams as a loss will most likely eliminate them from the Nescac tournament. I have seen both play and like Hamilton better especially at home as long as they are injury free. Bates has no weapons upfront except Murphy on set pieces but he is playing kinda lazy this year it seems to me. Hamilton has better scoring weapons and there #18 wins everything in the air in midfield.

Colby v Trinity 0-0 Trip #2 for Trinity upto Maine and I am picturing one of those games with 9 total shots and no goals. Trinity the better team but can they sneak one in the back of the net. This is a must win for Colby I think, I will give them credit as rumor has it they should have beaten Tufts last weekend but couldnt finish some golden chances. Can they get there first Nescac goal in this game? Will Meisel be battling El-Hachem in midfield? Must win for Trinity if they want to stay in the top 4-5 slots as there end of year schedule is brutal.

Tufts v Amherst 1-3 Big big game for both teams. I like Amherst weapons up front to much and do not like Tufts keeper. Thats a bad match. Serious size advantage for Amherst. It is homecoming so there will be a big crowd and maybe Tufts can catch Amherst off-guard. They can certainly score aganist them as Santos and the quick Hoppenot can beat Amherst's slow defense as I heard one of the Sucre brothers is playing back there now due to injury. He is slow. Will frosh keeper get rattled down in Medford? Prob not

Wes v Midd 3-1 I like Wes in this game with a huge home field adv and crowd to boot. Better weapons upfront, more subbing and one of the most efficient and conservative and well coached defenses in the league. Kinda reminds me of the old Midd squads that once was.

Sunday:

Tufts v Bates 3-0  So an 8 hr bus ride to upstate NY and then a 5 hr bus ride to Boston. I would put my house on this victory for Tufts. Will Bates even show up? Literally.

[nescacsoccer]

I agree that injuries aren't an excuse.  Amherst will be starting their fourth string center for the third game in a row this weekend.  Granted one of those games was a meaningless non-conference joke.  The expectation at midd should be that they can sustain a few injuries and stay afloat.

LaPaz, I have't seen Tufts' goalie, but he has only let in two all year and has the highest save percentage.  Why are you so down on him?

This is what I'm expecting this weekend...

Bowdoin will handle Conn relatively easily, though the tallies won't reflect the tenor of the game.  Bowdoin is going to out shoot Conn at a little better than 2:1 but the final will be 1-0.

Hamilton and Bates play each other in what is probably each team's only strong chance at a win this year.  I have no idea which of these teams is better.  Just because life is ironic, i see it at 1-1.

 
What to make of Trinity this year? They sit fourth in the standing but without any really impressive results.  Interestingly they were outshot in their win against Hamilton and got three goals on seven shots against Conn.  Not to harp on a point I've already made, but this seems like a really down year for the league.  I find myself thinking about who isn't as bad in most of the games.  I think trinity isn't as bad.  It's difficult to pick a team that has't score a conference goal. Colby ends that tomorrow, but doesn't get a win. 2-1.

Finish off Saturady with the two better games of the weekend.

I see a bit of a barn burner here.  Tufts really has a chance to do something this year if they can get three points out of this game.  I think Amherst is vulnerable down the middle of their defense.  They start a inexperienced sophopmore and now a converted midfielder in their center back spots.  Can Tufts attack through the middle? Caslin has stepped in nicely into the holding sport and bring a sense of calm to the field for them.  Satnos and Hoppenot need big games.  I think Amherst gets it though 3-2.

Even with the all that's been said about Middlebury, I dont think they will stay down.  They've lost against each of their quality opponents.  Wesleyan is certainly a quality oppenent and is very strong at home.  I like Midd 1-0 just because sometime things dont go as you expect.

Lastly, this game could be a big trap for Tufts.  Emotional let down from either a big win or crush defeat.  Either I think Bates has a chance to get points from them.  Unfortunately they're Bates.  In what will be the sloppiest game of the weekend, Tufts 2-0.

[LaPaz]

I guess I am basing this Tufts keeper thing on only one game at Wesleyan. They beat Wesleyan 2-1 but wow did he look shaky. Bobbling balls, missing crosses, coming way out of his net, etc. Maybe i am being to unfair. I believe the defense in front of him is better than average and that also helps him. I will give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Maybe just a really bad game? If he shuts down the potent Amherst offfense, I will not mention it again. Maybe a Tufts fan on this site who sees him game in and game out can lend us some insight.

[amh63]

Amherst beats Tufts 2-0 in Melford.  Same score at the half.

[Jump4Joy]

LaPaz, Tufts' keeper anticipates well and gets his hands to ball but does tend to box away when he could/should catch and hold. Didn't see the first goal but heard the ball was served to the box from a throw-in, and it bounced in the box and was headed home. Maybe someone who saw it can say whether it was within the keeper's range (the six). Second goal was a well stroked pk that caught the keeper guessing the opposite way. Stupid foul in box, catching the Amherst attacker facing away from the goal. Tufts had a chance to score on a pk, but Santos looked casual on the approach and hit it off the left post. Amherst's keeper looks like the real deal.

[amh63]

Jump4Joy....the write-up by Tufts posted on the Amherst website just states that Amherst's leading scorer headed it in after a strong throw in into the box.  Seems to me that the goaltender was in the wrong place.
Since you post on the women's board.....would you be someone that has two kids playing for Amherst....one on the men's team and one on the women's team?

[Jump4Joy]

amh63, I might ask the same question of you! 
The men and women have been playing back-to-back, so if you see one game, you can see both fairly easily. Also, it's exciting to see two local teams who are nationally ranked and still undefeated.

[amh63]

Jump4Joy.....Well, I know that there are recent family connections existing on the teams.   I do have three kids that finished at Amherst....but that was before the turn of the century....One girl and two boys.  I'm glad that they do not follow this board....being referred to them as kids!  All are married and living lives of consequences as Amherst likes to put it.
I am a fan of S. Noon and follow the women players from Md.....where I reside.

[Jump4Joy]

Glad to hear good things about your graduates. Noon's numbers are impressive. He certainly finds all kinds of ways to give his team the chance to win. Word is, he didn't grow up playing club soccer; for me, that makes his success all the more impressive.

[amh63]

Probably true about Noon.  I heard about him as a basketball and soccer player.  Met his parents in a NCAA game in York, PA.  He had an injury during his FY...mouth area that slowed his entrance to the MBB team.  Injuries during his soccer play in his next two years prevented him to join the MBB team.  His father was a star MBB star for the U. of Hartford and his older brother played BB...so it is not surprising that he may not have been a club soccer player. 

[amh63]

Amherst beat Lesley in Cambridge tonight 6-0.  It was 5-0 at the half.  Both sides inserted plenty of subs....Amherst starters came out early since they have a key game this weekend with Williams.

[LaPaz]

ridiculous out of conference scheduling for some of these Nescac schools. As a player for Amherst how is that of any use to play Lesley and Curry and outshoot them by 30-1 or whatever. It has become a joke. Wesleyan, Williams and Trinity have kept decent out of conference schedules. The Maine schools I can understand the travel issue but the rest should be ashamed.

[amh63]

Last night games by all the "CAC" teams were large wins by soccer scores.  The Curry team went to the NCAA last season.  Curry has a good record coming into the game....and in their conference.  They have several good players on the team.  One Curry player holds the scoring record for the school and one of their FY players made Rookie of the Week las week. 
Amherst needs to give game experience to their younger players and new goal keepers.  Remember Amherst starts a freshman in the goal.  Last night, he played for a half and another young inexperience goalkeeper was in for the second half.
Last season's game between the two teams was scoreless for 35 minutes or more, 2-0 at the half and 4-0 at the finish.  As stated earlier, still Curry was a tournament team.
Lighten up LaPaz.  There are many reasons coaches schedule schools....one reason is NOT to have a seemingly mismatch coming into a new season.

[LaPaz]

That is the biggest joke of an argument on this board. Curry's NCAA appearance may have been due to being in the weakest league in New England, to be honest I do not even remember them qualifying. Actually, I am wrong Lesley is in the weakest league. Either way I will not waste my time arguing this.