NESCAC

[NEsoccerfan]

On the topic of Amherst tying yesterday - and I think that many of us were just plain shocked that the Lord Jeffs didn't find a way to win the game as they've done in 2OT so many times this year - I think a tie actually could have been the best thing for them and at the perfect time. Avoiding a tie in the postseason would be in their interest, both for the obvious desire to get an outright win as well as the fact that they haven't had great luck in penalty shootouts,  year losing to Bowdoin in the NESCAC final and Brandeis in NCAAs, along with the Williams NCAA shootout of 2012. So if a tie had to happen, it's best that it happen now. Winning every game is the ideal way - and it is - but it's also not realistic and creates a certain amount of pressure in my book. A tie doesn't have the same humbling effect as a loss does, but it relieves some of that pressure I think.

I have to agree with you on this. I think this will be a benefit for Amherst going forward as there certainly will be pressure taken off them both in terms of the blemish on their record and not having the unanimous #1 in the nation target on their backs. If I were an Amherst fan I would even want them to lose a hard-fought battle during the playoffs just to get them primed and hungry for the NCAA.

Regarding trinity, what impressed me so much about them was not just the fact that they got the result or showed that they can be dangerous. I was most impressed by the fact that they did not let the better team (Amherst) dictate the pace of the game. Amherst played their usual direct bruising style, while trinity controlled the ball on the ground with quick give and go's in the middle third and attacking third and needling passes all the way from the defense through the middle and up top.   

Also, Trinity was physical but definitely did not get sucked into Amherst's chippiness and still managed to play their own game. When you face the top team in the country and still can dictate the flow of the game for large stretches, that is a very impressive feat.

[blooter442]

I think Middlebury deserves a little more credit than they get on these boards. I mean, we're talking about a team that finished second in the NESCAC, with lone losses coming on the road at Amherst and at Tufts, both 1-0 results.

Middlebury won me over by coming back to thump Bates on the road. The fact that they were down 1-0 at the half and came back to win 4-1, and not just 2-1 with two fluky goals, was impressive. They deserved that, both in getting the victory as well as the margin. They did not show up to play against Tufts and were simply awful in that game, but have rebounded quite well. My belief is that Tufts is still the second-best team in the NESCAC in terms of talent, but Midd got the #2 spot by four points and results are results - four points is a margin that you can't argue with.

I think there was a fair amount of skepticism (from myself included) because they somehow stayed second in the NESCAC by the skin of their teeth for most of the season, and won a couple of games in which they were arguably outplayed. The Tufts performance didn't help their perception, either. However, the fact that they've been perfect since that loss and finished four points ahead of Tufts (which is a lot, especially at the top end of the table) means they deserve it IMHO.

Regarding trinity, what impressed me so much about them was not just the fact that they got the result or showed that they can be dangerous. I was most impressed by the fact that they did not let the better team (Amherst) dictate the pace of the game. Amherst played their usual direct bruising style, while trinity controlled the ball on the ground with quick give and go's in the middle third and attacking third and needling passes all the way from the defense through the middle and up top.   

Also, Trinity was physical but definitely did not get sucked into Amherst's chippiness and still managed to play their own game. When you face the top team in the country and still can dictate the flow of the game for large stretches, that is a very impressive feat.

Indeed. When Amherst went 1-0 up on the PK, I thought it was a shame because Trinity had played well up to that point, but figured that they were dead and buried. Had some work to do, so I tuned out, but when I saw that it was 1-1 on the live stats I was shocked. Most teams bow in the face of Amherst adversity, especially after they go 1-0 up, but the fact that Trinity rebounded and got an equalizer - and then made it stand up - was impressive. Gimand was phenomenal, pulling the strings, and I can see why he was NESCAC Player of the Week. Probably the best I've ever seen from him, and I think Trinity put up the biggest fight that an opponent has managed against Amherst this year, and that's not just because of the result, but the balance of play as well.

[Mr.Right]

On the topic of Amherst tying yesterday - and I think that many of us were just plain shocked that the Lord Jeffs didn't find a way to win the game as they've done in 2OT so many times this year - I think a tie actually could have been the best thing for them and at the perfect time. Avoiding a tie in the postseason would be in their interest, both for the obvious desire to get an outright win as well as the fact that they haven't had great luck in penalty shootouts,  year losing to Bowdoin in the NESCAC final and Brandeis in NCAAs, along with the Williams NCAA shootout of 2012. So if a tie had to happen, it's best that it happen now. Winning every game is the ideal way - and it is - but it's also not realistic and creates a certain amount of pressure in my book. A tie doesn't have the same humbling effect as a loss does, but it relieves some of that pressure I think.

I have to agree with you on this. I think this will be a benefit for Amherst going forward as there certainly will be pressure taken off them both in terms of the blemish on their record and not having the unanimous #1 in the nation target on their backs. If I were an Amherst fan I would even want them to lose a hard-fought battle during the playoffs just to get them primed and hungry for the NCAA.

Regarding trinity, what impressed me so much about them was not just the fact that they got the result or showed that they can be dangerous. I was most impressed by the fact that they did not let the better team (Amherst) dictate the pace of the game. Amherst played their usual direct bruising style, while trinity controlled the ball on the ground with quick give and go's in the middle third and attacking third and needling passes all the way from the defense through the middle and up top.   

Also, Trinity was physical but definitely did not get sucked into Amherst's chippiness and still managed to play their own game. When you face the top team in the country and still can dictate the flow of the game for large stretches, that is a very impressive feat.

This is very true. Trinity possessed the ball as well as you can against Amherst. They must continue to do this against Midd. Trinity must not get sucked into playing the ball thru the middle of the field. Grimand and the others must switch fields and the guys on the flanks must be disciplined and stay out there. That is the best way to defeat Middlebury is to space that field out as best you can and have little 1v1 battles on the flanks. You will not beat Midd thru the center of the field. Grimand will not have 2 seconds before he gets whacked in midfield so he must be on top of his game and play two touch like yesterday. Midd's weak link is their wingback Rodlauer as he can be beaten 1v1 and you must attack him. Midd like Amherst is very good at imposing their style on you so as long as Trinity does not get sucked into that type of volleyball game then they can win. However, with Ogle bombing throw after throw into box and with guys like Horton, Wiener, Bean and Conrad all 6'4 and taller they are just VERY dangerous on set pieces more so than Amherst has been this year.

[PaulNewman]

"The Lord Jeffs are who we thought they were.  That's why we took the damn field!  Now, if you wanna go ahead and crown 'em, then go ahead and crown their a$#!  But the Lord Jeffs are who we thought they were!"

-- credit and/or apology to Dennis Green

[Mr.Right]

Bucket,

You are correct I was harsh on Midd early in the year and predicted them to finish 5th. I underestimated the pieces around Conrad, Glaser, D.Robinson and Sydor. I was wrong. They are very tough to breakdown and impose their style on teams just as well as Amherst. This style will be very effective come November especially against teams from different regions who are unfamiliar with them. My problem with Midd is they have not had a decent playmaker in the central midfield since Robbie Redmond in 2009. They can only play direct which is fine but they have nothing to fall back on if it is not working in a particular game. The Tufts game this year is a good example as Midd mucked that game up well and Tufts could not put 3 passes together and the game was one of the more uglier games I have seen all year. However, Tufts finished their chance and won 1-0. Tufts controlled possession better in the 2nd Half and Midd could not get the ball / possess thru midfield to give Glazer or Conrad any chances. They maybe had 2 SOG all game. That is where Amherst and Midd are different as Amherst has more skilled players if necessary like Haskell, Rico in midfield to change mid game if Orozco or whoever is not getting the job done. I guess my main point is if Midd had ONE serious creative midfielder that could thread the needle they could be one of the best teams in the country as they have everything else. I am a big fan of Conrad, Glaser with his incredible speed, Deklan Robinson in the middle of the defense and he is one of the best finishers with his head on set pieces that Nescac has and Sydor in net. I will be very interested to see how far they get in the NCAA's this year. They have not been since 2010 so these guys should be pumped.

[Bucket]

Bucket,

You are correct I was harsh on Midd early in the year and predicted them to finish 5th. I underestimated the pieces around Conrad, Glaser, D.Robinson and Sydor. I was wrong. They are very tough to breakdown and impose their style on teams just as well as Amherst. This style will be very effective come November especially against teams from different regions who are unfamiliar with them. My problem with Midd is they have not had a decent playmaker in the central midfield since Robbie Redmond in 2009. They can only play direct which is fine but they have nothing to fall back on if it is not working in a particular game. The Tufts game this year is a good example as Midd mucked that game up well and Tufts could not put 3 passes together and the game was one of the more uglier games I have seen all year. However, Tufts finished their chance and won 1-0. Tufts controlled possession better in the 2nd Half and Midd could not get the ball / possess thru midfield to give Glazer or Conrad any chances. They maybe had 2 SOG all game. That is where Amherst and Midd are different as Amherst has more skilled players if necessary like Haskell, Rico in midfield to change mid game if Orozco or whoever is not getting the job done. I guess my main point is if Midd had ONE serious creative midfielder that could thread the needle they could be one of the best teams in the country as they have everything else. I am a big fan of Conrad, Glaser with his incredible speed, Deklan Robinson in the middle of the defense and he is one of the best finishers with his head on set pieces that Nescac has and Sydor in net. I will be very interested to see how far they get in the NCAA's this year. They have not been since 2010 so these guys should be pumped.

Great post (and well appreciated)...+K to you. I'm in 100 percent agreement with all that you write here.

[Mr.Right]

Halloween and not even 2 months into a season and Bates, Colby and Hamilton seasons are over. Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Williams and Conn's seasons could be over tomorrow. At least they have a chance unlike the bottom 3. BTW after watching the 2nd Half and OT of the Bates v Colby game I cannot believe Bates were not pushing more #'s forward. I mean with 10 minutes left in regulation YOU must go for it play with 2 fast CB's and go 3-4-3 attacking with 7. It actually is easier to start the game like this because your guys have fresher legs to run up and down the flanks. Riskier but your odds of scoring increase. Either way they would have gotten smashed on Saturday at Amherst.


I hate this weekend in Nescac because you can only realistically watch one game. Anyway, Fast Food Predictions and going with most upsets.

Amherst v Wesleyan---I cannot imagine Wesleyan losing like they did a week or 2 ago. They have lost 5 in a row and look to be out of sorts. Wheeler will get them prepared and they should sit in defensively rather well. I have no idea why he benched his starting GK last time they played Amherst but get the starter back in and sit in with a block of 6 or 7 using both Erickson and Gruner. This game will get very chippy and if Wesleyan can find a way to score first they can pull the upset. I say 0-0 Wes in PK's.

Midd v Trinity----Loved the way Trinity played on Wednesday and I said previously how I think they need to play against Midd to win. I think if Gimand gets whacked early Midd can take him out of his game. Savonen will have a tough time with Midd's trees and I say Midd plays one of its better games and Trinity shows how inconsistent and frustrating they can be. Midd 2-0.

Tufts v Bowdoin----Replay of a game 3 days ago. These type of games usually can get chippy and out of control fast. Keefe gets his head on the end of a corner in the 80th minute to spring the 1-0 upset.

Conn v Williams---Two teams going in different directions as Williams is going DOWN and Conn is going somewhat Sideways. I'll take sideways over down. This was a great game up in Williamstown a month ago and I still feel like Williams has more natural talent but they just keep finding ways to lose games. They cannot score goals but Alcorn has been a pleasant surprise in net this year so he could be the difference. Conn's midfield is much better than Williams midfield but I think this will be a very even game with both sides getting chances. for some reason I feel like Williams will give a full 90 minute effort and win this game 2-1. Rashid and Danilack somehow find a way to keep this disappointment of a season going.

[RelegationZone]

Over the last five years, the lower-seeded team in the Quarterfinals has won 5 of the 20 games (25%).  Huge student/fan turnouts at Midd (#2) and Conn (#4) will carry the home teams to victory tomorrow. Midd also benefits big-time from playing on the plastic pitch. Wes (#8) upsets Amherst in PKs after a 1-1 tie.  Bowdoin (#6) takes down Tufts 2-1 in OT.

[Mr.Right]

Agreed. Conn will have a MASSIVE turnout tomorrow. Tufts could be packed as well if their football team is away but you are correct that Conn is the toughest place to play because they get a massive and rowdy bunch

[Mr.Right]

Ahh...so I was wrong the Midd v Trinity game at 11am and Tufts v Bowdoin at 1:30. The others at 12:30pm This gives us fans a chance to follow most of the games..     

[Jump4Joy]

Here's what I was thinking in August:
1. Amherst
2. Middlebury
3. Williams
4. Tufts
5. Bowdoin
6. Wesleyan
7. Conn
8. Colby
9. Trinity
10. Hamilton
11. Bates

Some accurate, some close. Not too far off. Fun to watch it all unfold.

[Corazon]

The pre-season rankings for both Massey and Bennett are out.  The NESCACs rank as follows (out of 410 D3 teams):

Massey
Tufts (1)
Amherst (8)
Bowdoin (16)
Williams (17)
Midd (20)
Wesleyan (21)
Conn (36)
Trinity (38)
Colby (42)
Hamilton (71)
Bates (104)

Bennett
Tufts (1)
Amherst (6)
Bowdoin (8)
Midd (19)
Williams (22)
Wesleyan (24)
Trinity (41)
Colby (44)
Conn (46)
Hamilton (47)
Bates 80

Board consensus (as of today)
1. Amherst
2. Middlebury
3. Tufts
4. Williams
5. Wesleyan
6. Bowdoin
7. Colby
8. Conn
9. Trinity
10. Bates
11. Hamilton

I thought it would be fun to see how well the consensus board did in picking the NESCAC standings in late August (see above).

Here are the actual standings:

1. Amherst
2. Midd
3. Tufts
4. Conn
5. Williams
6. Bowdoin
7. Trinity
8. Wes
9. Bates
10. Hamilton
11. Colby

We did pretty well and correctly picked the top 3, which is outstanding considering everyone else in the country did the lazy thing and picked the defending champs #1. We most underrated Conn, which did 4 spots better than predicted. We most overrated Colby, which did 4 spots worse. Other than that, we were pretty spot on.

[Mr.Right]

Let's see which Trinity team shows up. These early start times up at Midd I think favor Midd but who knows. If Midd loses this game they will be in serious trouble. If they win they are safe IMO.

[Mr.Right]

Midd scores on a failed clearance and ball bouncing around on that carpet. 1-0 Midd 20 mins left 1st Half. Trinity playing well but they need to get more chances. Pilger moves Gimand out wide which is a good move and a bad move because he will have more room out there but not enough touches.

[Mr.Right]

2-0 Midd off a ball in the box that got headed down and finished. A complete GK error. Trinity needs to WAKE up fast as their season is slipping away. Savonen working hard but I'd like to see Millbury working harder