NESCAC

[Mr.Right]

Braun bangs in a sweet header off a corner..I guess 3's a charm...Wesleyan did not defend well on that corner. i just do not think they have anyone that can defend Braun in the air which I guess is why he was in there...

[Mr.Right]

Why is Shapiro taking out his CB Paoletta? I mean Wesleyan has not had a sniff at goal all 2nd half and I suppose you do have Amherst on Saturday but it still is only 1-0.

[Mr.Right]

Trevorrow with an unnecessary Yellow card as i think he stepped on a Wesleyan player. That is dirty stuff...Wesleyan showing why they have struggled so much the past 2-3 years. They just have not had a decent look in the 2nd half. They are anemic in attack. 1st half I thought they looked solid against Tufts but the 2nd Half they have faded big time..They are not as fit as Tufts and frankly just do not have the depth or the talent that Tufts has.

[Mr.Right]

Wesleyan's best chance with 3 minutes left with a long ball into box that drops and bounces around and Mieth out of his net but Wesleyan could not get a foot to it

[blooter442]

Final 1-0. Tufts in control mostly but Wesleyan had a few chances. Jumbos have a big double header this weekend.

[Mr.Right]

Final....1-0 Tufts over Wesleyan...3rd straight 1-0 Nescac victory for Tufts iver Bates, Colby and Wesleyan. 3 teams that are offensively challenged to say the least. I think when Tufts starts hitting the meat of their schedule it is going to be much more difficult to be winning these games like this against Amherst, Midd, Williams, Bowdoin, and Conn. I also expect Hamilton and Babson to give them a run. Tufts has nothing easy left in their final 8 Regular season games except for Trinity.

[NESCAC43]

Looked at the matchups this weekend and will most likely be headed to watch the Tufts vs Amherst game. Has to be the best local game in the next few days.

[Mr.Right]

Amherst is in trouble right now. They have only 2 teams left on their schedule who will definitely be regionally ranked in November. Conn and Tufts will be ranked and if they do not defeat those 2 teams I do not see any ranked Wins on their schedule. They beat Bowdoin but Bowdoin would have to Win like 8-9 straight games to get ranked and that is not happening. I suppose Brandeis would have an outside shot at being ranked with their SOS but again they are going to need to pull off 6-7 Wins in a row and they have a BEAR of a schedule themselves. Amherst defeated Gordon but Gordon already has 4 losses and they will not be ranked. Amherst will get its Wins the rest of the season but if they get Wins against Bates, Colby, Trinity, Staten Island, Hamilton it will not help them. So they MUST beat Tufts and Conn which I do not see happening. Amherst looks from a distance out of sorts and to me are not playing together very well to start the year.

[NESCAC11]

Yesterday's Williams - RPI game was interesting. Sullivan started Fellito (for injured Gass) up front, Paul Griffith (for injured Reneiri) at LB and Oberg for Dory in the midfield. The game was not a nescac game so the teams played a spread out passing version of soccer. RPI did not have a real attack all game. The defense neutralized them and they did have a few through balls or headers off of crosses but nothing sustained. Williams spent the first 60 minutes building an attack only to lose patience and send an ill-advised through ball or go long too early resulting in a give-away. Sullivan used about 5 freshman off the bench yesterday in the first half. They all handled themselves well and added a great deal of energy. The second half featured more energy from Eric Hirsch and Henry Osborn off the bench. Finally, Chris Fleischer dribbled through the defense to the touch line and passed the ball back to Oberg who back heeled it to Fellito in the box. Felitto put the ball into the corner. A few minutes later Henry Osborn connected from inside the box and Williams secured the win. They will have to play better to beat Conn on Saturday but they do have the makings of a much improved team.

[Bobcat1]

Need a W at Trinity on Saturday to back up the huge weekend at home last Saturday/Sunday.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect coming in to the season, but after taking Tufts to OT on the road and getting home wins over Wesleyan and Williams, the Cats are starting to look like a playoff team.  It all starts with Montanaro in net then a high work rate in front of him. He's been fantastic through the first 6 games. Hopefully Bates can continue flying under the radar a bit...  I mean after seeing Mr. Right skewer a 7-0 team last night playing in windy conditions (my takeaways from his comments were half their team is either slow, soft, or lacks much skill) I'd just as soon grind out results without much fanfare. 

[Mr.Right]

I was just being honest in my opinion of Tufts players. They are a fantastic team and have started strong at 7-0-0 but they have yet to play the meat of their schedule and IMO they need to show me more if they are going to repeat as Nescac Champions. Let us not forget to end their season last year they went scoreless for 328 minutes in the NCAA's before bowing out to Brandeis in the NCAA Elite 8. This year they again look to lack some scoring punch beating Colby, Bates and Wesleyan 1-0 and those 3 teams while organized defensively are lacking in attack. Whether it was windy made no difference in a players speed, toughness and giving the ball away under no pressure. Rojas and Van Brewer are skilled but just refuse to get stuck in(i.e soft). Weatherbie gave the ball away under no pressure last night 3 times in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd Half. If Amherst presses like they did last year they will force him to either give it away or whack it long right back to Amherst. Weaherbie is a tough kid and athletic but his skill is a bit lacking for me. Aroh is a big boy and will be needed against Amherst defending about 25-30 long throws and corners this weekend but at least on the stream he looks to lack pace or the pace that Kulcsar had in that role last year which helped Tufts as a team defend so well. He also roams aimlessly at times and gets dragged out of the middle of the field which opens up holes that good teams should take advantage of. Braun proved me wrong last night by heading in the only goal of the game and Wesleyan just could not defend him but I preferably would rather see Max Jacobs up top who is more skilled and active with speed than Braun. Just my preference. Braun is a beast no doubt but I just prefer strikers that are skilled and quick. Zach Lane did not play last night and his replacement out wide Mati Cano has serious wheels and scored a beauty against UMB but does not have the skill that Lane does. Tasker is playing very well this year and looked dangerous all night. I think Paoletta and the Frosh Daly are really solid backs. Both athletic and skilled and have good 'soccer brains'. Najjar did fine last night and he will be needed this weekend but I am still not sold just yet. Tufts has depth but maybe not the depth they have had. Jameson was a starter and still could be on the backline. He is a nice piece to have if someone gets injured or sacked. Delaney showed well but Tufts other Frosh besides Daly did not do much for me atleast last night. Raphael, Siegelstein and Welsh all need more time and are not quite ready. I thought other bench players like veteran Glover, Enge and Ratzan are ok for a 10-15 minute run but are by no means going to change a game. I do like Trevorrow but he did not play much last night and when he did he made a real unnecessary dirty play in the 2nd Half and was benched right after. I guess like any other team lets see how it all plays out.

[Mr.Right]

Nescac Predictions:


4 out of 5 Nescac games last Saturday were 1-0 games. In 40 Nescac games we have a total of 32 Goals. It is pathetic. To many Head Coaches in this league are afraid to lose games instead of going out and trying to Win games. No guts no glory....

Middlebury at Colby-------In 2017 Colby absolutely dominated Midd on Midd's Home field shutting them out and only allowing 3 SOG in winning 2-0. Besides Colby's win over Amherst last season the win at Midd was their other monster achievement of 2017. Colby matches up well with Midd and this will be a tight match. Colby should have an edge on their Home field and the 5 1/2 hour road trip that Midd will take. Colby has had serious trouble scoring goals in Nescac this year that is really troubling. They have 1 Goal in 4 Nescac games and that is just not going to cut it. Both teams need a Win in this game to get an important 3 pts and move up the standings. Colby has a stout defense especially the 2 CB's and GK. They are a bit susceptible at wingback on both sides of the field and the question is can Midd take advantage? Colby has a distinct advantage in net and if Colby can get some solid SOG they should be able to sneak one past Midd's GK Hyer. I hesitate to predict a winner as I can totally see a draw in this match but I think Colby sneaks a win here......Colby 1-0


Hamilton at Wesleyan------------Hamilton is coming off a real disappointing weekend losing 2 tough matches at Home to Conn and Midd. Both games could have gone the other way but Hamilton could not get it done as they scored 1 goal in those 2 games. It's funny because the past few years just when you are about to count Hamilton out they surprise or bounce back with a victory or two. Hamilton has a mighty big weekend coming up with 2 games at Wesleyan and at Tufts. I can honestly say they could go 2-0 or 0-2 or even 0-0-2 I have no idea. Wesleyan is coming off two straight 1-0 losses at Bates and at Tufts. They showed 1st Half last night at Tufts they have some pieces. They look to be decent in net, Teddy Lyons is a Nick Jackson prototype and KMP and Gallo along with Haas up top can create some dangerous chances. Wesleyan's backline looks like Wheeler has moved Devanney to CB and he is quick and skilled but not the most physical presence as is Wesleyan's other backs. The Frosh in midfield Kelsch adds size but did nothing for me with his skill. Maybe it was an off night. Getting to the point it seems Wesleyan has some pieces but is not quite back to a level they were once at 5-10 years ago. Based on other teams in Nescac, Wheeler and Wesleyan are going to have a difficult time avoiding their 3rd straight missed Top 8 / Nescac Playoffs. For a school like Wesleyan it is just unacceptable but Wesleyan might need 1 or 2 more solid recruiting classes before they are contending again. Hamilton has more size especially in the back than Wesleyan. Hamilton's backline is quick enough to deal with Wesleyan's forwards. KMP still has zero goals for a Wesleyan side that cannot score goals much less create many chances. Hamilton takes this game.........Hamilton 1-0


Bates at Trinity--------Trinity had a nice little bounce back win over a decent WNEC side last night 2-0. That being said I still do not see their best attacking player Henry Farr in the lineup and if he is out for an extended period of time that does not bode well for them. I do not think Trinity is playing for a Play-off spot anymore with what they have left on their schedule. I believe they are playing to avoid going 0-10-0. To avoid that they must get results in this game v Bates and against Wesleyan. Bates is coming off two legitimate Shutout victories over Williams and Wesleyan at Home. They have never been as good on the road but I really like what their new Head Coach is doing in Lewiston. Bates is led by its Senior leader and one of the best GK's in Nescac in Robbie Montanaro. The defense in front of him have a mix of size and speed. Bates had some good chances against Williams besides the 2 Goals and at times looked the better side. While this is a big game for Trinity it is even more important for Bates. They have Trinity on Saturday and go up to Amherst on Sunday against an Amherst side that will be doing serious battle with Tufts the previous day. Kind of like the situation Williams found themselves in last weekend after battling with Amherst they looked tired at Bates the next day. Point is Bates has some real opportunity here. They are a better team than Trinity but they cannot be looking ahead to Amherst on Sunday. Bates has not defeated Amherst since I think 2005 on a neutral field. This might be on of their best chances to do that this year. Opoku keeps the hot streak going as he should be running wild against Trinity's weak defense......Bates 2-1


Williams at Conn---------Conn is 7-0-0 and looks to be on a serious mission in 2018. They have looked really solid all year and are not only playing so hard for Murphy again this year they are playing like a team and have more skill with Dieng than they did last year. They have one of the best GK's and I really think as long as they can find goals they have such a tidy defense and GK they can win games 1-0 or 2-1. They have Amherst and Tufts at Home this year and you better believe they will be gunning for both those teams and I give them a really good chance winning those games. Besides the letdown at Bates, Williams has looked pretty solid this year. They have enough athletes and talent to match Conn but do they have the same mentality? I am not sure yet. If Williams can get a Win in this game they will almost be a lock for a Top 4 and could be a Win that propels them into the NCAA's. After this game Williams has 2 weeks off from Nescac competition with some weak opponents in Coast Guard and Curry plus a decent Skidmore side. A Win here and they could be 8-1-1 before taking on the brutal part of their schedule which would be a real confidence booster.  The loss of defender Ranieri and striker Gass are big losses for Williams and I think Conn scores 1st Half and holds off a fierce Williams push to Win.......1-0 Conn


Amherst at Tufts----I have gone into detail on Tufts in an earlier post this morning. Amherst is in a pinch here as they are 1-2-0 in Nescac and really need to Win this game to get a Regionally Ranked Win. Amherst has lost 2 straight games to Tufts and has not defeated them in 3 years. Amherst plays a 4-3-3 but drop into a 4-5-1 when they lose the ball. They pinch their wingers so tight into the middle of the field it is suffocating to its opponent. In turn it gives as much space out wide that the opponents want and also gives a ton of space in between the strikers and midfielders. I think if Amherst stays in this system, which I assume they will, Tufts will be able to exploit it. Amherst is a team that has disappointed to say the least to start 2018 and seem off the rails a bit as a team. I see two teams going in different directions but Amherst has the talent to Win this game if they can get a few breaks and limit mistakes. Should be a tight battle but Tufts has the Home field and a little luck on their side in this game.......Tufts 2-1

[blooter442]

Amherst has lost 2 straight games to Tufts and has not defeated them in 3 years.

I hate to be the person who only comments when something is wrong (like most of the people who fill my D3 soccer email inbox) but Amherst actually sprung the upset over Tufts last year off the OG (one of only two goals that Tufts conceded that season). Tufts did hammer them 3-0 at home two years ago. I was asked last night who looked like the best team in the NESCAC was and I said Tufts...I don't know that they are superb in terms of attacking or anything but they are functional and are getting things done and they can play some nice stuff at times with Tasker and van Brewer particularly. I like them to get a result on Saturday. Conn. seems to be in the hunt as well and the Tufts-Conn. game in a few weeks' time will be telling, particularly since it's in New London — the Camels held the Jumbos to a 0-0 draw last year on Tufts' home pitch so curious to see what Conn. can do at their place.

That being said, excellent predictions this week, and the obligatory +K is in store

[Brother Flounder]

Amherst has lost 2 straight games to Tufts and has not defeated them in 3 years.

I hate to be the person who only comments when something is wrong (like most of the people who fill my D3 soccer email inbox) but Amherst actually sprung the upset over Tufts last year off the OG (one of only two goals that Tufts conceded that season). Tufts did hammer them 3-0 at home two years ago. I was asked last night who looked like the best team in the NESCAC was and I said Tufts...I don't know that they are superb in terms of attacking or anything but they are functional and are getting things done and they can play some nice stuff at times with Tasker and van Brewer particularly. I like them to get a result on Saturday. Conn. seems to be in the hunt as well and the Tufts-Conn. game in a few weeks' time will be telling, particularly since it's in New London — the Camels held the Jumbos to a 0-0 draw last year on Tufts' home pitch so curious to see what Conn. can do at their place.

That being said, excellent predictions this week, and the obligatory +K is in store

BLOOTS, I have to say I agree with your analysis.  I think it will be a 1-0 win as Amherst looks a bit down this year.  The Jumbos do need to finish more but they seem like they are doing that more this year than last year......

[Brother Flounder]

Nescac Predictions:


4 out of 5 Nescac games last Saturday were 1-0 games. In 40 Nescac games we have a total of 32 Goals. It is pathetic. To many Head Coaches in this league are afraid to lose games instead of going out and trying to Win games. No guts no glory....

Middlebury at Colby-------In 2017 Colby absolutely dominated Midd on Midd's Home field shutting them out and only allowing 3 SOG in winning 2-0. Besides Colby's win over Amherst last season the win at Midd was their other monster achievement of 2017. Colby matches up well with Midd and this will be a tight match. Colby should have an edge on their Home field and the 5 1/2 hour road trip that Midd will take. Colby has had serious trouble scoring goals in Nescac this year that is really troubling. They have 1 Goal in 4 Nescac games and that is just not going to cut it. Both teams need a Win in this game to get an important 3 pts and move up the standings. Colby has a stout defense especially the 2 CB's and GK. They are a bit susceptible at wingback on both sides of the field and the question is can Midd take advantage? Colby has a distinct advantage in net and if Colby can get some solid SOG they should be able to sneak one past Midd's GK Hyer. I hesitate to predict a winner as I can totally see a draw in this match but I think Colby sneaks a win here......Colby 1-0


Hamilton at Wesleyan------------Hamilton is coming off a real disappointing weekend losing 2 tough matches at Home to Conn and Midd. Both games could have gone the other way but Hamilton could not get it done as they scored 1 goal in those 2 games. It's funny because the past few years just when you are about to count Hamilton out they surprise or bounce back with a victory or two. Hamilton has a mighty big weekend coming up with 2 games at Wesleyan and at Tufts. I can honestly say they could go 2-0 or 0-2 or even 0-0-2 I have no idea. Wesleyan is coming off two straight 1-0 losses at Bates and at Tufts. They showed 1st Half last night at Tufts they have some pieces. They look to be decent in net, Teddy Lyons is a Nick Jackson prototype and KMP and Gallo along with Haas up top can create some dangerous chances. Wesleyan's backline looks like Wheeler has moved Devanney to CB and he is quick and skilled but not the most physical presence as is Wesleyan's other backs. The Frosh in midfield Kelsch adds size but did nothing for me with his skill. Maybe it was an off night. Getting to the point it seems Wesleyan has some pieces but is not quite back to a level they were once at 5-10 years ago. Based on other teams in Nescac, Wheeler and Wesleyan are going to have a difficult time avoiding their 3rd straight missed Top 8 / Nescac Playoffs. For a school like Wesleyan it is just unacceptable but Wesleyan might need 1 or 2 more solid recruiting classes before they are contending again. Hamilton has more size especially in the back than Wesleyan. Hamilton's backline is quick enough to deal with Wesleyan's forwards. KMP still has zero goals for a Wesleyan side that cannot score goals much less create many chances. Hamilton takes this game.........Hamilton 1-0


Bates at Trinity--------Trinity had a nice little bounce back win over a decent WNEC side last night 2-0. That being said I still do not see their best attacking player Henry Farr in the lineup and if he is out for an extended period of time that does not bode well for them. I do not think Trinity is playing for a Play-off spot anymore with what they have left on their schedule. I believe they are playing to avoid going 0-10-0. To avoid that they must get results in this game v Bates and against Wesleyan. Bates is coming off two legitimate Shutout victories over Williams and Wesleyan at Home. They have never been as good on the road but I really like what their new Head Coach is doing in Lewiston. Bates is led by its Senior leader and one of the best GK's in Nescac in Robbie Montanaro. The defense in front of him have a mix of size and speed. Bates had some good chances against Williams besides the 2 Goals and at times looked the better side. While this is a big game for Trinity it is even more important for Bates. They have Trinity on Saturday and go up to Amherst on Sunday against an Amherst side that will be doing serious battle with Tufts the previous day. Kind of like the situation Williams found themselves in last weekend after battling with Amherst they looked tired at Bates the next day. Point is Bates has some real opportunity here. They are a better team than Trinity but they cannot be looking ahead to Amherst on Sunday. Bates has not defeated Amherst since I think 2005 on a neutral field. This might be on of their best chances to do that this year. Opoku keeps the hot streak going as he should be running wild against Trinity's weak defense......Bates 2-1


Williams at Conn---------Conn is 7-0-0 and looks to be on a serious mission in 2018. They have looked really solid all year and are not only playing so hard for Murphy again this year they are playing like a team and have more skill with Dieng than they did last year. They have one of the best GK's and I really think as long as they can find goals they have such a tidy defense and GK they can win games 1-0 or 2-1. They have Amherst and Tufts at Home this year and you better believe they will be gunning for both those teams and I give them a really good chance winning those games. Besides the letdown at Bates, Williams has looked pretty solid this year. They have enough athletes and talent to match Conn but do they have the same mentality? I am not sure yet. If Williams can get a Win in this game they will almost be a lock for a Top 4 and could be a Win that propels them into the NCAA's. After this game Williams has 2 weeks off from Nescac competition with some weak opponents in Coast Guard and Curry plus a decent Skidmore side. A Win here and they could be 8-1-1 before taking on the brutal part of their schedule which would be a real confidence booster.  The loss of defender Ranieri and striker Gass are big losses for Williams and I think Conn scores 1st Half and holds off a fierce Williams push to Win.......1-0 Conn


Amherst at Tufts----I have gone into detail on Tufts in an earlier post this morning. Amherst is in a pinch here as they are 1-2-0 in Nescac and really need to Win this game to get a Regionally Ranked Win. Amherst has lost 2 straight games to Tufts and has not defeated them in 3 years. Amherst plays a 4-3-3 but drop into a 4-5-1 when they lose the ball. They pinch their wingers so tight into the middle of the field it is suffocating to its opponent. In turn it gives as much space out wide that the opponents want and also gives a ton of space in between the strikers and midfielders. I think if Amherst stays in this system, which I assume they will, Tufts will be able to exploit it. Amherst is a team that has disappointed to say the least to start 2018 and seem off the rails a bit as a team. I see two teams going in different directions but Amherst has the talent to Win this game if they can get a few breaks and limit mistakes. Should be a tight battle but Tufts has the Home field and a little luck on their side in this game.......Tufts 2-1

Mr. Right, you've really gone beyond the normal with your analysis this year.  Good work!