NESCAC

[Ommadawn]

I have to say I'm not so sure that it's as easy as correlating the success of a program with the coach's recruiting ability/desire.

I agree 100%.  If recruiting persistence/desire/effort were the primary factor in determining a program's success, Wesleyan would be at or near the top of the NESCAC every year.  Coach Wheeler does an outstanding job in that regard and hasn't been rewarded with a proportional level of competitive success in recent years.

Throw in 3 national titles in 5 years — two more than any NESCAC side — and people will practically be filing in.

Recruits never seem to "file in" as much as coaches would prefer, even that coach in Medford 

[Another Mom]

I wasn't meaning that recruiting desire made a difference between Amherst/Williams/Tufts. Those are all highly selective schools with good/great programs. I'm talking about how a program like Bard (for example) needs to up their game. Schools that don't have quite the academic pull, and recently have had a badly losing program. One thing the coaches in these situations can (I think need to) offer is huge enthusiasm about the recruit. That gets the kid paying more attention. The Bates coach is particularly good at this.

[PaulNewman]

I have to say I'm not so sure that it's as easy as correlating the success of a program with the coach's recruiting ability/desire.

I agree 100%.  If recruiting persistence/desire/effort were the primary factor in determining a program's success, Wesleyan would be at or near the top of the NESCAC every year.  Coach Wheeler does an outstanding job in that regard and hasn't been rewarded with a proportional level of competitive success in recent years.

Throw in 3 national titles in 5 years — two more than any NESCAC side — and people will practically be filing in.

Recruits never seem to "file in" as much as coaches would prefer, even that coach in Medford 

My guess is that the coach in Medford is pretty happy.  I don't know if recruits are "filing in" for him, but I do think he is in the enviable position of getting a strong class every single year while turning away kids who could be and will be very good players at other highly rated programs.  I know for a fact that over the past five to eight years Shapiro has turned away some very good players (who also were strong students) who went on to be key players for other very good programs and who in some cases became All Americans and/or Academic All Americans.  I don't know in each of those cases whether the "rejection" technically came from the coach or admissions.  Of course, Tufts isn't the only school that has recruits where there was some mutual interest and kids end up somewhere else due to any number of reasons (preference, assessment of coach interest and projections for playing time, admissions, etc).  But, as Mr.Right has noted, Tufts is getting some kids that in the past would have never chosen Tufts over Williams or Amherst.  Mr. Blooter is correct that Tufts is attractive compared to its NESCAC brethren in ways beyond soccer (size, offerings, Boston, etc), and while always considered  very good school my impression is that its attractiveness has exploded over the past decade and past half-decade.  For a recruit, there's no question that 3 titles in 5 years (and team videos to go along) creates a recruiting environment where momentum and success breeds more momentum and success.  And then, seemingly just coincidentally, the profile of Tufts in general has risen.  Back in the mid- to late 2000s, as had been the case for many years, Tufts was often advertised in guidebooks and such as certainly a very good school but one that had a bridesmaid complex sitting so close to Harvard and MIT (and with other Ivies available in New England and the Northeast).  I don't hear that narrative much any more.  I don't know whether Tufts the institution has benefited from a big marketing shift or not, but oddly its place in the USNWR world hasn't really budged.  The NESCAC that has skyrocketed in the USNWR world is Colby, which, for money, is one of the more attractive top LACs in the country.  I'll note that Williams and Amherst, ranked #1 and #2 for like forever, and for Midd and Bowdoin who are rarely out of the top 4-6 or so, there hasn't been any room for a big jump since they already are top of the heap.

Getting back to Tufts, I am curious that when Tufts does miss out on a recruit that Shapiro really wants, is that more likely to happen because of a kid picking another attractive D3 or picking a D1 (like a Bucknell, Colgate, Davidson, etc).  The level of player Tufts is getting I would think often is faced with the dilemma of high academic D1s that are mid to lower level D1s in terms of soccer program versus D3.

As for schools like Bard (and I'd throw in Oberlin, Emerson, and to some extent Vassar and maybe Skidmore), those are challenging places to build a consistently competitive program given the vibes of the schools (more liberal than regular liberal schools, more artsy, more fluid in terms of the gender spectrum, etc, etc).  I think those schools in terms of athletics face challenges that other programs struggling to be competitive in recent years do not (like Colby and Bates and then the trilogy of Conn, Trinity and Union...while noting that Conn has risen into a competitive program in the past several years).  In other words, I would expect the chances of Bates rising with soccer to be significantly better than a Bard.

[Mr.Right]

Big important weekend for Wesleyan. 2 games against Maine schools(Bowdoin/Colby)but one at Home and one on the Road. You never really see that...Wesleyan gets its first crack at Bowdoin rn...Gotta say love this new Bowdoin scoreboard.  Doesn't jump out at you but it looks like a classic b/w scoreboard.


first 5 minutes Wesleyan is knocking the ball around Bowdoin's pitch with ease but have not found a decent sniff yet. Bowdoin has not AWOKE yet. Bowdoin regular starting GK Chris Kingston has not played since the Midd game last Saturday so not sure if he is injured? Either way he is replaced by a Frosh Michael Webber.


About 20 minutes left in 1st Half and I would say a rather even game with Wesleyan having the better of play and about 2 really good looks one that was struck hard but just wide/over and another a nice save by Bowdoin Frosh GK.  Bowdoin not working its hardest and its showing. Besides #4 Chaban who works his ass off I am seeing an almost passive Bowdoin side right now. Almost like c'est la vie hey if we score and win great but if we do not oh well...gotta go grab the bull baby...

[Mr.Right]

2 bench players have turned the energy level of Bowdoin in this 1st Half as Bowdoin is starting to take control of the game .Bowdoin really unfortunate as they just had two great chances to score. The two bench players #4 Chaban and #5 Brian Bae are all of 5'6 and 5'5 respectively but they are buzzing around like bees and circling Wesleyan midfielders like sharks. The energy matters and has changed the game as it has woken their teammates up. The goal that was called back for offsides looked to be on the stream at least OFF by an inch but it was close and not a great angle...

[Mr.Right]

Wesleyan has some decent options in attack. Gallo and Haas(if he is 100% healthy) are two dangerous players if you give them enough space and do not body them up.

[Mr.Right]

About 60 minutes in still a very even game 0-0. Neither team looks particularly dangerous but one chance in this game / one goal should do it...

[Mr.Right]

Bowdoin v Wesleyan 0-0 after 90. Bit of a tedious match with both teams going on 5-10 minute spurts of play with control of the ball but nothing consistent and nothing to dangerous coming of any of it. A back and forth affair here with OT coming up and neither team can afford to lose this match. Will either team actually try to win it? I have my doubts but my gut tells me we will see a goal in OT.

[The_View_From_732]

Bowdoin v Wesleyan 0-0 after 90. Bit of a tedious match with both teams going on 5-10 minute spurts of play with control of the ball but nothing consistent and nothing to dangerous coming of any of it. A back and forth affair here with OT coming up and neither team can afford to lose this match. Will either team actually try to win it? I have my doubts but my gut tells me we will see a goal in OT.

hell yeah I hope both of these teams tie every game 0-0 from here on out

[Mr.Right]

Wesleyan and Bowdoin finish 0-0. Bowdoin nearly won it in the 106th with a 30 yard rifle by Julian Juantorena. Bagged the crossbar instead of the net though and the game finished at zeroes with both teams adding a point to the standings and another shutout to their defensive stats but WHERE ARE THE GOALS? These two teams each have players that can step up but someone needs to get going or both teams will fade.

[Mr.Right]

NSN providing on the job training for football/basketball announcers who wanted to make some extra $$ and call a Mens Soccer game....A big Thank you to NSN

[Mr.Right]

Conn has come out first 10 minutes and look a cool calm collected outfit so far dealing with Amherst attacking weapons. Amherst is certainly threatening but Conn does not look bothered by it as if they were expecting it and are focused on what they need to do to steal this game.

[Mr.Right]

Amherst is goin right at Conn but Conn has weathered the storm so far..0-0 about 20 minutes in as Amherst is piling up the set pieces and long throws with some good looks and Conn has had two downright beauty counters ONE was a fantastic thru ball by Liam Noonan to a streaking Augie Djerdjaj who proceeded to completely muff it. He was not sure what to do either shoot or pass an he took to long to figure it out. A serious striker would have buried that ball...

[BendIt007]

Goal Conn!

[Mr.Right]

AND we now see the weakness that is the Amherst GK position. After last years GK'in debacle with mistake after mistake it looked like Amherst had an improved White to start the year. Yea well he just let a lofted free kick go right thru his hands to a WIDE open Djerdjaj who FINISHED it and made up for his earlier mishap. That was a nice finish and I like how the kid bounced right back and had the confidence to bury that ball...Still Conn takes a 1-0 lead on an Amherst GK'ing flubb...