NESCAC

[Mr.Right]

This is the best time of the season with the end nearing for most teams and do or die games to keep seasons alive right around the corner. We start to get Regional Rankings and teams start to understand their respective realities and what they need to do as a team to keep their seasons alive. This is the time of year when Seniors begin to realize that for 95% of them THIS IS IT. This will be the last time they step onto a field to play for their respective schools and tendency is they start to give their best effort and leaders emerge to keep their careers going even for one more weekend. It is a great feeling. Even the most chaotic teams can get a lift from Seniors desperate to keep their careers going.


Trinity at Midd---Trinity is 1-10-0(0-7-0) and have 3 games left to avoid a 2nd consecutive 0-10-0 Nescac season. I have been harsh on Pilger the past few seasons but I think it was pretty fair. Realization is setting in that this will be Pilger's swan song so I am actually rooting for them to get a victory and hope his players can get it done for him. It just will not happen in this game. Midd has not won a Nescac game since September but they still find themselves on a Pool C bubble and in 5th place in Nescac. Midd's loss to Bates might cost them a Nescac Quarterfinal Home game as they would lose the tiebreaker but more importantly Midd still has to go to Medford and host Williams so 3 pts against trinity is a must. Midd's lack of depth will not hurt them in this game as Elias should be able to use his bench and Midd should dominate Trinity in the air and I expect Midd to roll....3-0 Midd


Bates at Williams-------Big game for both teams. At 8-3-1 Bates controls their own destiny IMO as if they were to defeat Williams, Amherst and Colby they would get a Pool C. Easier said than done but at least Bates KNOWS what they need to do. For young and inexperienced teams this type of pressure usually hurts them but in Bates case they have plenty of veterans to pull the young guys together to get this done. Bates has a size advantage and they are playing with much more confidence than Williams right now. Bates have dangerous weapons in attack that will cause Williams defense some problems. Bates must get Iwowo away from Williams best defender Ranieri and attack down Williams right side. At 6'4 Owen Keleher has potential and Williams needs to be aware, Williams will have a Home field advantage and IMO the only other advantage they have is a little more team speed and athleticism than Bates. Gass will get looks in this game and Williams must keep the ball out of the air in the run of play and also swerve balls into the box low from the flanks. They must use their field to try to wear down Bates and keep possession of the ball to force Bates to chase more than they want to. Will Williams do this? There are no signs in recent play to say Williams will but all I am saying is the potential is there if they decide to show up.  1-1


Wesleyan at Hamilton-----Both teams are fighting for their Nescac playoff lives and are bunched up with 5 other teams for 4 available Playoff spots. This game will all depend on how Wesleyan decides they want to play it. I have no doubt Hamilton will come out and try to win this game and will not be sitting in. Hamilton is quietly one of the hottest teams in the league going 4-0-2 in their last 6 including their most recent draw with Tufts. If Wesleyan decides to match them straight up we could have a very entertaining game up and down with both teams getting stretched and 5 or 6 goals between them...Pipe dream...Wesleyan should do this but my gut says Wheeler will be very cautious knowing a loss to Hamilton puts them in a real hole. This game is a legit coin flip. Wesleyan 1-0

Amherst at Colby--------I remember this match from 2 years ago and I am sure both these teams do as well. I thought Colby played well at Midd last weekend and are starting to play better overall. They are 1-0-3 in their last 4 and if that record does not scream COLBY I have no idea what does. I would be willing to bet Colby has the most Draws in Nescac since Seabrook arrived(2014 if anyone wants to fact check me). Colby will have to be clicking to have any chance in this game. They need to find a goal anyway they can and hopefully Grant Pugh is fully back and 100%. Pugh's speed will be needed to deal with Giamattei who could finish with 25 Goals by the end of the season. He would need to score 9 more goals but with Colby,Bates and Trinity left and also probably an NCAA 1st round opponent that will not be able to defend him...I would give him a fighters chance to reach 25.  Amherst 2-0

Conn at Tufts--------This game should determine who will be 2nd in Nescac. Tufts finishes with 3 Home games and will be looking to find their first win in 2 weeks. I am expecting a battle. I am hoping both teams will play hard and be fighting for every ball. Both teams are two of the hardest working teams in Nescac. Tufts probably did not practice much this week as I would have given them Monday off,  had off field video/scouting Tuesday, Wednesday would be a full practice session, Thursday a very light session using mostly the bench guys and Friday a walk through. So basically at the end of the year your guys are plenty fit and the biggest issue is to keep them rested and refreshed. Guys that are banged up need to get back to as close to 100% as possible. I am really anticipating this match as I expect Tufts to shut down Butera in the middle of the park and in effect force Conn to hit long balls. Tufts will not allow Conn to possess the ball like they have been and Conn will adjust accordingly. These are two really good teams and hoping for a great game. 1-1

[Mr.Right]

Sullivan has made 3 lineup changes coming off a 1-1 Draw midweek at Westfield. He is going with a local kid Foehl who does have skill and he has put in a couple trees into the lineup as well. Williams without Ranieri as well and frankly he is injured way too often which possibly can be attributed to the way he takes care of his body or just pure bad luck..no clue which..Bates looks to have made only 1 lineup change coming off a midweek loss at Home to Maine Maritime.  Williams is starting about as big of a lineup as they can to match Bates but I would have rather seen Williams force Bates to match them.

[Mr.Right]

Opening minutes Bates at Williams and Bates #4 Soph James Peter shows he is Bates leader as a CB in Bates huddle before kickoff. Let's see if his play backs him up today. Bates #5 Frederick Hohmann is a monster at like 6'6 but man he is a liability in the middle of the field so far in this game.

[Mr.Right]

Bates has a trio of Frosh with skill and confidence..I like it....McKersie(Berkshire), Dall(So.Kent) and Iwowo(Berkshire). They are all very young and have plenty to work on but damn the talent is there.

[Mr.Right]

Bates at Williams 0-0 about 15 left in 1st half. Both teams trying to play on the pitch but both teams a bit sloppy in 1st Half. Opoku had the best chance at the top of the box off a cut but a fine save by Williams Frosh GK.

[Mr.Right]

Bates and Williams 0-0 still about 60 minutes in...

Colby and Amherst 1-1 and a GOW effort by Ethan Fabricant who had Amherst CB's ankles turned on a nice individual piece of skill and effort to give Colby an early lead. Amherst drew even about 5 minutes later.

[d4_Pace]

Big win for Tufts and the boys are back. Homecoming weekend and a the 5th reunion of the first team. The alumni helped give them a lift and they got back to what defines the program. Finding ways to win when not playing your best. If this team can get the grindiness they will be just fine

[TheAnonymousCommentator]

Giammattei with another POW. Don't think we'll see the NESCAC POY decided as early as this for a long time.

[Ommadawn]

Giammattei with another POW. Don't think we'll see the NESCAC POY decided as early as this for a long time.

At least not until next fall or the fall after that.   

[Mr.Right]

2 BIG games today in Nescac...

Hamilton at Williams-----Williams has dominated this matchup under Sullivan. Williams battled Bates hard and scrapped out a 1-0 OT PK to win it. I thought the PK was a homer call but if any team needed a bit of luck its Williams right now. I am betting Bates staff was none to pleased on that bus ride home..I would have been steaming....Hamilton is on fire right now as Nizzi's gang are 5-0-2 in their last 7 games. Both teams sit on 11pts and and are fighting to finish 6th but either team could finish as high as 4th but they both need help. I think the bottom of Nescac really must fight to finish 6th. That is where I would want to finish. No offense to Conn but if you finish 6th you would travel to Conn and avoid Amherst until the Final and Tufts till the Semi and pray for a couple upsets.

Colby at Bowdoin-----This is it for Colby...They HAVE TO WIN this game...They have no choice as they must get all 3pts or last years Nescac Tournament Champions will be eliminated..Not only that but they will get eliminated and still have to wait around a whole another week just to play a meaningless final game v Bates. So.....Will Seabrook put a more attacking lineup in? How does he play this game? Colby is playing better of late and are finding the back of the net with 7 goals in the last 5 games against some tough teams but they are also conceding much easier than last season. Bowdoin has only 1 Nescac Win(Trinity) and 4 Draws..6 Goals in 7 Nescac Games.....They need a victory if they want to hold onto 8th Place in Nescac and the right to face Amherst in the 1st Round a team they have not beaten since 2008. Otherwise Wesleyan could grab the 8th spot this weekend with a match against Trinity scheduled. Both teams will also play one more the following week. Random question of the day.....How does Waterville,ME  FIND THESE PEOPLE to be mayor...first LePage and now this current mayor who seems to be of the same ilk.

[Mr.Right]

Hamilton at Williams about to get underway and I see no major lineup changes. Let's see if Williams Nick Boardman can beat Hamilton's midfield and feed his strikers. I would almost like to see him in Fleisher's role but Williams should be able to get some good looks today. Hamilton will also get some chances as Wetzel and Wood should cause Williams backs some issues.

[Mr.Right]

Referee for today's Williams v Hamilton match is none other than Louie Labbadia who is a character. Not a great ref but he is ok and does or used to do D1 middle's. He thinks he is a much better referee than he is so there's that and he just flat out gets away with stuff that other refs would not. He lets the players know who is control right away. His ego is as big as his mouth but if you ever want to go to a game to watch a ref do his thing...Lou Labbadia would be the guy....

[Mr.Right]

Hamilton takes full advantage of a clueless Williams high line as a beautifully placed long ball by Ross Wetzel that led Aidan Wood on his way into a 1v1 with Williams GK and he slid it home nicely with HIS LEFT..UMM So you NEVER play a high line against a super fast striker especially if he is faster than your backs...EVEN IF YOU have a massive wind advantage(like Williams does 1st Half)...respect the speed....

[Mr.Right]

Williams gets one back...1-1...Demian Gass finished it and will take that garbage goal toe poke...Nice set piece ball by Oberg finds Bardong's head who gets a nicee one on target but it was saved by Hamilton's GK Benson. Gass cleaned up the mess...respect the striker who is in the right spot at right time...

[Mr.Right]

Sullivan has Oberg holding with Fleisher and Boardman in midfield and then Bardong and Holland as CB's..not sure about Bardong and Holland as CB's..Wood's speed advantage on those two Williams CB's was the reason he scored that.