NESCAC

[YoungBuck]

I also think Amherst should be #1.  But that's a judgment call.  Some of these rankings aren't a judgment call.  They simply do not make sense.  But, as you're saying, Rankings can be very subjective.

By all means, please share your suggestions for how they should be different.  I find few things more annoying than a vocal complaint that something is wrong or someone has been left out of a selection without a stance on how it should be different. 

[hiyasoccer]

Pretty fair to say Lawson was no Roy Keane however Lawson was another one of these guys(like Drew Stern) who sat on the bench I think until his SR year or maybe he started playing later in his JR year but he did not factor in 2014

I think he mostly played in 2016. Either way, you raise a good point — Tufts has a lot of guys like that. Najjar started playing his junior year but hadn't featured much before and did a solid job. There are more, just can't think of them at the moment. That's a sign of a well-coached team — guys can come in and not play but they know their role when they step in.

I mean almost every decent team has guys a couple guys in this mold. No team is really getting enough star freshmen in every year to totally reload except maybeeeee Amherst and you would think Tufts but that's obviously not totally how they roll.

I thought the really impressive thing about Tufts was the consistency with which they had great depth and were able to replace lost talent without losing a step or needing to seriously adjust their system - whether it be with youth or experience guys that had been working hard. Honestly made it hard for me to tell just how good the individual players were when one would just pop up the next year and perform essentially just as well - particularly the defensive midfielders. Not that my assessments mattered for much, but it was a fun game to play.

[PaulNewman]

I also think Amherst should be #1.  But that's a judgment call.  Some of these rankings aren't a judgment call.  They simply do not make sense.  But, as you're saying, Rankings can be very subjective.

You're not making a lot of sense unless all of us are missing something.  Amherst WAS #1.  They lost.  They dropped a couple of spots.  Tufts lost over five weeks ago away at Amherst in OT.  Calvin is like 21-1-1.  Messiah is like 18-0 since the opening weekend.  Kenyon is 19-1-2.  What is your top 10?  Yes, Conn beat JHU who was appropriately highly ranked, but Conn went into the tournament with six blemishes at 10-3-3.

[d4_Pace]

The way we played the defensive midfielder was the most important position on the field and we've had three awesome players there the last 7 years which why they have been successful. I think each successive guy has gone about the role differently and continued to raise the standard. Aroh now is definitely the most talented guy in that spot and was justly rewarded with an all Nescac spot.

[Mr.Right]

Mr right it happened just about exactly as described except it was opening 15 seconds. Back pass off kick off, big ball, elbow straight to the head.

Yes now I remember all the controversy but still cannot picture the play...anyhow..I kinda want u to finish the story..so what happened next;? Elbow to head by LInd, then........

[Mr.Right]

Pretty fair to say Lawson was no Roy Keane however Lawson was another one of these guys(like Drew Stern) who sat on the bench I think until his SR year or maybe he started playing later in his JR year but he did not factor in 2014

I think he mostly played in 2016. Either way, you raise a good point — Tufts has a lot of guys like that. Najjar started playing his junior year but hadn't featured much before and did a solid job. There are more, just can't think of them at the moment. That's a sign of a well-coached team — guys can come in and not play but they know their role when they step in.

I mean almost every decent team has guys a couple guys in this mold. No team is really getting enough star freshmen in every year to totally reload except maybeeeee Amherst and you would think Tufts but that's obviously not totally how they roll.

I think it is a bit of a stretch to say ALL decent teams have 3-4 rising Seniors who have BARELY played for 3 years, hang in there with a positive attitude and then start 22 games as a Senior and be a solid contribution on an NCAA title team.


side bar---Bloots brought up Najjar but he really wouldn't fit into my example as was starting by the end of his Soph year..IIRC he came out of nowhere in 2016 and was holding for a time in front of CB's. The he was starting CB for 2 years.

[Mr.Right]

The way we played the defensive midfielder was the most important position on the field and we've had three awesome players there the last 7 years which why they have been successful. I think each successive guy has gone about the role differently and continued to raise the standard. Aroh now is definitely the most talented guy in that spot and was justly rewarded with an all Nescac spot.

Agreed....who was holding in 2014? I am drawing a blank

[d4_Pace]

Zach Halliday was the holding there for 2014 and 2016 teams. Although 2016 had Kulscar next to him.
Najjar didn't start until his junior year. End of the season he'd come up off the bench in that holding role to close out halfs/games.

[d4_Pace]

And speaking of Zach Halliday, we can't forget about his better looking more talented younger brother Kevin. You guys see those goals against Hamilton. What a player! That's the type of big game performance the jumbos are going to need today.

[Mr.Right]

And speaking of Zach Halliday, we can't forget about his better looking more talented younger brother Kevin. You guys see those goals against Hamilton. What a player! That's the type of big game performance the jumbos are going to need today.

I think his performance in the 2017 Nescac Trnmt was a difference maker. However, I just cannot get that chance he had against Brandeis in the EElite 8 out of my head when I hear the name Halliday....I will try to manipulate my thinking on this as its a bit cynical.

[Mr.Right]

Serpone has his hands full with #23. This kid has the athletic ability to be a star but he needs coaching like no player I have seen in a while in this league. The improvement / lack thereof of this kid might give some of us outsiders a real chance at seeing how good a Head Coach Serpone is. I will say it does matter the kids attitude..He has to be willing to learn and hopefully is open to it.

[Mr.Right]

Dane Lind with a nice finish to make it 2-0 Amherst about 30min left...Amherst needs to keep its focus though as if Rowan ever decided that they might want to give max effort they might be able to find a goal or 2.

[hiyasoccer]

I think it is a bit of a stretch to say ALL decent teams have 3-4 rising Seniors who have BARELY played for 3 years, hang in there with a positive attitude and then start 22 games as a Senior and be a solid contribution on an NCAA title team.

Yeah we're on the same page here. Most/all teams have a couple of these guys that have to come in and contribute - the difference with Tufts is these guys are really good and come in and play without any drop off in quality, and they do it like every time they need it.

I think I actually saw it most during our pre-season scrimmages with Tufts. They would bring on subs as the scrimmage went on who would mostly just keep pinging the ball around in a nice possession style playing good futbol, a little less clean and less athletic, but still very nice, and could clearly go a player deep at basically every position. Very impressive given that due to NESCAC rules there was maybe a week of practice before these scrimmages. Maybe even less. The scrimmage would usually start out very evenly matched but Tufts would have more control the more subs were in the game.

Haven't seen Aroh play since I graduated before he started, but that's a high praise from someone who's seen tho whole set. Not the easiest position to get 1st team all conference from either unless you score goals on set pieces. Niang did it twice, but he scored a lot of set piece goals (i want to say 4-5 a year). My quick research says Gruner from Wesleyan in 2013-2014 was the last defensive midfielder to do it before (had 2g/1g and 3a as well).

[Mr.Right]

Conn v Swat still 0-0 with about 25min left....both teams with some real good looks but neither team can finish...Butera way way off today....lazy giveaway's, not tracking after giveaway, not running hard and yet he usually will then have this light bulb go off and somehow find a winning play for Conn....

[Mr.Right]

Miranda having a very good game today for the Camels..been threading the  needle since he entered 2nd Half..0-0 about 8 min left