NESCAC

[PaulNewman]

PN - what does the phrase "tone deaf" mean to you?

MSF, if you have an observation to share or point you want to make, please do so.

Aren't you a Messiah guy?  I'm really surprised you went at a player like that with such an overreach.  Now we're here because some suggested maybe don't come to hard conclusions based on one poor outing?  Also surprised that it took a guy who's posted like 10 times ordering and insulting others to give you the courage to speak up if you have an issue.  Piggybacking on a rogue rookie is not a great look.

GenerallyInterested, that was outstanding.  Aren't you the guy who in your first post started advising a long-term poster where she should and should not be posting....and telling posters you'd had enough of W&L and Dave Matthews while talking about chicken nuggets?  And I'm the problem?  Not sure where anyone asked for any rings to be kissed?  Was it too much for you to describe what conclusions you think should have been drawn from a GK giving up 2 goals?  Let's assume they were horrific errors....what next?  Also brilliant that within a week you've conducted a fair and comprehensive assessment of the site and already have a diagnosis.

[College Soccer Observer]

Midseason outlook:

Amherst (7-1-1, 4-0-1 NESCAC).  The Mammoths have league games remaining at Conn, at Wesleyan, at Bowdoin, then go to Montclair State for a very interesting out of conference game, before finishing with home games vs Hamilton and Trinity. 

Middlebury (6-0-2, 3-0-2 NESCAC).  The Panthers have league games remaining at Colby, at Trinity, at Conn, host Tufts, and visit Williams.  They have non-conference games at Vassar and at Eastern Nazarene.

Tufts (6-1-2, 3-1-2 NESCAC).  The Jumbos visit Babson and host Emerson before hosting Bates and Williams in league play.  They finish with games at Middlebury and at Bowdoin.

Bowdoin (6-0-3, 2-0-2 NESCAC).  The Polar Bears host Trinity and Amherst, visit Hamilton, Colby, and Wesleyan, before finishing vs Amherst at home in a game that should have massive ramification on the top of the table.

Conn (6-0-2, 2-0-2 NESCAC).  The Camels have a five game homestand with Amherst, Williams, Coast Guard, Colby, and Middlebury, before closing on the road vs Bates and Wesleyan

Williams (5-2-1, 2-2-1 NESCAC).  The Ephs have non conference home games remaining with Keene State and Western Connecticut State.  In the league, they go to Conn, host Wesleyan, go to Tufts, and then finish at home with Trinity and Middlebury.

Colby (3-2-2, 1-2-2 NESCAC).  The Mules only have one game outside of Maine remaining.  The visit Husson, host Middlebury and Hamilton, visit Conn, host Bowdoin and Maine Maritime, and then close at Bates.

Trinity (2-4-2, 1-3-2 NESCAC).  Can the Bantams make a run at conference tournament spot?  They host Western New England and Castleton and visit Hartford out of conference, but their last 4 conference games are a brutal stretch, as they visit Bowdoin, host Middlebury, and then travel to both Williams and Amherst.

Hamilton (3-4-2, 1-4-1 NESCAC).  The Continentals have only four conference games left to make it into the NESCAC tourney, visiting Bates, Colby, and Amherst and hosting Bowdoin.  The also have non-cons against Ithaca and SUNY Oneonta. 

Wesleyan (3-2-2, 0-3-2 NESCAC).  The Cardinals better get hot in a hurry if they want to make the conference tourament.  They have out of conference games at Western Connecticut and home to Eastern Connecticut.  Their remaining league slate includes Amherst at home, Bates and Williams away, Bowdoin and Conn at home. 

Bates (2-6, 0-5 NESCAC).  The Bobcats only have two road games left, at Southern Maine and Tufts.  The host Hamilton, Wesleyan, Maine-Farmington, Conn and Colby.

[Another Mom]

Generally interested, most of your posts are about other users. If you have a different perspective *on soccer*, by all means share it. I appreciate the generally collegial nature of the board, and would encourage you to help keep it that way.

[Maine Soccer Fan]

PN - what does the phrase "tone deaf" mean to you?

MSF, if you have an observation to share or point you want to make, please do so.

Aren't you a Messiah guy?  I'm really surprised you went at a player like that with such an overreach.  Now we're here because some suggested maybe don't come to hard conclusions based on one poor outing?  Also surprised that it took a guy who's posted like 10 times ordering and insulting others to give you the courage to speak up if you have an issue.  Piggybacking on a rogue rookie is not a great look.

GenerallyInterested, that was outstanding.  Aren't you the guy who in your first post started advising a long-term poster where she should and should not be posting....and telling posters you'd had enough of W&L and Dave Matthews while talking about chicken nuggets?  And I'm the problem?  Not sure where anyone asked for any rings to be kissed?  Was it too much for you to describe what conclusions you think should have been drawn from a GK giving up 2 goals?  Let's assume they were horrific errors....what next?  Also brilliant that within a week you've conducted a fair and comprehensive assessment of the site and already have a diagnosis.

One observation PN: about a year ago I decided to stop reading your posts and I enjoyed this board much, much more. Then a couple of weeks ago I made the very bad decision to begin reading your posts. Then I made the horrific choice of responding to your posts. I'm older and wiser now.

Okay, that might be more than one observation...

But really very seriously, PN. You're ruining this boards. Sorry I have to be the one to hold up the mirror.

[PaulNewman]

MSF, rest assured that your mirror will not be the one I'm holding up.  Maybe self-reflect on your level of confidence about how right you are.  Enjoy your evening.

[GenerallyInterested]

PN - what does the phrase "tone deaf" mean to you?

MSF, if you have an observation to share or point you want to make, please do so.

Aren't you a Messiah guy?  I'm really surprised you went at a player like that with such an overreach.  Now we're here because some suggested maybe don't come to hard conclusions based on one poor outing?  Also surprised that it took a guy who's posted like 10 times ordering and insulting others to give you the courage to speak up if you have an issue.  Piggybacking on a rogue rookie is not a great look.

GenerallyInterested, that was outstanding.  Aren't you the guy who in your first post started advising a long-term poster where she should and should not be posting....and telling posters you'd had enough of W&L and Dave Matthews while talking about chicken nuggets?  And I'm the problem?  Not sure where anyone asked for any rings to be kissed?  Was it too much for you to describe what conclusions you think should have been drawn from a GK giving up 2 goals?  Let's assume they were horrific errors....what next?  Also brilliant that within a week you've conducted a fair and comprehensive assessment of the site and already have a diagnosis.

The chicken nugget quote was sarcasm. Poking fun at the non soccer memory lane that I was hoping would stop. And thank you for your predictable , gas lighting response. It is fun to rattle you -clearly hitting close to the mark with that response. This board is dying. You are the problem.

[GenerallyInterested]

Generally interested, most of your posts are about other users. If you have a different perspective *on soccer*, by all means share it. I appreciate the generally collegial nature of the board, and would encourage you to help keep it that way.

You find PN collegial? This Board is either him doing his thing, or people like you sadly pandering to him for his favor. It's disgusting.

[Another Mom]

If the Board is that bad maybe you should find another soccer board more to your liking.

[GenerallyInterested]

If the Board is that bad maybe you should find another soccer board more to your liking.

.......as so many have based in the toxic culture that this board is. But, I think I'll stay and just troll PN.

[SKUD]

I enjoy the board and probably will be more amused after my player completes his athletic endeavors.

Today's athletes have chirps that would score negative Karma scores on this site.  Like it or not, it has become part of the game and this board is an extension of that game.

Why doesn't one of you start a thread focused on what you want (you can put a warning on the header do not enter if you have thin skin). That is better than the negativity towards posters that were here before and will be here after. 

[Bucket]

Bowdoin 1--Wheaton 1



The player introductions were peculiar--the Wheaton announcer described the two Bowdoin 5th year senior starters as graduate students.  Each player took a covid gap year away from school and Bowdoin doesn't have a graduate program.  It wasn't clear where the announcer got the program notes.

As a PA announcer, I can answer this question: The Bowdoin roster lists players by their class year, i.e '24, as opposed to Sr. (Side note, this is quite frustrating for announcers trying to remember '26 is sophomore, while reading on the fly.) And this year, those fifth-year students have '23 listed as their year. So, it can be quite confusing. I just announced both the '23 starters and '24 starters as seniors, but I can see why the Wheaton announcer would be confused.

[College Soccer Observer]

By the way, Bucket is not just "a PA announcer," he is one of the best around.  Totally professional and does a great job!

[rangerfan]

Midseason outlook:

Amherst (7-1-1, 4-0-1 NESCAC).  The Mammoths have league games remaining at Conn, at Wesleyan, at Bowdoin, then go to Montclair State for a very interesting out of conference game, before finishing with home games vs Hamilton and Trinity. 

Middlebury (6-0-2, 3-0-2 NESCAC).  The Panthers have league games remaining at Colby, at Trinity, at Conn, host Tufts, and visit Williams.  They have non-conference games at Vassar and at Eastern Nazarene.

Tufts (6-1-2, 3-1-2 NESCAC).  The Jumbos visit Babson and host Emerson before hosting Bates and Williams in league play.  They finish with games at Middlebury and at Bowdoin.

Bowdoin (6-0-3, 2-0-2 NESCAC).  The Polar Bears host Trinity and Amherst, visit Hamilton, Colby, and Wesleyan, before finishing vs Amherst at home in a game that should have massive ramification on the top of the table.

Conn (6-0-2, 2-0-2 NESCAC).  The Camels have a five game homestand with Amherst, Williams, Coast Guard, Colby, and Middlebury, before closing on the road vs Bates and Wesleyan

Williams (5-2-1, 2-2-1 NESCAC).  The Ephs have non conference home games remaining with Keene State and Western Connecticut State.  In the league, they go to Conn, host Wesleyan, go to Tufts, and then finish at home with Trinity and Middlebury.

Colby (3-2-2, 1-2-2 NESCAC).  The Mules only have one game outside of Maine remaining.  The visit Husson, host Middlebury and Hamilton, visit Conn, host Bowdoin and Maine Maritime, and then close at Bates.

Trinity (2-4-2, 1-3-2 NESCAC).  Can the Bantams make a run at conference tournament spot?  They host Western New England and Castleton and visit Hartford out of conference, but their last 4 conference games are a brutal stretch, as they visit Bowdoin, host Middlebury, and then travel to both Williams and Amherst.

Hamilton (3-4-2, 1-4-1 NESCAC).  The Continentals have only four conference games left to make it into the NESCAC tourney, visiting Bates, Colby, and Amherst and hosting Bowdoin.  The also have non-cons against Ithaca and SUNY Oneonta. 

Wesleyan (3-2-2, 0-3-2 NESCAC).  The Cardinals better get hot in a hurry if they want to make the conference tourament.  They have out of conference games at Western Connecticut and home to Eastern Connecticut.  Their remaining league slate includes Amherst at home, Bates and Williams away, Bowdoin and Conn at home. 

Bates (2-6, 0-5 NESCAC).  The Bobcats only have two road games left, at Southern Maine and Tufts.  The host Hamilton, Wesleyan, Maine-Farmington, Conn and Colby.

How about we move on from the useless and off-topic trolling and name calling and discuss this....

Or better yet, here's a topic. The Development Academy (and now MLS Next) has changed the youth soccer landscape to such a degree that has resulted in massive jumps in the number of quality players across scores of D3 rosters. This is not your father's Middlebury or Bowdoin, for instance, where they out-size, out-kick and out-muscle you to a win. Instead, they out-run, out-class and out-score you with large rosters full of highly skilled players that play proper football

Discuss.

[camosfan]

Isn't Prep schools still the dominant contributor to the roosters of the elite programs?

[northman]

That's undoubtedly a valid point, PN...but there's no question that NESCAC teams get the most fired up and intense about conference games.  I've witnessed this consistently over the years.  It doesn't mean that NEWMAC teams are of any lower quality.

A little piece of history between these two teams.  My son played for Bowdoin coach (and fiery Irishman) Fran O'Leary from 2008-2011.  Before my son's time, Bowdoin played Wheaton (MA) pretty much every year...until Fran got into a dustup with Wheaton coach Matt Cushing.  Matt promptly took Bowdoin off Wheaton's schedule from that day forward.

LOL, northman.  You never miss an opportunity.  Whether Dave Matthews or Wheaton, all roads lead back to Bowdoin (and Brown).

Are you telling me Tufts or Amherst or Bowdoin wouldn't get up for Messiah?  Or Oneonta?

I enjoy your inclination to be provocative, PN!  And you're absolutely right...in my unique universe, all roads do lead back to Brown and Bowdoin.  That said, I stand by my observation that NESCAC teams do get more focused and more energized for conference games.  Not just in soccer, but across most sports.

And...don't many roads also lead back to Kenyon? 

I appreciate you being good-natured, and I apologize for being so weak.  I had to work really hard on myself not to comment on the Dave Matthews one!

And, yes, absolutely, all roads do lead back to Kenyon, and over the years I have found some incredibly creative ways to work in references to both Kenyon but especially my son.  When I do a read back they aren't quite as clever as I thought.  In any case, I've tried to compensate by commentating on worlds having nothing to do with Kenyon or my kid.

And I can share that I care about all of this 10 times more than my son (who now is 30 lol), and I'd imagine that may be true for your sons as well.

A few Kenyon connections to share.  I grew up in NH and, in the summer before my senior year of college I dated a lovely young woman from Worcester, MA who was heading off for her first year at Kenyon.  I visited her in Gambier as she was just arriving at school, and it was clear that the freshmen men were already swooping in on the freshmen women.

I was class of '76 in college and I have two friends my age who happened to be class of '76 at Kenyon.  One was an All American swimmer and the other a varsity basketball player.  The basketball player became a successful attorney and is now a cycling friend and neighbor of mine in Brunswick, ME.  He will actually be representing Kenyon...and wearing their official colors...at the inauguration of the new Bowdoin president within the next couple of weeks.