NESCAC

[PaulNewman]

Agree ^^^^ strongly on 2 points: 1) the Midd video quality was superb; and 2) Bull did a great job getting balls into the final 3rd (final 1/4 really) and Midd made huge mistake in last 3-4 minutes continually playing balls out all the way to Bull so he could launch again instead of trying to keep possession and/or take ball to the corner.

[Brother Flounder]

NESCAC memo featured in Fox "News" segment on the "wussification of sports": http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/09/07/11-colleges-ban-booing-at-soccer-games/ ... I guess Serpone didn't get the memo .

Watched the Middlebury Amherst game.  The Amherst goalie completely misplayed the goal.  Right thru his hands at head level.  But I do believe the result was fair..I also saw Amherst use their midfield which was missing the last few years given the long kick and play style of the past. Amherst looked a little faster...It was a good game.

..Also watched the Tufts Bates game.  Hard to gauge how good Tufts will be based on this game but they controlled the play.  I also see these comments about some of the Tufts players and the Coach's decisions, as well as other coaches from other teams.  I believe that the Tufts comments are somewhat based on performances from 2-3 years ago.  I just don't know how people can question a coach's decision without knowing all of the surrounding facts like injuries or other emerging talent.  I know people like to opine on this board, which is half the fun, but many of the comments probably are made in jest or with some team bias....The attack on coaches seems a bit out of proportion.

...Conn College looks good and will be interesting to see them play against the top tier NESCAC teams...

[NESCAC-fanatic00203]

@Brother Flounder - you have it all wrong with Tufts... internal turmoil like you wouldn't believe in Medford. I'm talking players skipping practice, revolting against the coach, hoppenot and santos threatening to transfer to northeastern mid-season. shapiro just isn't a players coach and can't connect with any of them, making powerplays left and right starting other players. my sources close to the situation tell me that this tufts team is falling apart from the inside out

[Brother Flounder]

@Brother Flounder - you have it all wrong with Tufts... internal turmoil like you wouldn't believe in Medford. I'm talking players skipping practice, revolting against the coach, hoppenot and santos threatening to transfer to northeastern mid-season. shapiro just isn't a players coach and can't connect with any of them, making powerplays left and right starting other players. my sources close to the situation tell me that this tufts team is falling apart from the inside out

Me thinks you are smoking the funny stuff. Why would someone transfer mid season when they are seniors??? No logic or sense.  I think your are stirring up the pot, so to speak.  Tufts looks like they are in real turmoil..12 gols to nil in 2 games....

[Bucket]

Noticed that posters awaiting American football to begin are appearing on the soccer board.
Bucket...for awhile thought you were broadcasting the game on NSN.  Saw a "little guy" on the sidelines working the balls.  Maybe in a few years, young Bucket wii be working the sidelines.  Amherst pays students over  10 bucks/hr these days to help in sporting events. 
The HD coverage was great for the Mid-AMH game.  Heard that Amherst will now have NSN coverage.
With respect to  Coach Serpone...he is the nicest person off the field.  Was surprise to see him..in the grey shirt..sitting with his senior assistant during the first half.   Remember, both guys are "thin" on top and can be mistaken.   Did see him get upset with some of the out of bound calls, as Amherst was trying to get as many chances to attack as possible in the last part of the game.  Believe his assistant was pulling him back at times.
Part of the tremendous number of headers by both teams is that both goalies was booming their free kicks down the field.  Bull, the Amherst goalie has scored a goal off a kick and he was trying hard in the last 5 minutes of regulation time to get the ball into the attacking zone.  My take. 
Oh yes, Amherst has now played two OT games in two starts.  Seems to me that they are still trying to find the best offensive player combo, while rebuilding their defense...loosing two first team conf. Players to graduation....one an All-American......and the other a local boy from Sidwell Friends School.

Little Bucket is about a year away from being a ballboy. He was seated with me in the mobile scorer's table booth.

Always nice to catch up with my friend Brian Hamm, and yes, I have always found Justin to be quite friendly off the pitch. I enjoy chatting with him whenever I have the opportunity.

[LaPaz]

I mean maybe the poster is exaggerating a bit and may have an ax to grind with Shapiro but I gotta say it sounds about right. The past few years Santos has been injured/out of shape and in and out of the starting lineup. We all know Shapiro can be tough, but the players have to take some responsibility. Last year we noticed Hoppenot randomly not starting and now this year Nakamura. Personally I am hoping the players come around and get in good shape and just follow thru with what the coach is saying and conversely Shapiro loosens his grip a bit. A player like Santos can win a game for you and he needs to be able to play freely and not being told to defend. You have other players to defend. This team is to damn talented to waste on infighting.

[CAC2424]

Can we not go on and on about the coaches?  As a player it was always frustrated me when everything was focused on the coaches and not on the players and the games.  I'd like to be active on this board this season and am going to do my best to be as non-biased as possible. Whatever is going on at Tufts is working.  12 goals in two games against anyone is a good start. They play Suffolk on Wednesday so it could be TWENTY goals in 3 games.

Some interesting midweeks.  Colby/Husson and Bates/Thomas will both be Maine battles.  Williams/WSU became more interesting after Williams had to play twice this weekend.  Any word on Williams injury situation?

[Ommadawn]

Some interesting midweeks.  Colby/Husson and Bates/Thomas will both be Maine battles.  Williams/WSU became more interesting after Williams had to play twice this weekend.  Any word on Williams injury situation?

Injuries or no, I would not expect Westfield to get within 3 goals of Williams.  The Maine games are likely to be closer.

[LaPaz]

Can we not go on and on about the coaches?  As a player it was always frustrated me when everything was focused on the coaches and not on the players and the games.  I'd like to be active on this board this season and am going to do my best to be as non-biased as possible. Whatever is going on at Tufts is working.  12 goals in two games against anyone is a good start. They play Suffolk on Wednesday so it could be TWENTY goals in 3 games.

Some interesting midweeks.  Colby/Husson and Bates/Thomas will both be Maine battles.  Williams/WSU became more interesting after Williams had to play twice this weekend.  Any word on Williams injury situation?

Yea all that coach talk is as mind numbing as all those posts you put us thru about a month ago  about who has the toughest conference in the country and why Nescac is better and if the 9th place team in Nescac played the 6th place team here blah blah blah...point being we all get our fuel from different places.

[LaPaz]

Some interesting midweeks.  Colby/Husson and Bates/Thomas will both be Maine battles.  Williams/WSU became more interesting after Williams had to play twice this weekend.  Any word on Williams injury situation?

Injuries or no, I would not expect Westfield to get within 3 goals of Williams.  The Maine games are likely to be closer.

Westfield can be scrappy and they play on really bad turf. Also, Williams is known to butcher mid week games sometimes and this is not the days of Alex Blake and Co beating Westfield 10-0. However if Williams can score 2 quickly Westfield might pack it in. 2 years ago I believe westfield had a 1-0 lead with about 20 minutes left until Rashid scored 2 goals late to win it.

[Ommadawn]

Ironically, amidst all this chatter about Tufts, they are this week's new #1 on Bennett Ranking.  Validity of the ranking aside, perhaps Tufts is just D3 men's soccer's version of the Billy Martin-era New York Yankees.

[NESCAC-fanatic00203]

I hear Hoppenot isn't starting because he's on trial with the phila union (where his brother plays) and is waiting to see that out, while santos is persuing a career in male modeling vs. soccer instead. shapiro has had it up to here with them and nakamura is no different. LaPaz hits the nail on the head - the coach just has to let the kids play. 12 goals to nil in 2 games means nothing when the coach's power plays keep those more capable from being on the field.

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Re Williams injury:  Rashid went down screaming without contact with a right knee injury about 15 minutes into the (what was to become) abandoned Colby game Saturday.  On Sunday during the replay, he was on the sidelines in street clothes on crutches and a brace on his right leg.  Hopefully not the ACL and he will be able to return to action this season.  Even without him, Williams is very solid all over the field.  They will find goals from other players, and their defense will allow them to win many close games.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Tufts beat UMASS Boston and Bates, Wesleyan beats ECU and Bowdoin... you would atleast think Wesleyan would be ahead of Tufts in this scenario.   

I think Brandeis jumps Amherst this week in NSCAA rankings.  Williams still remains #1.   Both Wesleyan and Wheaton will be in the 20s to RV range.

[PaulNewman]

Tufts #1???  Do we need any further proof about how much of a joke the Bennett Rankings are?