NESCAC

[amh63]

Amherst beats Williams at Home...4-1.  It was 2-1 at the half, Amherst.  Both schools start to clear their bench late in the 2nd.  Surprisingly, Williams changed its goalie first in the 2nd...to a freshman, while Amherst went to a senior much later.  Expect two more encounter this season in the conference between the arch rivals.  Saw only the 2nd half..but it seems Amherst got behind the Ephs to easily.   

[Jump4Joy]

According to the recap, this 4-1 drubbing is historic in the Jeffs v Ephs story. Not since 1933 has Williams let in 4 Amherst tallies. The regular season rivalry has belonged to The Jeffs since Serpone took office. It'll be interesting, as usual, to see if the NCAA picture will focus in the Jeffs' favor this year. Meanwhile Amherst can enjoy this solid and comfortable victory.

[All NESCAC]

Bowdoin 0 Midd 1

Bowdoin has been struggling as of late (OT against Bates). Midd's sophomore's do not appear to be in any sort of slump. This game is going to be very direct on a field that is way too big for that. It's going to be ugly.

Conn 1 Hamilton 0

Conn seems to be a legit 4th or 5th this year. Hamilton hasn't proven anything yet to me.

Wesleyan 2 Bates 0[/b


Report on Conn Vs Hamilton on a beautiful but very windy day in Cinton NY. Tale of two halves. Hamilton had the wind in first half and had the edge but no good scoring g opportunities. Conn was awarded a PK in 1st half as Mutala was taken down in the box from behind (easy and correct pk call) but Hamilton keeper made the pk SAVE---HUGE.  2nd half Conn had the wind and controlled the play. Conn had a few good chances but Hamilton keeper played well.  With 2 minutes to play on Conn corner kick Garabedian placed a tremendous service onto Punt's head pretty goal from set piece. Not a pretty game but both teams competed well. Mutala and Devlin played well up front fir Conn while Flippen Punt and Garabedian played well in back.  For Hamilton Kraynak and Geslin played well up front and Reynolds and keeper played well in back. I was impressed with Hamilton.  They will be in every game this year. Conn has big week coming up with Coast Guard on Tuesday and Williams on Saturday.





WilliCAC bball commentators want to mawill continue their offensive struggles. Williams will get their chances but Bull is too good to let in anymore shaky goals this year.

[ECSUalum]

Amherst beats Williams at Home...4-1.  It was 2-1 at the half, Amherst.  Both schools start to clear their bench late in the 2nd.  Surprisingly, Williams changed its goalie first in the 2nd...to a freshman, while Amherst went to a senior much later.  Expect two more encounter this season in the conference between the arch rivals.  Saw only the 2nd half..but it seems Amherst got behind the Ephs to easily.   

amh63,
Tuned into LJ/Williams match yesterday.  Broadcast was really well done, (video looks to have been taken from opposite side of pitch vs previous years), excellent video quality on the stream, and great camera work!! 
The Lord Jeffs had a decided advantage yesterday, with Pascual-Leone and Martin looking very comfortable and technically competent on the ball.  Justin Aoyama looks to be a very good young player. Thomas Bull... well was Thomas Bull!!! Barring any injuries this year, it looks as if Amherst will comfortably breeze to another NESCAC title and into NCAAs, as I see the LJ just getting even better as the season progresses

[LaPaz]

Sunday's Heroes and Zeroes:

Heroes:

1. Amherst- They are the team to beat in New England and have been instilling fear into opponents in New England since 2010. Hmm I remember when Williams used to do that. They finished their chances yesterday and were better on the counter attack than Williams was.

2. Zach Punt- Excellent GW goal and near post run on a corner kick in the 88th minute. No better feeling than that and helped Conn enjoy that 6 hour bus ride.

3. Greg Sydor- Another nescac shutout in the books.

4. Adam Glaser- No sophomore slump here. He has picked up where he left off last year and is finishing his chances.

5. Christopher Martin- Excellent game from him yesterday looking dangerous in attack and finishing his chances. His speed was causing Williams backline problems all day. Also, excellent pressure on Williams D' causing a couple giveaways

6. Hamilton announcers- Funny, entertaining, knowledgeable.

Zeroes:

1. Williams- They had their chances but could not finish them. My biggest worry for them is they looked "soft". They were pulling out of tackles and not running thru the ball. Their backline looked unsure of themselves and were making some mistakes under high pressure. They will improve but their schedule ahead looks a bit daunting.

2. Tufts- They went to the Williams' school of finishing last night. They had a couple golden opportunities to score but shot wide, shot high or shot at the Brandeis' Keeper. They have a tougher schedule ahead than Williams.

3. Brandeis video stream- I sat thru 80 uneventful minutes of Brandeis v Tufts and then the stream freezes. Missed Brandeis' 2 goals.

4. Bates- 25-3 shots against. 3 SHOTS. Thank god Newbury is on the schedule.

[ECSUalum]

Sunday's Heroes and Zeroes:

Heroes:

1. Amherst- They are the team to beat in New England and have been instilling fear into opponents in New England since 2010. Hmm I remember when Williams used to do that. They finished their chances yesterday and were better on the counter attack than Williams was.

2. Zach Punt- Excellent GW goal and near post run on a corner kick in the 88th minute. No better feeling than that and helped Conn enjoy that 6 hour bus ride.

3. Greg Sydor- Another nescac shutout in the books.

4. Adam Glaser- No sophomore slump here. He has picked up where he left off last year and is finishing his chances.

5. Christopher Martin- Excellent game from him yesterday looking dangerous in attack and finishing his chances. His speed was causing Williams backline problems all day. Also, excellent pressure on Williams D' causing a couple giveaways

6. Hamilton announcers- Funny, entertaining, knowledgeable.

Zeroes:

1. Williams- They had their chances but could not finish them. My biggest worry for them is they looked "soft". They were pulling out of tackles and not running thru the ball. Their backline looked unsure of themselves and were making some mistakes under high pressure. They will improve but their schedule ahead looks a bit daunting.

2. Tufts- They went to the Williams' school of finishing last night. They had a couple golden opportunities to score but shot wide, shot high or shot at the Brandeis' Keeper. They have a tougher schedule ahead than Williams.

3. Brandeis video stream- I sat thru 80 uneventful minutes of Brandeis v Tufts and then the stream freezes. Missed Brandeis' 2 goals.

4. Bates- 25-3 shots against. 3 SHOTS. Thank god Newbury is on the schedule.

EXCELLENT!!!!!

[amh63]

ECSU...nice to hear from you!  Been reading your post elsewhere.  Hope you and yours are well.
Anyway...yes the young Aoyama is a talent...his older brother was an All-American Pick last year in his senior year.  This year with a longer haircut, he has been playing on the back line.  The Amherst team...a deep team...has been looking for finishers to date.  Glad they broke out yesterday against their arch rival.

[ECSUalum]

amh63,
Thanks, right back at you!!
Must be fun to be a LJ alum, ie all the great athletics coming out of Amherst College, (men and women).  Football-Soccer, then Basketball, you really must look forward to Fall/Winter!!!  Class of the NESCAC in my book

[blooter442]

LaPaz, I understand your instinct on Tufts @ Brandeis and you may well be right.  This is an interesting one to me.  Brandeis needs to win this one (more than Tufts does), mostly to get them over a psychological hurdle if they find themselves vs NESCAC teams at the round of 32, sweet 16 and/or elite 8 stages.  In theory one would think playing all of the UAA teams would be good prep for going against top NESCAC foes in the tournament, but I think there is something about clearing the mental hurdle against noted rivals in your own region, so for that reason getting a result or results against Rochester, Emory, Wash U, etc may not entirely translate.  And from a fan's point of view, I don't think we really know how a Williams would do vs a OWU or a Tufts or Brandeis against a Kenyon, Amherst vs a Loras, Wesleyan or Midd vs a Wheaton (Ill) or Hope, and also why I wish we saw these kind of matchups occasionally in the early season when many teams tend to travel a bit....or like some Centennials vs NESCACs or some Liberty League's vs a few NCAC's, etc.

BTW, I think Wheaton (MA) has a similar dynamic to Brandeis in terms of getting over hurdles in anticipation of a tourney run.  I could see Wheaton getting a huge win against some out of region power but having a harder psychological time getting past an Amherst or Williams.  It just takes one or two breakthrough games, though, to get past that.

As a Brandeis alum who was at the game, I am glad that they won. However, objectively, it was definitely a competitive game, and I think there's a lot to think about afterwards, particularly after speaking to Coach Coven after the game.

In summary, Tufts was the better team the entire first half, in shots and everything. However, aside from the one Santos chance (which Graffy saved and held) they really didn't ever look like scoring (though the hosts did look like conceding a few times.) Brandeis would have definitely been happier with 0-0 at half.

The second half saw a major shift. Ocel got a left-footer off that worked the 'keeper, before Soboff hit the post and headed wide (probably should have scored) from the subsequent corner. Tufts got in once but Majumder tried to go outside of the boot and missed wide right, which was their best chance of the night. Soon after, Brandeis scored on a corner that Tufts failed to clear, as Soboff sent the ball into the middle where Lynch knocked it home. Tufts had a chance from the kickoff but, aside from that, didn't threaten much the rest of the game, as Savonen hit the post 1-v-1 (his shot rolled along the line before going out) before Vieira iced it 1-v-1 with just over 2 minutes left.

I would say that, on the day, Tufts was probably the better side for more of the game. However, despite being outshot, Brandeis created the better chances: of its six shots, two were goals, two hit the post, one was a sitter that should've been a goal, and one was a great save by Greenwood. Tufts, meanwhile, had the Majumder chance and the chance right after going 1-0 down, but didn't really create any other clear-cut chances.

After the game, Coven made an interesting point that, I think, summarizes up Brandeis' play versus the NESCAC. The top NESCAC teams are, in addition to being highly skilled, very physical and direct. UAA teams, on the other hand, play—generally speaking—more of a possession-based, technical game. Without bringing into the grass vs. turf debate (Brandeis lost at Tufts and at Amherst vs. Williams in the NCAA Tournament,) Brandeis struggled last year with its NESCAC opponents' physicality by trying to play them with their possession-based approach. However, in addition to having the advantage of being on turf last night, Brandeis played a lot more direct in the second half and moved Soboff—who is a skillful yet physical player—from striker to midfield, which ultimately resulted in them creating the better (albeit fewer) chances and winning the game. Regardless, beating Tufts will give Brandeis a big psychological boost.

I know that the outcome of every game is dependent on a number of factors and incidents, but I thought that was an interesting point regarding the quoted post.

[Corazon]

Interesting post, blooter442. Most NESCACs, and all types of college soccer teams in general, are indeed direct. Your observation about the UAA being possession based is interesting as the one who recruited my son aggressively mentioned his technical skills as being the reason he caught their eye. I don't think he got such feedback from the NESCACs. Not sure this means anything at all, but is interesting to me.

Question for the forum - which NESCAC team is the most possession based in your memory?  This year, as well as the past. Not sure if I see any this year - maybe Tufts, maybe Williams.

[PaulNewman]

Great post blooter442.  Excellent analysis.  And given what you wrote and recent NCAA results it is critical that Brandeis figure out a style or compromise (if they can) that gives them a chance if facing a Amherst or Williams or Tufts or Midd down the road.  And I agree with the psychology.  Although perhaps a bit muted knowing that they didn't really outclass Tufts, getting the win is still big.

[All NESCAC]

Interesting post, blooter442. Most NESCACs, and all types of college soccer teams in general, are indeed direct. Your observation about the UAA being possession based is interesting as the one who recruited my son aggressively mentioned his technical skills as being the reason he caught their eye. I don't think he got such feedback from the NESCACs. Not sure this means anything at all, but is interesting to me.

Question for the forum - which NESCAC team is the most possession based in your memory?  This year, as well as the past. Not sure if I see any this year - maybe Tufts, maybe Williams.

Good point and question Corazon.  NESCAC overall definitely plays a more direct style, which I believe is driven  by the coaches.   I know the players would much rather play an on the ground short passing "tica tacka" possession game, but are mostly ordered  to send it long to the forwards or to the corner.  I believe this mostly direct style limits the NESCAC's once they get to the NCAA's as eventually you will run into teams just as big, fast and physical and yet these other teams can also play the possession game and that is when the NESCAC's run into trouble in the NCAA.  I would say for the last four years the most possession oriented team each year was Wesleyan---they like to play soccer and it's a fun game to watch rather than the rugby brawling knock'em over style of most of the rest of the league.

[LaPaz]

Interesting post, blooter442. Most NESCACs, and all types of college soccer teams in general, are indeed direct. Your observation about the UAA being possession based is interesting as the one who recruited my son aggressively mentioned his technical skills as being the reason he caught their eye. I don't think he got such feedback from the NESCACs. Not sure this means anything at all, but is interesting to me.

Question for the forum - which NESCAC team is the most possession based in your memory?  This year, as well as the past. Not sure if I see any this year - maybe Tufts, maybe Williams.

Good point and question Corazon.  NESCAC overall definitely plays a more direct style, which I believe is driven  by the coaches.   I know the players would much rather play an on the ground short passing "tica tacka" possession game, but are mostly ordered  to send it long to the forwards or to the corner.  I believe this mostly direct style limits the NESCAC's once they get to the NCAA's as eventually you will run into teams just as big, fast and physical and yet these other teams can also play the possession game and that is when the NESCAC's run into trouble in the NCAA.  I would say for the last four years the most possession oriented team each year was Wesleyan---they like to play soccer and it's a fun game to watch rather than the rugby brawling knock'em over style of most of the rest of the league.

U people have no clue..the most possession style team for the past 20 years is Williams. what are you watching

[LaPaz]

If Wesleyan's style is fun to watch, your entertainment value is pretty weak. Wesleyan doesn't whack the ball but they are very defensive and sit 4 to 5 deep in the back. They can put you to sleep on a good day. I am not arguing the results they have had but cmon

[blooter442]

Good point and question Corazon.  NESCAC overall definitely plays a more direct style, which I believe is driven  by the coaches.   I know the players would much rather play an on the ground short passing "tica tacka" possession game, but are mostly ordered  to send it long to the forwards or to the corner.  I believe this mostly direct style limits the NESCAC's once they get to the NCAA's as eventually you will run into teams just as big, fast and physical and yet these other teams can also play the possession game and that is when the NESCAC's run into trouble in the NCAA.  I would say for the last four years the most possession oriented team each year was Wesleyan---they like to play soccer and it's a fun game to watch rather than the rugby brawling knock'em over style of most of the rest of the league.

While I will be the first to admit that I don't know a ton about the current NESCAC teams, I very much agree with your sentiment that teams relying too heavily on directness can find themselves outmatched when in the NCAA Tournament. As I previously stated, Brandeis ran into trouble last year in games against Tufts in the regular season and Williams in the NCAAs when trying to play with their default possession-based style, but this year found greater success against Tufts after they started to play direct in the second half of their 2-0 win. Even though Tufts was the better and more physical team for the first hour of this year's game, their lack of incisiveness with the ball in the final third throughout the game resulted in them creating few chances to score, which was exacerbated once Brandeis became more physical; in the second half, the Brandeis players made a conscious effort to play more direct, which, combined with their natural inclination to possess the ball, resulted in them creating the better chances and scoring the goals. Regardless, I recognize that each game is different, and that any team can win on any given day, so this single game is by no means a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between direct play and possession.

As far as which team is most possession-based, I would personally say that, in previous years, Williams was the most possession-based team I saw. However, I haven't seen enough of the NESCAC this year to make an educated statement regarding the current state of the League.