NESCAC

[LaPaz]

I am justly stating who Midd still has to play that can cause them problems, nothing else. I could of stated that Midd under Saward has a propensity to lose or tie games that they should win.

Also, you have my quote stating that Midd has a WEAK non-conference schedule. I mean you have quoted me and than responded as if I never said anything about non conference. AGAIN read than respond or bang your head against the wall a couple times. I am hoping for the latter

[All NESCAC]

MIDWEEK REVIEW

UNE 0 Bowdoin 2

Bowdoin seem to lack some of the toughness seen on previous years, but the winger Jones is a tremendous player.  Pretty standard win that was expected, with lively freshman Di Stefano netting.  I think Di Stefano has a bright future in the conference.

Coast Guard 1 Conn College 0

Very surprising result.  Ken Murphy is a tremendous recruiter and motivator, and I believe every year will see Conn make the break up the league.  Must be disheartening, but expect the Camels to bounce back.   Hilmonaz injured but looked a blaze of energy in the early fall last season.

Colby 2 USM 0

Colby continue the trend of winning out of conference and losing in conference that goes back over 2 years.  From my knowledge, USM is among weaker out of conference foes NESCAC teams face.  Not many players on Colby grab the eye outside of defender Stanton.

Middlebury 3 Colby-Sawyer 0

Watched second half of this game.  Fully believe sophomore forward Glaser is the conference's best player.  Dominant win for a resurgent squad (remember when Saward was finished in some eyes).

RPI 1 Williams 1

Can only imagine this is a good result for RPI, as Williams a good squad despite the surprising Amherst beating.  Freshman forward Sisco-Tolomeo one to keep an eye on. Shows Russo will not go the Sir Alex Ferguson route of leaving cupboard bare for successor.

Bates 0 MMA 2

Tough times for the Bobcats despite a 30-6 advantage in shots, surprising given some of the talent on the roster.  Sophomore Knot has 8 career goals and midfielder Moyo was a scholarship player at Creighton.  Flaherty coaching for his future.

Hamilton 2 Utica 1

Late winner lifts Continentals to a win.  Seen this squad twice, and Nizzi infuses a wonderful energy into the group.  2 goal scorer and all-NESCAC striker Kraynak started his Hamilton career as a defender.

MENESCACFAN.  Have to question your insight on Conn Coach.  If he were a great recruiter he would have recruited some strikers who could score in some NESCAC games.  As far as a motivator he is the anti-motivator as all he does is yell negatives at his team which from a players perspective gets real old real fast and is far from motivating.

[LaPaz]

Murphy is a good recruiter. It is tough to recruit to Conn.2nd least attractive Nescac school, for a Nescac it is a bit unstable financially, most of its athletic facilities need a monster upgrade. Murphy has been there I think 5 years now. I give it another 3 to 4 more years before he has the look of Bill Lessig and realizing that no matter how much he recruits and no matter what he does it will be a hard nut to crack the top 4 in Nescac for Mens Soccer year in year out.
That being said he has done a wonderful job turning the program around and consistently getting into the Nescac playoffs. I believe the AD their mandates that if you miss the Nescac playoffs 2 to 3 years in a row you will get fired. I think their field hockey coach just got canned and their women's soccer coach recently got fired a few years back. It is a most ridiculous ultimatum. I know when he first got there he was making underclassmen practice after they had been eliminated in between the Nescac playoffs and NCAA's. It is legal to do, but no one does it. The underclassmen and trainers caused a ruckus with the AD. I think he is a pretty good coach

[All NESCAC]

Murphy is a good recruiter. It is tough to recruit to Conn.2nd least attractive Nescac school, for a Nescac it is a bit unstable financially, most of its athletic facilities need a monster upgrade. Murphy has been there I think 5 years now. I give it another 3 to 4 more years before he has the look of Bill Lessig and realizing that no matter how much he recruits and no matter what he does it will be a hard nut to crack the top 4 in Nescac for Mens Soccer year in year out.
That being said he has done a wonderful job turning the program around and consistently getting into the Nescac playoffs. I believe the AD their mandates that if you miss the Nescac playoffs 2 to 3 years in a row you will get fire
d. I think their field hockey coach just got canned and their women's soccer coach recently got fired a few years back. It is a most ridiculous ultimatum. I know when he first got there he was making underclassmen practice after they had been eliminated in between the Nescac playoffs and NCAA's. It is legal to do, but no one does it. The underclassmen and trainers caused a ruckus with the AD. I think he is a pretty good coach

Not in agreement with you LaPaz.  Have watched this team for the last 5 years and he will never get them over the hump because of his negativity or complete lack of any positivity.  The players tuned him out a few years ago due to his negativity and his constant long ball tactics.  He has never impressed. Good coaches get the most out of their players and you do that with more honey than vinegar or at least a balanced mix.  He's all vinegar.

[Corazon]

From what I saw, I thought Murphy was a good recruiter. He and his assistant do a good job of identifying talent and proactively approaching players and selling Conn to them. Many of the other NESCAC coaches simply wait to see who contacts them or sees who shows up at their camp. Not Murphy.

Curious to get more feedback on what he's like as a coach.

[MENESCACFAN]

MENESCACFAN.  Have to question your insight on Conn Coach.  If he were a great recruiter he would have recruited some strikers who could score in some NESCAC games.  As far as a motivator he is the anti-motivator as all he does is yell negatives at his team which from a players perspective gets real old real fast and is far from motivating.

Given he recruited last year's NESCAC MVP who was a striker, that comment is just a little silly isn't it?  If you don't like Murphy good for you, but Billy Hawkey could score NESCAC goals so don't rewrite history and ignore facts.

[MENESCACFAN]

WEEKEND PREVIEW

BATES @ TRINITY

If this was the EPL, we would be marketing it as a relegation battle.  Given this is NESCAC, let's call it a low end playoff decider.  Bates and Colby are already being left behind, and need a result every time they step onto a field to change that pattern that seems to stretch back years.  Trinity are a likely 5-8 seed, and a win here can give them some postseason security.

Young gun strikers Cody Savonen and Peabo Knoth will likely be the go to guys for two unspectacular offensive teams.  Look for Trinity to come away with one goal more than Bates.

PREDICTION:  Bates 1 Trinity 2

MIDDLEBURY @ COLBY

As mentioned above, Colby drifting away at the foot of the table and need an upset win to change that.  Unbeaten Middlebury will see this as a chance to keep up their top of the table form with tougher challenges ahead.

Expect Glaser to stroke home a left footed finish before unveiling a t-shirt that reads "are you watching LaPaz" in celebration  ;-)

PREDICTION:  Middlebury 2 Colby 0

HAMILTON @ WESLEYAN

I like Hamilton.  They are not the most talented bunch in the league, but Nizzi is an energetic guy and his team a positive bunch.  While a long road trip, I can see them grabbing a point here against a talented and organized Wesleyan group.

Plenty of action at either end, but an entertaining scoreless draw awaits.

PREDICTION :  Hamilton 0 Wesleyan 0

WILLIAMS @ CONN

Williams are riding a three game winless streak and I expect them to respond in style here against a good Conn squad.  The Camels lst in midweek out of conference, and it is a tough ask to return to winning ways against the Ephs.

Senior Grady and freshman Sisco-Tolomeo to find the net for the Purple Cows.

PREDICTION:  Williams 2 Conn College 1

AMHERST @ TUFTS

Without doubt the game of the weekend, and a real show of exactly who Tufts are.  On performances so far, I believe they are a genuine title contender this fall.  They have as many offensive weapons as anyone, but the speed, power and emotional storm that Amherst bring will hold a revealing light against their prospects this year.

I see a mental toughness in Tufts I hav not seen or rated highly in the past.  While I do not think they will win this game, I think they will take a point that will be a big mental step for them as a group.  Gut feeling predicts a late qualifier for Maxime Hoppenot, who seems a big game playmaker.

PREDICTION:  Amherst 2 Tufts 2

BATES @ AMHERST

As big a home banker as there is.  Amherst likely to tie 3 points against a Bates team that will likely enter the contest winless.  There are some games where Amherst will need to dig deep to win, and some games where Bates will be fighting for points, not this one though.

Nico Pascal-Leone to run wild for the Jeffs.

PREDICTION:  Bates 0 Amherst 4

[LaPaz]

Trinity v Bates- 2-0   Trinity wants revenge for a stumble up at Bates last year that turned their season into chaos. I cannot keep beating a dead horse, but what the hell, Bates is AWFUL. This was a disaster hire and will not last if the players keep putting forth such a lackluster effort.

Colby v Midd- 0-0    My upset special. I think Colby can be dangerous at home. They are much more organized defensively and I expect that to keep improving each week. I predict Midd sleepwalks thru the first half and does not wake up until it is to late. Colby took a good Tufts side to OT.

Conn v Williams- 1-0  No upset here. Williams is struggling and will not get out of that hole here. This looks like Williams of 2008. They look great until the final third where they cannot finish. Conn weakness in goal and CB's are slow. Moutenot should be able to burn Conn's leftback but it all doesn't matter if you cannot finish.

Tufts v Amherst- 0-1 Tufts struggles with physical teams. This was a melee last year and tempers will be flaring again. Tufts just is not as good as I thought they would be yet. Amherst will find a way to win this one.

Wes v Hamilton- 0-0 Hamilton might be short on talent but Wes is short of confidence right now. Flip a coin that one of these teams gets a goal and it will stand up.

[Bucket]

Also, you have my quote stating that Midd has a WEAK non-conference schedule. I mean you have quoted me and than responded as if I never said anything about non conference. AGAIN read than respond or bang your head against the wall a couple times. I am hoping for the latter

Chill. Hadn't read that (separate) post when I responded to what you first wrote. And I think that if you took the time to read and comprehend what I wrote, you'd find that I was perfectly reasonable. Of course Midd could struggle with teams left on their schedule. But so far this year, we have seen no indication that they will.

Not sure where so much anger and hostility comes from.

[All NESCAC]

MENESCACFAN.  Have to question your insight on Conn Coach.  If he were a great recruiter he would have recruited some strikers who could score in some NESCAC games.  As far as a motivator he is the anti-motivator as all he does is yell negatives at his team which from a players perspective gets real old real fast and is far from motivating.

Given he recruited last year's NESCAC MVP who was a striker, that comment is just a little silly isn't it?  If you don't like Murphy good for you, but Billy Hawkey could score NESCAC goals so don't rewrite history and ignore facts.

You are correct he did recruit Hawkey.
Hawkey deserved MVP last year--no question, especially since he was double teamed every game--he had a fabulous senior season.  Is Murphy a tireless recruiter---absolutely--he works hard on the recruiting trail.  He works hard year round from what I'm told so he certainly is putting in the effort.  And yes it is difficult to recruit to Conn vs a Williams/Amherst/middlebury, but while Hawkey scored last year, not so much in prior years (fact).  Do  they miss him up front---no question, but you have to have some players step up who can finish in the final third and that is lacking, and has been except for last year (and other than Hawkey it was lacking last year as well).  It's not unfamiliar territory this year across the league except for Tufts, Midd and Amherst---you have to score in order to win.  It's not just a Conn problem--the offensive end.  Somehow Conn has to get its offense going.  Soccer should be a simple game and sometimes some coaches over complicate it.  Sometimes you need to build up your players confidence and let'em play free in order to maximize their talents.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.  Perhaps its time to change how you approach the team or tactics to get a better result.  It may or may not work, but you've got to look at it.

[ihidebehindtheinternet]

Think this is going to be a very boring weekend with the exception of the Amherst Tufts game. That game looks like it is going to decide the regular season champion.

Saturday:
Bates 0 Trinity 2
Bates is still Bates-ing it up with a mid-week loss to Maine Maritime.  They are no NESCAC foe. Expect the struggles to continue.

Middlebury 1 Colby 0
MIdd is just better. I agree going up to Colby is a difficult place to play. They always get an upset or two each year on the home field. Its windy and has some thick grass. I just don't think Colby has looked good enough to score a goal on Midd. If anything this game ends 0-0 with no action whatsoever.

Hamilton 0 Wesleyan 0
Can Wesleyan score anymore this year? Wesleyan is the better team but just have not been clicking as of late. Think this plays to a disappointing boring tie.

Williams 0 Conn 0
Both teams have been struggling as of late especially after these past midweek results. If either team can win this game this could turn around someone's season and give them a jump start on trying to lock up 2nd or 3rd in the league. Don't think that really happens with both teams struggling to find the net.

Amherst 2 Tufts 0
Choo choo. The Amherst offensive train is a rolling. Get out the way. Tufts has disappointed me this year. Think Tufts disappears in the physical battle. The homecoming atmosphere is sure to be awesome for the game.

Sunday:
Bates 0 Amherst 3
Only chance Bates has in this once is if Amherst has to go 120 minutes the day before and just about every single player gets hurt/a red card. They may also have a slight chance if Amherst wins an emotional one on Saturday. Just think Bates is so low on confidence nothing even matters.

[MENESCACFAN]

]
Middlebury 1 Colby 0
MIdd is just better. I agree going up to Colby is a difficult place to play. They always get an upset or two each year on the home field. I\

Do they?  They were beaten 5-1 there by Bates last year and lost every other game.

[LaPaz]

I agree with the other poster. You cannot compare last year to this year.  I can imagine the players mailed it in last year on the final day of their season.Colby is still way short on talent but the new coach has them working hard and playing smarter and more organized sitting with a block of 6. The record does not show that yet but eventually it will. Colby has an advantage at home with a short field on the width side and high grass( like Babson's field). Midd has the better talent and most likely will win but somewhere down the line Colby will get a surprise result.

[MENESCACFAN]

LaPaz you spent all last year saying Colby were better than Bates pre 5-1 loss.  Colby will have to win a game before getting credit for improving.  The likelihood is Bates or Colby get one win (against each other combined), meaning neither coach changed much.  While we will never know the truth, I really wonder about the admission piece at those schools.  Bowdoin certainly seems to be far ahead in every sport of the other 2 Maine schools.

[FourMoreYears]

LaPaz you spent all last year saying Colby were better than Bates pre 5-1 loss.  Colby will have to win a game before getting credit for improving.  The likelihood is Bates or Colby get one win (against each other combined), meaning neither coach changed much.  While we will never know the truth, I really wonder about the admission piece at those schools.  Bowdoin certainly seems to be far ahead in every sport of the other 2 Maine schools.

Admissions does indeed play a big part in NESCAC athletic success.
Having said that, Bowdoin has tougher admissions standards than the other two schools for athletes.
My non-soccer athlete was recruited by all three schools ... admission at Bates and Colby was a no-brainer ... Bowdoin was a stretch.

Coaching also plays a part ... you may draw your own conclusions from that statement in regards to the Men's Soccer Teams in the State of Maine.  ;-)