NESCAC

[Corazon]

Excellent summary, MENESCACFAN. Keep it coming.

[LaPaz]

Not sure what game you were watching as Williams dominated Midd. Williams could have won that game 4-1. They had wave after wave of chances but just couldnt finish. Midd had chances but they were more sporadic. Williams dominated possession and were playing some excellent futbol. The PK was a handball and had to be called. Also, Amherst absolutely dominated WNEC and should have won the game 5-1. WNEC sat deep and were blasting balls out of the back all night and seemed like they cleared about 5 balls off the goal line. Good game plan for WNEC( kind of what Babson did to Williams) but they couldn't hold on in the end. Again, WNEC is down a bit this year and seem to be missing the type of players they used to get in. Their 2006 and 2007 squads were tremendous and could hold up with any team in the country.

[All NESCAC]

Excellent summary, MENESCACFAN. Keep it coming.

Thanks for the reporting Menescacfan.
However, report on Conn vs Framingham St game was a little off.  Shots were 19 for Conn to 10 for Framingham.  Conn handled the game  while resting 4 starters (Devlin, Patch, Mutala and OBrien).  Conn was in control of the entire game, although I will give Framingham kudos for effort and play.  Conn hit the crossbar twice and the post twice and missed four other great scoring opportunities in a bad weather game (pouring rain and big wind).  Could easily have been 4 or 5 to 0.  Many of Conn's younger players got some minutes. Good news for Conn was resting some players and they got Hlinomaz (Soph striker) back.

[madzillagd]

Agreed that Williams dominated play after that initial Midd goal. Thanks for the clarification on the PK, didn't understand what the call was with the explanation given on the webcast but that makes sense to what I saw. The free kick was a bit of a head scratcher later on, didn't appear much happened there and with the 2-3 second delay on most calls the play had moved on. As for Schneiderman being a 'little awkward,' very generous description. There were times I was closer to the goal than he was and I was watching via webcast on the other side of the country. With his tendency to wander I think it was very lucky for the Ephs that Midd only managed 1 corner.

[SoccerFollower]

Didn't catch the game, but moderately surprised that Williams pulled out the win, especially battling back from 1-0 down. The 2nd place to 6th mix is an interesting one. Tufts, Wesleyan, Midd, Williams, and Conn could all end 2nd with a strong end to their seasons IMO.

Trinity at Bowdoin: Neither have a stand-out win, but both seem solid enough. This would be a big 3 points to either team. Bowdoin is 4-3 but their three losses came to Midd, Wes, and Amherst and all were within 2 goals. I havent heard anything from the Trinity camp but without Savonen, they may have trouble scoring.

Trinity 0 - 1 Bowdoin


Williams at Skidmore: Is Williams back? This game will be a telling one agains a good not great Skidmore side. A win would do wonder for their confidence and chances at an NCAA bid.

Williams 2 - 1 Skidmore


Wesleyan at Colby: Colby at home are hard to break down, and Wesleyan have trouble scoring. Wesleyan are squeeking by in every win. Don't expect a goal-fest if you watch this one.

Wesleyan 0 - 0 Colby


Conn at Bates: Bates' form has turned, beating Trinity 3-0 was a huge win and losing 1-0 to Amherst is not a bad result. They seem to have more of an attacking threat but I think Conn is too good of a team. Devlin will break them down and with their returning strikers, Conn could be a real threat.

Conn 2 - 0 Bates


Tufts at Midd: Tufts seems solid enough, but also don't have a resounding win against any decent program. They got by Wesleyan with an overtime goal but other than that struggled to break down Colby and tied MIT. I was impressed with their tie against Amherst but they leave a lot to be desired. Midd seem to have a more dynamic attack with Conrad and Glaser and are at home. Surprised they've lost their last two and I expect them to come out fired up.

Midd 1 - 0 Tufts


Hamilton at Amherst: If this were at Hamilton it could be a different story but with the travelling I don't think Hamilton have a shot. Amherst to shove the ball down their throats enough times to score a few.

Hamilton 0 - 2 Amherst

[Saint of Old]

Williams v Skidmore:
The loser must win the conference in order to get a bid to the dance.
Unfortunately both these teams already have a few losses to less than elite  competition on the year.

[MENESCACFAN]

LaPAz

I think Williams did dominate possession but Middlebury did counter a lot to have the game in the balance in my eyes, particularly giving the Williams keeper seeming suspect.  We all differ in opinions, but I don't equate possession dominance to game dominance if the confer threat is there consistently.  More of a cat and mouse game, many a time a team dominants possession only to get beat on counter and claim a moral victor,y I never buy that train of thought which is why i viewed the game as even.

Corazon

My Conn report was off reading a game report that a box score reported even shots, if I am off there so be it, just trying to read up on what i love and summarize for those who don't have the time to scour all sites like I do.  I then add what I read to what I have seen from players/teams in the games I did watch.

Let's enjoy the weekend fellas.

[Corazon]

Thanks again, MENESCACFAN. I didn't comment on the Conn game, as I didn't watch it. Some people are hyper-sensitive and critical on this board, but I'm not one of them. I appreciate you and others taking their time to post their summaries.

Keep the summaries coming ...

[PaulNewman]

Random thought...tradition counts for more than just favor in the rankings and such.  I'm guessing that wearing the Williams jersey means something for the players and gives them a psychological edge in most of their contests.  They aren't supposed to lose.  Even if they lose a couple more games and are out of the at-large picture I would then fully expect them to win the NESCAC tourney.  In other words, it will take some extra nails to keep their coffin closed.  That said, I agree that the OT win over Midd was huge for them and we might see them win 5 or 6 in a row.

[MENESCACFAN]

My bad Corazon, All NESCAC had said that but quoted you.

[MENESCACFAN]

NCAC

I am not sure sport is that simple, otherwise Manchester United would not have crashed and burned in such spectacular fashion, or the New York Yankees.  Tradition is nice, but sport is cyclical and empires fall with new ones rising.  Williams won't win the tourney just because they have to.  They will need kids to make plays, as Grady did last night.  If that doesn't happen, another school will win.

[PaulNewman]

MENESCACFAN, so you don't think Man U is a little tougher to beat because they are Man U?  You don't think there is a psychological hurdle that some teams have to clear to finally beat the big brother?  You don't think there is a certain aura that Messiah has when teams play them that doesn't have an effect?  You don't think there is anything at all to playing for the Williams jersey?

[Jump4Joy]

Homefield advantage and a somewhat depleted Tufts back line might tip the scales for Midd on Sat.
Without their 6-4, 205 lb Jumbo (red card) at centerback, Tufts will need another weapon to push back against Midd's 6-5 210 lb up top.
Keeping their undefeated conference campaign alive might serve as the necessary fuel to Tufts fire, but Midd is fighting to avoid having to travel 3+  hours to anywhere come 'CAC playoff weekend. Midd, 2-1.

[blooter442]

MENESCACFAN, so you don't think Man U is a little tougher to beat because they are Man U?  You don't think there is a psychological hurdle that some teams have to clear to finally beat the big brother?  You don't think there is a certain aura that Messiah has when teams play them that doesn't have an effect?  You don't think there is anything at all to playing for the Williams jersey?

NCAC, I would agree with you in most cases, but, last season saw a different trend. While top-four rivals like Liverpool and City blew United out of the water at Old Trafford, teams like Everton, Sunderland, Tottenham, and West Brom—who had not won at Old Trafford in many years—began to feel that they could go there and get three points. The aura of playing Man U was certainly in effect before Fergie left—we all know of Fergie's influence—but once he was gone, the "fear factor" went. I think teams still respected Man U, but I think that they realized that "we can play with them and we'll have a go at them."

Similarly, I would say that Williams is undoubtedly a program with tradition and talent, but I would also say that—while teams respect Coach Russo and his teams—they may also sense vulnerability this year (and even last year, where even the most ardent of Williams fans would admit that getting to the Final Four before being comprehensively blown out by Messiah was a miracle.) In summary, I think teams still respect Williams, but I don't think they "fear" them as much.

[PaulNewman]

Sure, once the dam breaks and a lot of people are beating you then the edge evaporates.  But until the perennial underdog breaks down the door the edge is still there.  And I think last year proves the point (and even the last 2 years).  Williams had no business being in the Final Four and yet there they were, back-to-back.  Don't think there wasn't a little doubt in the minds of even Amherst in those Elite 8 games?  And outside of Amherst, can you picture any other NESCAC with the relative talent that Williams had going to Final Fours back-to-back?

Gun to your head...assuming both teams equal in every way, who do you give the nod to in a NESCAC semifinal match, Conn College or Williams?