NESCAC

[FourMoreYears]

Thanks OnionBag.  I saw that post but I wan asking about the final results.  Is there a conference winner and a conference champion, or just the conference champion?  Thanks.

It is my understanding that only the NESCAC tournament winner gets the automatic bid to the NCAAs and all other must rely on an at-large bid no matter they finish in the regular season standings.

[MENESCACFAN]

Agree with previous posts on Bates v Colby time, although glad I will get to attend late game.

Interesting note though.  In NESCAC women's soccer all teams played today, but Bates and Colby will go tomorrow.  No idea why!

[oldonionbag]

Predictions for the day:

Trinity @ Amherst

This could be the first time in recent memory that Amherst are not nationally ranked or sit at the top of the NESCAC, and I think the tie with Mt. St. Mary's will have lit a fire under these guys (if Serpone hasn't already chewed them to pieces- I shudder to think what the bus ride back must've been like. Trinity has had their ups and downs all year- at teams seeming to be a composed and dangerous attacking group, while at others complacent and easy to pick apart. Although the Bantams will need at least a point in this game to have any hope of advancing to the playoffs, I do not see them beating an Amherst team coming off a stretch in which they have (by their standards) played poorly. Additionally, since this is at Amherst, Trinity will not have their "bros" in the stands to heckle the opponent. Some early fireworks here as both teams come into the game with a spark, but the Lord Jeffs take this one.

Trinity 1- 3 Amherst

Colby @ Bates

First, let me see that it is an atrocity that this game will not be played simultaneously with the others. It gives these two teams an incredibly unfair advantage to already know the results of the league, and I hope this will not happen again in the future, but I digress...

This is the CBB Rivalry at its best. Colby sit at 8 points, while Bates is just behind with 7. Both are fortunate that Trinity is playing Amherst (and that they will know the result before they take the field). Colby's defense has been organized all year, and I believe that they will sit in for this game and challenge the Bates offense to beat them. I really don't know what to think of Bates, but I have grown to love the unpredictability of them. I can recall a month ago when people on this board were questioning if they'd win a game this year...now they're playing for a spot in the conference tournament! It's stuff like that that makes the NESCAC better than any other league in the country. As such, I'm picking the Bobcats to finish their improbable run with a victory, and secure a spot in the playoffs (if Conn loses and Bates wins, then Bates will actually secure the 7th spot as they beat Conn head to head). I expect a tense and torrid affair- bodies will be falling faster than the leaves and emotions will be running higher than the gametime temperature. A thriller on a crisp Autumnal night in Lewiston!

Colby 1- 2 Bates 2OT

Conn @ Wesleyan

Middling Conn would seem to be without a couple of its best players, and Wesleyan is coming off a disappointing week after losses to Trinity and Middlebury saw them drop from third in the table to fifth. Wesleyan has a decent amount of fan support in games that matter (though this is midweek), and I think being at home helps here. Conn are lucky, in my opinion, to be in the most comfortable position of all the bubble teams, sitting in 8th with 10 points. Though it's not have a far trip to make, I don't feel as though they will threaten Wesleyan here. Wes needs a win to have a shot at a home game, as I would not want to travel to Williamstown for the quarterfinals. I also think the youngster Cowie-Haskell gets another here, and Wesleyan goes into the playoffs with some confidence.

Conn 0 - 1 Wesleyan

Tufts @ Bowdoin

Tufts has secured the #1 seed, but I don't think that will make them complacent. I still think this is a loaded team with a lot of depth and a lot to prove to the region and to the nation. Bowdoin knocked them out of the NESCACs last year in PKs, in a game in which I felt Tufts was destined to win (they scored in the last minute of regulation to tie it up). Losing hurts, but losing in PKs with momentum on your side hurts even more. I expect them to come out hungry. Bowdoin, as I mentioned last week, as been a bit anemic of late, and 10 of their 11 goals allowed have been in conference play this year. Tufts comes out fired up, and finish the regular season undefeated in conference play.

Tufts 2 - 0 Bowdoin

Williams @ Hamilton

With nothing left to play for except for pride, Hamilton faces a Williams squad that not only has a home quarterfinal to play for, but their coach's legacy as well. I think Hamilton comes out determined- they played well against Tufts for periods last week, (if they weren't desperately pressing in the final minutes, would not have given up the breakaway goal to Santos in the 89th to make it 2-0). I also think Williams comes out determined, and relatively fresher than most teams who have had to travel to Hamilton, as they are the closest school geographically and don't have to spend as long a time on a bus.This will be a fun game to watch, in my opinion, but I think the Ephs win this one for Russo, despite the Continentals valiant effort.

Williams 2 - 1 Hamilton OT

Midd @ Plymouth State

Don't really know much about Plymouth State, but I do know quite a bit after watching Middlebury last week. When they play well, they are DANGEROUS. I expect them to win an out of conference game such as this. If they want any shot of an at-large bid from the committee for the NCAAs, they have to win these types of games handily...which they will. Although their final position in the NESCAC is out of their control, they still want to go into the playoffs with confidence.

Midd 3 - 0 Plymouth State

What a wild Wednesday we have!

If my predictions are right, the standings will look like this heading into the playoffs:

Tufts
Amherst
Williams
Middlebury
Wesleyan
Bowdoin
Bates
Conn

Eliminated: Hamilton, Colby, Trinity

[PaulNewman]

Sorry, but could not disagree more with the uproar over the time of Colby v Bates.  It's not a playoff game.  It's a regular season match.

I checked just two other conferences.

In the Centennial on the final regular season day, F&M plays Dickinson at 4:30, Haverford plays Swat at 7:00, and Muhlenberg plays at 6.

In the NCAC, Kenyon plays Oberlin at 3:30, OWU plays at 7:30, and Wabash plays at 5:00.

Now the Colby vs Bates clash is the key variable in the whole regular season of the NESCAC?  And does anyone really think either team is going to play much differently because of the outcome of Trinity vs Amherst (which, come on, we know what the result is going to be most likely to 90% certainty?  It's a rivalry game for two teams who even if they do qualify for the tournament aren't going very far.  They both will try to win.  And would Trinity play Amherst differently if all the games were at the same time?  Maybe it's preferable for conferences to have all games on the final day at the same time, but come on, this isn't the AFC East in the NFL.  It's D3 soccer.

[oldonionbag]

NCAC- As someone who I'm assuming played soccer, you have to know it completely changes the way teams play the game. It's the difference between playing not to lose and playing to win.

Look- if Trinity loses, then all Colby has to do is tie. They can play WAY more defensively than they would otherwise: they can dribble the ball into the corner as many times as possible, they can take a few yellows for time-wasting, they can pass it around in the back for long periods of time. However, if Trinity wins, the entire game is changed. Colby will play high-pressure, high intensity soccer, knowing they need to win to secure a playoff spot. Wouldn't it be better if all games were played at the same time so as not to allow one team an unfair advantage of setting a more specialized line-up, or selecting tactics that otherwise would not be selected? It not only changes the way Colby will play the game, but it will thus affect the way Bates must respond, as well. I get the argument that, "the true test of a team is to see how good they are by adapting their game", but come on. Imagine knowing you had the final playoff spot in your back pocket if you can manage a tie, as opposed to not knowing if a tie or a win allows you to progress?!

In addition to tactics, your individual and team psyche DOES change. The reason the Champions League, Euro, World Cup, etc is structured the way it is is so that teams do not have the advantage of knowing what has happened in other games, and so must play their own game as they would have originally. Imagine if two years ago when Man City and Man U played their respective final games at the same time (and Aguero scored in the 93rd to win the title), if one of those games had been played earlier than the other...?

Yes both teams will most likely play to win, but the door could be left open for one of these teams to play to tie- a much easier and advantageous task.

[PaulNewman]

I guess I'm also objecting to the idea that there was some planned advantage.  That's why I posted the info on the other conferences to prove that the scheduling of the Colby vs Bates game is not some idiosyncratic outlier.

And I will challenge your reasoning.  IF the games were at the same time Colby would STILL play the same way, because they would go in presuming an Amherst win (if you buy the argument that they would base strategy on known or likely scenarios of other games).  Your suggestion is also faulty for another huge reason.  You can't just play for a draw and earn a draw.  It's one thing to play for a draw with 10 minutes left or once in OT but it would be a dangerous strategy to start the game that way.  What happens to that strategy when Bates scores in the first 5 minutes???

And playing at the same time doesn't completely eliminate any strategic gamesmanship.  Let's say they are playing at the same time and you know that in the first 20 minutes Amherst already is up 2-0?

[oldonionbag]

10/29 Regional Rankings:

   School   
1.   Brandeis   
2.   Coast Guard   
3.   Tufts   
4.   Wheaton (Mass.)   
5.   Amherst   
6.   Babson   
7.   Middlebury   
8.   WPI   
9.   Gordon   
10.   Williams   
11.   Eastern Connecticut   

[Mr.Right]

Whoever said on this board that Williams is playing today for Russo's legacy almost made me pee myself. I am pretty sure his legacy is already set in stone, no matter the result today or if their season ends on Saturday.

[Mr.Right]

How does Coast Guard not drop to #3 or #4?
How does Tufts not get #2?
How does Babson sit idle at #6 after losing yet another game and to another ranked opponent which gives them a 1-4-0 record vs ranked. That bothers me.
How does Wesleyan drop out and Williams stay idle at #10 if they have the same record and Wesleyan has a better SOS. I get it Williams beat Wesleyan but they both should be there.
How is Gordon still relevant in this discussion?
What is ECONN doing in there?
Does this committee have any ability or are they allowed to think outside the box a bit?

[oldonionbag]

Whoever said on this board that Williams is playing today for Russo's legacy almost made me pee myself. I am pretty sure his legacy is already set in stone, no matter the result today or if their season ends on Saturday.

I did. By that I meant that this team doesn't want to be the team to let Russo down- in the last year of such a storied career- by limping to the postseason and struggling to progress past the first round of the NESCACs. To use another analogy that should help you from rushing to the bathroom...wouldn't it have been nice for Derek Jeter's last game to have taken place in the playoffs, where he belonged? Surely Williams players will be down if they don't make the NCAAs- not only down on themselves, but also down because they want Russo to have one more chance in the sun.

I'm glad you were able to control your bladder.

[Mr.Right]

I guess understand your point better now with some more clarity. I said this on this board back in August that the 2014 Williams side has a couple bad seeds on that team. This coupled with losing their best player with an ACL and some highly touted frosh that have been really under performing will make for a very possible quick season. They do have the talent to beat anyone but they just do not have the confidence right now. I am actually interested in how they come out today against a Hamilton side that has nothing left to play for.

[oldonionbag]

Agreed. Such a shame Rashid is hurt. He's exactly what Williams needs come tournament time. I think it'll be a good game this afternoon against Hamilton, though.

[oldonionbag]

How does Coast Guard not drop to #3 or #4?
How does Tufts not get #2?
How does Babson sit idle at #6 after losing yet another game and to another ranked opponent which gives them a 1-4-0 record vs ranked. That bothers me.
How does Wesleyan drop out and Williams stay idle at #10 if they have the same record and Wesleyan has a better SOS. I get it Williams beat Wesleyan but they both should be there.
How is Gordon still relevant in this discussion?
What is ECONN doing in there?
Does this committee have any ability or are they allowed to think outside the box a bit?

Agree with all of these points^^

Looking at the other regional rankings, and seeing how d3 boards is BLOWING up with complaints from the other regions that I'm not intimately familiar with, it would seem as if the committees have some explaining to do across the board.

[Brother Flounder]

How does Coast Guard not drop to #3 or #4?
How does Tufts not get #2?
How does Babson sit idle at #6 after losing yet another game and to another ranked opponent which gives them a 1-4-0 record vs ranked. That bothers me.
How does Wesleyan drop out and Williams stay idle at #10 if they have the same record and Wesleyan has a better SOS. I get it Williams beat Wesleyan but they both should be there.
How is Gordon still relevant in this discussion?
What is ECONN doing in there?
Does this committee have any ability or are they allowed to think outside the box a bit?

Totally Agree. Some coaches must be close to the Coast Guard coach...lol.......

[blooter442]

Anyone who isn't watching this Bowdoin-Tufts game should be. Tufts up 1-0, but has hit the crossbar as well at 1-0. Bowdoin has had a PK saved and a shot cleared off the line. The only damper is the (I'm assuming) Tufts mother who has a really obnoxious and repetitive cheer that resembles an annoying bird.