NESCAC

[blooter442]

Super Sunday
Amherst 0 - Bates 4. (shots 24-4)

Knoth hat-trick and a late goal by Pereira?

A question I pose to all of you, what would klinsman, the US national team coach, think if he saw an Amherst game?

He would invite Serpone to be his #2 and then Ancelotti will take over the vacant post at Amherst next year.

[Mr.Right]

Super Sunday
Amherst 0 - Bates 4. (shots 24-4)

Knoth hat-trick and a late goal by Pereira?

A question I pose to all of you, what would klinsman, the US national team coach, think if he saw an Amherst game?

He would invite Serpone to be his #2 and then Ancelotti will take over the vacant post at Amherst next year.

Any guesses on approx. minutes that Bates will be in Amherst Half all game?

I say 15

[All NESCAC]

Super Sunday
Amherst 0 - Bates 4. (shots 24-4)

Knoth hat-trick and a late goal by Pereira?

A question I pose to all of you, what would klinsman, the US national team coach, think if he saw an Amherst game?

He would invite Serpone to be his #2 and then Ancelotti will take over the vacant post at Amherst next year.

Any guesses on approx. minutes that Bates will be in Amherst Half all game?

I say 15

Less than 10---it won't be very pretty.

[Mr.Right]

Fast Food Nescac Picks Saturday 10-17-2015..Home Team listed 1st.

Colby v Amherst----------0-4     This could get ugly fast.  Side bet-                Amherst- Over 4 goals    -125
                                                                                                                Colby---- Over 4 SOG     +175
                                  Colby injured players that need to be subbed during match-----  Over 2            -200


Wesleyan v Williams------1-1    Wesleyan squarely on the NCAA Bubble. With Williams, Amherst, Conn and Trinity left on the schedule they can determine their Pool C fate. I am looking at a 1-1-2 finish.


Bowdoin v Hamilton------1-0      Loser of this game will most likely miss out on Nescac play-offs. Advantage to the team that did not travel 8 hours.


Midd v Trinity-------------0-1      Trinity won at Midd in 2011. I can see a possible upset here. That would not only kill any chance Midd has at a pool C but also get Trinity closer to qualifying for the Nescac playoffs.


Bates v Tufts-------------0-2       This game will be more competitive than the score line but Tufts must get this win.


Sunday:

Bates v Amherst--------0-3         Bates will be worn down by playing Tufts the previous day while Amherst will have only played Colby...

Babson v Williams------0-4         Williams breaks out of its scoring slump and thumps Babo

[Jump4Joy]

EasyGoer, your name belies your post. First post, too!

Sounds like you enjoyed a delicate hockey experience.

Welcome to the boards.

[PaulNewman]

I haven't seen anything first hand with Amherst, but I'm persuaded by the sheer volume of complaints that there must be something to them, even if exaggerated.  However, short of other NESCAC coaches and their school ADs and Presidents filing more formal complaints to to the Amherst administration nothing is going to happen.  Indeed, I would expect Amherst's intensity, well, to intensify.  I'm sure the program believes (not without merit) that they should have won at least 1 national title over the last 5 or so years, and they have suffered extremely painful losses in Elite 8 games to their top rival (top rival in all regards), including I believe one in PKs during their truly impressive 40 game (or whatever it was) unbeaten streak in the most competitive D3 conference in America.  Last year they were knocked out again in PKs (by Brandeis) and watched another NESCAC rival juggernaut to a NCAA title.  One would presume that they are going to do whatever is necessary that they are permitted to do under the rules to go as far as they can and to win a national title if they can.  They are one of two remaining unblemished teams in all of D3.  They easily could have lost or been held to a draw in one or two, but 11-0 (with 27 goals and 2 against) is where they are.  We know Tufts can beat them on the day, and there may be another NESCAC team or two that can get a result.  Certainly there will be a team or two at least from the Sweet 16 on who will provide great resistance to their mission to reach the Final Four, but right now they must be considered one among a very small number of true favorites as they have been just what we would expect them to be amidst an otherwise chaotic and unpredictable D3 season.  Now, a real question is, while we can expect their intensity to intensify is whether there is a breaking point where (even within the context of their natural style) the intensity will be too much and turn into an Achilles heel.  That is the ultimate challenge for Serpone (and his Amherst men), and aside from the antics, his ultimate standing as a coach will rest on whether he can thread the needle of that dilemma just described.  That's a ton of pressure, and that pressure is part and parcel of their challenge ahead.

[blooter442]

Well said, NCAC. At first - and even as recently as two weeks ago - I didn't buy the hype, but the more and more they've played and won the close games, I think that there's something different this season. Last year they looked more vulnerable than they have in a while and - although they were unlucky to lose on PKs in the NCAA tourney - they were knocked off the perch by Bowdoin in the NESCAC, which I think really hit them hard. After all, going from being hands-down the best team in the league year after year to losing on PKs to the #6 seed who you previously beat away from home is rough.

They've come back this year with a vengeance. NPL is his usual self. Martin is on fire and it may well come down to him and NPL for NESCAC POY - although I'm sure the boys from Tufts, particularly Kayne and Majumder, will have something to say about that. Singer - who in my view is underrated as a CF - has come up with the big goals at the right times.

I think last season was a humbling experience, and in my view they were lucky to only lose one game all regular season - they didn't play very well and were fortunate to come out with ties instead of losses on many an occasion. Either way, they were a Sweet Sixteen team, which I think was about right given how they played all season. This year, you can't say that they haven't been the better side in almost all (if not all) of their games. Last year, they were fortunate to end up 14-1-6; this year, I think they're a justified 11-0.

Certainly, as the fall wears on and the games get tougher, we'll see what Amherst is really made of. But combine the cruelness of '12 and '13 (particularly '12, given the talent on that team) with being below their standards in '14, I think '15 might be different.

[EasyGoer27]

EasyGoer, your name belies your post. First post, too!

Sounds like you enjoyed a delicate hockey experience.

Welcome to the boards.

Thanks, never motivated to post before though I have read the boards.  You are right I did like a little contact in my day.  I think there is a difference between putting someone on their back when level or being physical moving them off the ball and what goes on with Amherst. Amherst is a circus where I'm sure Serpone enjoy's this rep, sorta the Oakland Raiders scare the hell out of you before you even line up mystique.  I just hope there isn't a Darryl  Stingley out there.  If the ref's would send a few of them off and actually enforce the rules it was also stop.  Studs up, headers through other players, tackles from behind, elbows that are more like punches, borderline horse collars and all the other antics are not tough it's ridiculous.  NESCAC is basically an arm of the member schools.  The AD at Amherst clearly doesn't care and they are the most influential school.  Effectively they have been put on notice.  I am not rooting for it but it seems very predicable when the injury does occur and they have done nothing the lawyer is going to have a field day demonstrating knowledge and forethought.  The fact the trustee's of Amherst are seemingly unaware of this brewing disaster is also a little surprising.  Trust me unlike the AD they won't be so tolerant.

[EasyGoer27]

and I'm sorry one PS,

When an opposing player can't read or see clearly for a year I do not believe "We were really close to winning a national title and i was under a lot pressure" will be an acceptable defense.

at least not in any court I know of......

[PaulNewman]

and I'm sorry one PS,

When an opposing player can't read or see clearly for a year I do not believe "We were really close to winning a national title and i was under a lot pressure" will be an acceptable defense.

at least not in any court I know of......

So how do you account for Amherst not having players sent off with any frequency?  The refs are all in Amherst's pocket?  Opposing coaches who are concerned don't ask the refs before and the during the game to watch out for red-cardable cheap shots?  You're talking about lawyers and courts of law?

[Off Pitch]

Amherst in 11 games has 18 yellow cards to their opponents 12.   14 different Amherst players have receives yellow cards so far this season.

In 10 games, Amherst has averaged 16.6 fouls per game while their opponents have averaged 11.1  - The Hamilton game is not included in this as the box score indicates no fouls on either side despite 6 yellow cards being given.  Given the number of yellow cards, I suspect the inclusion of this game would only increase their per game average.   Amherst has committed more fouls than their opponents in every game but one (Williams 20 fouls - Amherst 18).


For comparative purposes, Tufts has 6 yellow cards in 11 games and averages 10.4 fouls per game.

[GabWirz]

As an ex-Amherst player, the constant Amherst bashing on the boards over the past few years has gotten old, but I respect the fact that people are entitled to their own opinions and can say what they want within reason about Amherst.  We play a very physical game, our bench has always been active, Coach Serpone is usually extremely animated on the sideline, and we don't look anything like Barcelona.  We argue on the boards about whether these qualities are good or bad for days, which usually doesn't lead to anything productive, but that is the nature of the boards and I have no problem with that. However, I think that EasyGoer27's accusations involving "studs up tackles", "tackles from behinds", "elbows that are more like punches", "borderline horse collars", and hypothetical lawsuits in which an opposing player is suing an Amherst player because he was hit so hard that he can't read or see clearly for a year, are a bit over the line.  I think there is very little evidence out there that Amherst players are truly dirty or that they purposefully try and injure other opponents (I do not think fouls or yellow cards can be equated with dirty play, rough yes, dirty no).  In the past 3 years there have been 3 instances of truly dirty behavior in the NESCAC that I can think of and none involved an Amherst player.  The players involved in these instances were Lima, and Kramer twice.  In no way do I think that their actions reflect the Williams and Tufts programs respectively, I just want to to point out that they were not Amherst players. 

At the end of the day, I think that the boards should continue to be a place where people voice their opinions, which undoubtedly will involve continued Amherst bashing (which is just white noise to me at this point).  However, it should not be a place where making baseless accusations about 18-22 year olds intending to harm one another is ok.  That is the only reason I've decided to jump on the boards quickly to defend my ex-teammates.       

[Corazon]

Amherst in 11 games has 18 yellow cards to their opponents 12.   14 different Amherst players have receives yellow cards so far this season.

In 10 games, Amherst has averaged 16.6 fouls per game while their opponents have averaged 11.1  - The Hamilton game is not included in this as the box score indicates no fouls on either side despite 6 yellow cards being given.  Given the number of yellow cards, I suspect the inclusion of this game would only increase their per game average.   Amherst has committed more fouls than their opponents in every game but one (Williams 20 fouls - Amherst 18).

Your stats hardly justify the comments regarding Amherst on these boards. I've seen as many Amherst games as anyone on here and here's the reality - they may be aggressive and I can see how they might rub opposing teams the wrong way (losing hurts, right?) but the comments are over the top and reeks of sour grapes.

[Corazon]

Totally agree with GWirz. Sounds like we were reading, and taking offense at the same time. 

I do respect others' ability to voice their opinions but get queasy reading specific players' names being mentioned with comments that may or may not be accurate.

[Corazon]

My final post on this matter. Easy goer, I'm the person who gave you a negative karma. Congratulations, as it takes a lot for me to give those out. Not sure I've seen such a smug, know-it all post which is so laughably one sided.  I should know better than to take a break in my work day to come back to these boards.