NESCAC

[Mr.Right]

Bowdoin ends Williams season as they advance in PK's....Williams has just fallen apart to end the year s losses to Tufts and Midd plus a draw here and they finish at 8-3-5. Sullivan really needs to turn this ship around as he has failed to make the Nescac Semi's in all 3 of his years not to mention not even making an NCAA appearance. Just frustrating and Williams needs to go back to an all out attack taking chances and sending guys forward on the counter. This outfit is frankly just boring to watch. I had to watch the Hamilton and Amherst game instead..

[blooter442]

Halftime entertainment in Meffid: Tufts vs. Middlebury quidditch match

[Mr.Right]

Tufts leads Bates 1-0 and us watching the stream HAVE to put up with this announcer that constantly tells us about playing lax at Bates and just does not take a breath....seriously I do not think he takes a breath...constant talking.....until his double duty of being the PA guy announcing subs an goals.

[Mr.Right]

Midd an Conn heading to OT..0-0

[SoccerMom_5]

/quote/
They have been playing like that since Wiercinski took over....Ultra-conservative to the point of sometimes tedious play....It killed them the last time they were in the NCAA's with a better team in 2015 at MIT. They snuck by Plattsburgh playing like that but easily could have matched up with MIT had they gone at them but Bingham stuck it to them in OT as they took no chances in that game..IDK maybe it is just me but they drive me crazy because they do have the talent to take some risks but just refuse...I will say that style has been very successful in the Nescac Tournament for them but not the NCAA's as of yet
[/quote]

I generally agree with your assessment Mr. Right.  Wiercinski seems to take a conservative approach that protects against the downside but does little to generate much in the way of an attacking and goal scoring threat.  Other than freshman winger Byrd, Bowdoin doesn't appear to have any real threatening attacking players in the final third, but they do have the overall skill and athleticism to be a more effective attacking team if they chose to do so.
[/quote]

I have not seen all of their games, but I have watched quite a few.  I thought they started taking some real risks involving their backline, starting in about midseason.  THey started playing the whole back line very high, (as opposed to sitting very deep, which they had been doing) and having a wing, or both wings, constantly overlapping and also having their CBs overlap.  It made a big difference in terms of generating offense.   But, it also burned them a couple of times on transitions if they lagged in recovering.  There were a lot of times that they only had two defenders at home, and there were occasions when it was just one alone.   It definitely helped them create opportunities, but... it also created a couple of goals against, too.    WHen they are playing a team that they are "afraid" of, they tend not to take the risks.   I suppose that a tie with Tufts is better than losing to Tufts, if it comes down to a Pool C bid?   But, again, what do I know; I can't pretend I understand the rankings system at all.  lol   

On related note:    I figured that they moved Morant back so that they would have another offensively-minded presence in back and to support the offense without exposing the back so much.   I thought it was smart.   ( I realize that Mr. Right does not care for Morant as a DM, but... it makes sense to me to move NIang up front and move Morant back.  Morant is more technical, sees the field well, and he tackles with his body. And... he was not really finishing up front.  Niang is big, fast, and can get his head on the ball; he had a lot of goals last year when he had someone to play him the ball.  Also, he is a little slow sometimes in getting up and down the field, where as Morant has that work ethic to go full field.  So... why not move Niang up top and pull Morant back to play DM, especially when they seem to  be planning to include their defense to participate in the attack anyway.)      Anyway -- I liked Morant as a DM today.  I thought he was very effective.
Although certainly the backline continued to overlap (which did expose them a couple of times on quick transitions, esp late in the second half...)  So, maybe I was wrong in my suppositions about the Bowdoin intent, and it was more about getting NIang forward than about having Morant back...     Either way, I liked him there. 

   

[Mr.Right]

Morant is to slow to play in midfield....Pitrik the little #9 for Williams burned him and should have scored on a breakaway and also burned him and turned it eventually into a Sisco goal...HE IS NOT A midfielder...He is a striker and needs to be on the field because of his ability on set pieces...I agree move Niang up but he is not an attacking midfielder...he was giving the ball away all day..he does not have the skill to be an attacking midfielder..but Wiercinski looks to feel comfortable with both their size in midfield...


Tufts all over Bates now 3-0 after Bates gave Tufts a PK and missed the 3rd...

[Mr.Right]

Midd beats Conn 1-0 in OT as I predicted..lol..After watching the replay it was a nice play by Goulart to send in Reid who showed his athletic prowess as he easily beat his man and was 1v1 on the GK and hit it over him..Nice goal...Reid is a natural athlete and shows he can also finish...Saward's career moves forward and likely will get a Pool C after that win but might want 1 more win just in case. Conn has like Williams just self destructed the past 2 games losing to Wesleyan and Midd...They are squarely on the bubble and most likely the wrong side of it.

[wizard]

Midd beats Conn 1-0 in OT as I predicted..lol..After watching the replay it was a nice play by Goulart to send in Reid who showed his athletic prowess as he easily beat his man and was 1v1 on the GK and hit it over him..Nice goal...Reid is a natural athlete and shows he can also finish...Saward's career moves forward and likely will get a Pool C after that win but might want 1 more win just in case. Conn has like Williams just self destructed the past 2 games losing to Wesleyan and Midd...They are squarely on the bubble and most likely the wrong side of it.

Mr. Right,

Why do you expect them to get a pool c bid?

Bowdoin beat Tufts 2 weeks in a row last year, including the NESCAC quarters and they didn't get a pool c.

I know you know a lot more than me about this, but the comment confuses me based on the history I've seen.

[Mr.Right]

Midd beats Conn 1-0 in OT as I predicted..lol..After watching the replay it was a nice play by Goulart to send in Reid who showed his athletic prowess as he easily beat his man and was 1v1 on the GK and hit it over him..Nice goal...Reid is a natural athlete and shows he can also finish...Saward's career moves forward and likely will get a Pool C after that win but might want 1 more win just in case. Conn has like Williams just self destructed the past 2 games losing to Wesleyan and Midd...They are squarely on the bubble and most likely the wrong side of it.

Mr. Right,

Why do you expect them to get a pool c bid?

Bowdoin beat Tufts 2 weeks in a row last year, including the NESCAC quarters and they didn't get a pool c.

I know you know a lot more than me about this, but the comment confuses me based on the history I've seen.

Because their SOS is higher than normal because all 5 of their weak opponents all have pretty good records..Also, Conn and Williams will stay ranked even though their seasons are over. So Midd will have ranked wins v Williams, Conn and Amherst. 3 ranked wins should do be pretty good in such a down year but you are correct Bowdoin got screwed last year and midd the past 2 years so they should take nothing for granted and they will know that best. That is why if they beat Bowdoin next weekend and btw that would be another ranked win they will be in. Lets put it this way right now they are on the bubble but the right side of it

[truenorth]

I have not seen all of their games, but I have watched quite a few.  I thought they started taking some real risks involving their backline, starting in about midseason.  THey started playing the whole back line very high, (as opposed to sitting very deep, which they had been doing) and having a wing, or both wings, constantly overlapping and also having their CBs overlap.  It made a big difference in terms of generating offense.   But, it also burned them a couple of times on transitions if they lagged in recovering.  There were a lot of times that they only had two defenders at home, and there were occasions when it was just one alone.   It definitely helped them create opportunities, but... it also created a couple of goals against, too.    WHen they are playing a team that they are "afraid" of, they tend not to take the risks.   I suppose that tying Tufts is better than losing to Tufts, if it comes down to a Pool C bid?   BUt, again, what do I know; I can't pretend I understand the rankings system at all.  lol   

On related note:    I figured that they moved Morant back so that they would have another offensively-minded presence in back and to support the offense without exposing the back so much.   I think thought it was smart.   ( I realize that Mr. Right does not care for Morant as a DM, but... it makes sense to me to move NIang up front and move Morant back.  Morant is more technical, sees the field well, and he tackles with his body. And... he was not really finishing up front.  Niang is big, fast, and can get his head on the ball; he had a lot of goals last year when he had someone to play him the ball.  Also, he is a little slow sometimes in getting up and down the field, where as Morant has that work ethic to go full field.  So... why not move Niang up top and pull Morant back to play DM, especially when they seem to  be planning to include their defense to participate in the attack anyway.)      Anyway -- I liked Morant as a DM today.  I thought he was very effective.
Although certainly the backline continued to overlap (which did expose them a couple of times on quick transitions, esp late in the second half...)  So, maybe I was wrong in my suppositions about the Bowdoin intent, and it was more about getting NIang forward than about having Morant back...     Either way, I liked him there. 

   

My addendum to Soccermom's comments and Mr. Right's comments that followed but aren't quoted here:  My wife and I are parents of a former Bowdoin player from the O'Leary era and we remain Bowdoin soccer fans.  We were at today's game.  It was a beautiful day for soccer in Brunswick, although the field was a bit slick after 4+" of rain in recent days.

I certainly haven't spectated every Bowdoin game over the last six years, but I will say this was the largest crowd I've seen since the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals, when Bowdoin beat Middlebury in the last second of the first overtime to advance to the final four.  Today's crowd was larger than Mr. Right's estimates of the Ainscough era crowds.

That said, Bowdoin was on balance the better team today and deserved to advance to the NESCAC semis.  I will also confirm that there is "proactive attacking" Bowdoin and there is "bunkered in" Bowdoin.  Both were on display today.  The moment Bowdoin got the 1-0 lead, they bunkered in and invited Williams to own two thirds of the field and continually create chances.  Big mistake...the predictable happened.  A well organized Premier League team can protect a lead.  A D3 college team with D3 skills and mentality has much more difficulty doing so.  I'd like to think this could be a lesson learned, but the past five years suggest otherwise...

Regarding some of the other observations, again I haven't watched every game and don't pretend to grasp all the details, but Levi Morant had the game of his career today.  He is not a quick player, but he consistently won 50/50s in the middle of the pitch and was a difference maker.  He played at a higher level than I've seen before.  And Niang was more potent in an advanced position.

As Mr. Right predicted, Van Siclen was the difference in PKs, getting to two.  But Schneiderman performed well and stopped one.  Impressively, all ten PKs were on frame, which is rare in a D3 game.

Now that I've watched a variety of NESCAC games this season online and in person, I agree the league is down a little bit but the better teams can probably still compete with anyone in the NCAA tournament.  There is certainly less goal scoring, but there is a defensive tenacity among the better teams that tends to wear well in the NCAAs.

[SoccerMom_5]

Morant is to slow to play in midfield....Pitrik the little #9 for Williams burned him and should have scored on a breakaway and also burned him and turned it eventually into a Sisco goal...HE IS NOT A midfielder...He is a striker and needs to be on the field because of his ability on set pieces...I agree move Niang up but he is not an attacking midfielder...he was giving the ball away all day..he does not have the skill to be an attacking midfielder..but Wiercinski looks to feel comfortable with both their size in midfield...


Tufts all over Bates now 3-0 after Bates gave Tufts a PK and missed the 3rd...

Yeah.  I agree about Niang.   I dont think Niang is an CAM, either.  I think he should play forward.   I actually thought he was playing as a withdrawn in the second half?  It is hard to tell because I was watching online and the angles don't show the whole field.. plus he sometimes plays out of position... but I thought he was playing as a withdrawn forward  after MacPherron came in.         

Actually... the whole Bowdoin midfield has struggled in most of the games I have seen.   
That is why I liked Morant in the middle today.  He is technical, and I thought he played smart, and stayed composed.   Having him there seems stabilizing for them.  He understands the role ... plus he doesn't make hasty "throw-away" passes, as the Bowdoin DMs sometimes do, especially when "protecting" a one-goal lead.

But, okay -- he definitely got lit up a couple of times. But I thought at least once was due to an off-ball error from someone else.  I don't believe they had someone else to put in that position who would have done better.  Bowdoin has struggled in the middle this year, at least in the games that I have seen -- a lot of the goals that Bowdoin gave up were off of  midfield errors... So...  I thought Morant really stabilized the middle for them.

I am not saying that he is a natural DM, nor that he is "ideal" for that position (maybe yes, maybe no...) but...  I for sure think that he is Bowdoin's best option for that position at this time, and I thought that he played very well today and that his presence there made a difference for them.   Certainly he did a good job of holding down the middle and linking the ball out of the back on the transition. 

And they have seemed willing to risk getting burnt lately, as they get the back involved up front to try to get their offense going.   

On another note:
I liked Sisco-Tolomeo for WIlliams a lot.  I thought he was dangerous all game.  I like Pitrick too.  He was #9, right?  He was gritty. Even grabby.   But... if the ref is letting you play, you might as well play.  It looked like he was driving Ethan Ellsworth a little nuts for a while, though.  I don't think I have watched Williams play much this season.  I probably should have watched more.  I usually end up liking those gritty teams.

IN other news... what is going to happen in Pool C, Mr. Right?  Anyone going to come through besides the NESCAC champs ?

[SoccerMom_5]

Halftime entertainment in Meffid: Tufts vs. Middlebury quidditch match

   I should have watched THAT game.  That sounds fun. lol

[Bobcat1]

A thank you to Blooter for a tip of the cap to Bates in the Nor'Easter summary. It was a wild week, but we just ran in to a buzz-saw. At 8-6-2 and a berth in the NESCAC tournament, it was a very respectable year for the Bobcats.  It won't be easy replacing the senior leadership, but hopefully a foundation has been set to build upon.

As for the game at Tufts, not much more to say. They just make it very difficult to generate good chances as a result of both their possession and pressure all over the field.  Plus, they are starting to get healthy. Will be interesting to see how Hamilton comes at Tufts on Saturday as they always play them tough.

As far as Pool C goes and to answer Soccer Mom's question, yes NESCAC will get Pool C bids.  IMO Tufts is an absolute lock and will be ranked #1 again this week in the regional rankings.  I expect they will host at least the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.  I also think Amherst is a Pool C lock. With an 11-3-2 record and ranked wins over Tufts, Bowdoin, CC, and RUN they are in. As for Bowdoin, Midd, CC, and Williams, I agree with Mr. Right that Bowdoin is likely in. The Colby ranked win will drop off this week, but they will still be 2-1-3 against ranked teams. Midd had a huge week and now has 3 ranked wins so I think they would be next in line for NESCAC teams.  CC and Williams may very well be on the wrong side of the bubble and are likely hoping for Springfield to win the NEWMAC, and either Tufts or Bowdoin to win the NESCAC tournament.  The other factor is Brandeis, who lost to Chicago yesterday, but had a big win against Wash U on Friday.  They will most likely get a Pool C bid as well in the NE region.

[Mr.Right]

I have not seen all of their games, but I have watched quite a few.  I thought they started taking some real risks involving their backline, starting in about midseason.  THey started playing the whole back line very high, (as opposed to sitting very deep, which they had been doing) and having a wing, or both wings, constantly overlapping and also having their CBs overlap.  It made a big difference in terms of generating offense.   But, it also burned them a couple of times on transitions if they lagged in recovering.  There were a lot of times that they only had two defenders at home, and there were occasions when it was just one alone.   It definitely helped them create opportunities, but... it also created a couple of goals against, too.    WHen they are playing a team that they are "afraid" of, they tend not to take the risks.   I suppose that tying Tufts is better than losing to Tufts, if it comes down to a Pool C bid?   BUt, again, what do I know; I can't pretend I understand the rankings system at all.  lol   

On related note:    I figured that they moved Morant back so that they would have another offensively-minded presence in back and to support the offense without exposing the back so much.   I think thought it was smart.   ( I realize that Mr. Right does not care for Morant as a DM, but... it makes sense to me to move NIang up front and move Morant back.  Morant is more technical, sees the field well, and he tackles with his body. And... he was not really finishing up front.  Niang is big, fast, and can get his head on the ball; he had a lot of goals last year when he had someone to play him the ball.  Also, he is a little slow sometimes in getting up and down the field, where as Morant has that work ethic to go full field.  So... why not move Niang up top and pull Morant back to play DM, especially when they seem to  be planning to include their defense to participate in the attack anyway.)      Anyway -- I liked Morant as a DM today.  I thought he was very effective.
Although certainly the backline continued to overlap (which did expose them a couple of times on quick transitions, esp late in the second half...)  So, maybe I was wrong in my suppositions about the Bowdoin intent, and it was more about getting NIang forward than about having Morant back...     Either way, I liked him there. 

   

My addendum to Soccermom's comments and Mr. Right's comments that followed but aren't quoted here:  My wife and I are parents of a former Bowdoin player from the O'Leary era and we remain Bowdoin soccer fans.  We were at today's game.  It was a beautiful day for soccer in Brunswick, although the field was a bit slick after 4+" of rain in recent days.

I certainly haven't spectated every Bowdoin game over the last six years, but I will say this was the largest crowd I've seen since the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals, when Bowdoin beat Middlebury in the last second of the first overtime to advance to the final four.  Today's crowd was larger than Mr. Right's estimates of the Ainscough era crowds.

That said, Bowdoin was on balance the better team today and deserved to advance to the NESCAC semis.  I will also confirm that there is "proactive attacking" Bowdoin and there is "bunkered in" Bowdoin.  Both were on display today.  The moment Bowdoin got the 1-0 lead, they bunkered in and invited Williams to own two thirds of the field and continually create chances.  Big mistake...the predictable happened.  A well organized Premier League team can protect a lead.  A D3 college team with D3 skills and mentality has much more difficulty doing so.  I'd like to think this could be a lesson learned, but the past five years suggest otherwise...

Regarding some of the other observations, again I haven't watched every game and don't pretend to grasp all the details, but Levi Morant had the game of his career today.  He is not a quick player, but he consistently won 50/50s in the middle of the pitch and was a difference maker.  He played at a higher level than I've seen before.  And Niang was more potent in an advanced position.

As Mr. Right predicted, Van Siclen was the difference in PKs, getting to two.  But Schneiderman performed well and stopped one.  Impressively, all ten PKs were on frame, which is rare in a D3 game.

Now that I've watched a variety of NESCAC games this season online and in person, I agree the league is down a little bit but the better teams can probably still compete with anyone in the NCAA tournament.  There is certainly less goal scoring, but there is a defensive tenacity among the better teams that tends to wear well in the NCAAs.

You did a fantastic job of describing a "bunkered in" Bowdoin of which I have been describing for way to long BUT you failed to describe this "proactive attack" that you witnessed on Saturday? Please explain Bowdoin's Proactive Attack for me as I am curious and I am not trying to be a DB..I really am curious? All I saw was a team that can score on set pieces and are very good at creating chances on set pieces. They have terrific finishers and maybe the best service on set pieces in the league. Nothing wrong with that as the league has been trending this way, to my dismay, for the past 8-10 years or basically since Serpone took over Amherst and started winning doing it. Bowdoin can only score on set pieces against solid teams and that is just fact..They are just to inept in midfield and lack a creative player that can break guys down. Niang while quite possibly one of the more dangerous finishers on set pieces cant break anyone down 2v1 let alone 1v1...I saw a ton of giveaway's by him against Williams in which if you had a player that could thread the needle would have given Bowdoin's strikers a serious look in that game. That is why i wondered why not try this Frosh Byrd in that role? Yes he is maybe to slight and would get knocked off the ball but you could say the same thing about Williams #9 Petrik and he caused a bit of havoc against Bowdoin in that game. While Byrd is better on the flank for now and is a good 1v1 player I do not think at least right now he is quite as good as Petrik. Also, I agree that Morant had a nice goal and played well but as you start moving forward and seeing teams with way more skill in midfield his warts will show defensively. Stenquist cannot possibly be expected to do his work and Morant's against quicker skilled players? That is why I liked when Wiercinski moved Ward back into midfield 2 weeks ago but he is to steady in the back this late in the season to move him now. I am not bashing Bowdoin as I picked them to win the league but they do not have a proactive attack.

[Mr.Right]

As for Amherst you are correct they are a Pool C lock and now have 2 weeks off which could be helpful. They just have a major question mark in net at this point. They have 4 GK's that have all started this year. This is pure speculation but I am sure Serpone will get an earful from his captains and seniors about who they want in net going forward to give them the best chance to win. Serpone does not need to hear that from them as he has most likely been thinking about this the past 48 hours as well with his staff. There is just no way you can stick Hope-Gund back in net after that performance. His confidence is shot and more importantly his teammates confidence with him in net right now is also shot. After the final goal that Hamilton scored you could just see on the stream his teammates were in disbelief with what happened 2nd Half and rightly so. My guess and IT IS ONLY A GUESS but the seniors will want Owen back in net. He would not be my answer and has his own weaknesses and I am assuming he has already had a chat with Serpone over a month ago on how they are going to go in a different direction BUT where do you turn? Dunne was a HIGHLY touted GK out of Chicago and was supposed to be Bull's replacement. I have no idea what has happened there. The other Frosh I have not seen as much so I really do not know. It will be interesting to see if Amherst gets to host in the 1st / 2nd round..I think they would still have a shot but against some decent competition not one of these 1st round cakewalks.