NESCAC

[blooter442]

Watch out for Amherst next year: If they made it to Sweet 16 with a shaky, young squad, they'll be a handful come the next chapter.

J4J, I think it is a testament to Serpone's coaching abilities that he got that team as far as they went. In my opinion, this year's team wasn't anywhere near as cohesive as any Amherst team I've seen (in the last 6 years, at least) but they managed to make the Tournament and get to the Sweet 16. They certainly rode their luck at times, but I think you (mostly) make your own luck, and they did much better than I thought they would this year.

[nescac1]

Good thoughts on Williams Mr. Right.  Here is another article on that incoming striker, seems like a good get.  And hopefully Petrik plays a much bigger table-setting role next year, and Gass and Fabricant step up a bit as finishers.  But I agree that the Ephs need more skill and speed in the midfield and upfront, so they can open things up a bit.   Hopefully a few more guys coming in who can fill those roles ....

http://jwcdaily.com/2017/12/14/nts-skillful-felitto-has-heart-of-a-lion/

[Mr.Right]

Good thoughts on Williams Mr. Right.  Here is another article on that incoming striker, seems like a good get.  And hopefully Petrik plays a much bigger table-setting role next year, and Gass and Fabricant step up a bit as finishers.  But I agree that the Ephs need more skill and speed in the midfield and upfront, so they can open things up a bit.   Hopefully a few more guys coming in who can fill those roles ....

http://jwcdaily.com/2017/12/14/nts-skillful-felitto-has-heart-of-a-lion/

Good article thanks for sharing..YES that is exactly what Williams NEEDS...They had to many guys that were "soft" IMO and they need a guy like this especially up top. That being said I would like to see a highlight or 2 before making any judgments. Also, 6'2 180 is a good size but in Nescac these days that is your average striker build. The most important thing that I read was about his competitiveness and heart as that are the types of mentalities that Williams needs to start getting back into its program to return to the top of Nescac.

[Mr.Right]

Here is a video highlight film of this kid...Based on this 4 minute highlight you can see some definite positives. He is definitely a tough kid that is not afraid to mix it up and put his body on the line. A solid target striker with good skill that uses both feet. Has good hops and looks to have a nose for the goal. He is hard to knock off the ball. He looks to have decent speed but is not blazing fast. A good start for Sullivan getting this type of kid into the program. Personally, I am not a big fan of Fabricant as a striker because he is really slow. I am a fan of Gass as he has plenty of skill and speed but is not the toughest kid. So it will be interesting to see it all play out.



https://www.hudl.com/profile/6126136/will-felitto

[OldNed]

By far.  The back is not their weak point.  I can not think of any instances in which the Bowdoin  back line was just "beaten" for a goal.   The Bowdoin defense gives up goals - almost exclusively-  when they are compromised by their own midfield....  almost exclusively.   And usually then on set pieces. 

SoccerMom_5,
you may not have been watching the Bowdoin/St. Joe's game, but the one goal that St. Joe's scored fits the description of the defense being beaten.  The play developed on the left side on the St. Joe's side of the field where the St. Joe's midfielder sent a pass up the left side to a streaking Noah Robinson, who beat the Bowdoin right back around the corner and he advanced on net and was able get off an odd angle shot that the Bowdoin keeper couldn't get to.  To be fair to Bowdoin's defense, Robinson is probably the most athletic player on St. Joe's and that's the only time he's been able to do that this year, so this might fit into the category of lightning striking once.

I dont think I saw that one - a part of it, I think.  The end, and Bowdoin was a little hit-and-miss.  Got better when the backs started overlapping .but was pretty bad notwithstanding. 
But it was because the midfield and offense could not hold the ball.  And the DM was constantly making terrible negative passes and one-touching right back to a defender under pressure.  That was bad, but how do you count that? Do you count those as defensive failures?  It is possible that the defense got beat, but they were holding up ok in the part I saw, even though their midfield was just straight savotaging them.   Actually, come to think of it, was that the game where Stenquist repeatedly stole the ball from his own backline? He took one off of Ward's toe, swooped in and took one from Bubb as he was about to pass, and stole one from the outside back over by the sideline.   

But... saw all that and didnt catch the goal you are mentioning.

if all you can find is one goal where the defense got beaten, then... I am going to still say that is a remarkable defense.
I don't think I personally have witnessed that defense get beaten yet.  I am sure everyone gets beaten at some point.  But... I would say we all have to agree that it happens pretty darn seldom with that particular backline.
Although... if they keep experimenting with the backline and taking the risks with overlapping, they may be opening up some opportunities for teams to penetrate.  Two men in back can stop a breakaway (Bubb seems to have that assigment?)   but they simply cant defend against numbers if they will only keep two men back and the other team presses together on transition, as Colby seems to....

But those transitions..... that still comes down to an offensive flaw, not a defensive one, doesnt it?  It won't matter whose fault it was, of course. And... if the defenders have to run the midfield, support the offense, and hold their line... something is going to have to give.

As for the Robinson goal, was that a long ball up the left or combo play?

Part of the problem I have observed with Bowdoin in the games I watched is  that the offense can not win loose balls, and the midfield can be kind of a sieve. So... forward balls are often just coming right back on the transition. 

That is one reason I am wondering how they hold up against Colby who plays a nice tight deliberate game through the middle.  I would think it woukd potentially be a problem for Bowdoin who just leaks in the middle unless they pull their backs up to organize.   And also maybe Amherst who seems to like to throw everything  forward.  And maybe Tufts if they continue to play with the 3man backline. 

I really like Colby, but how do they hold up?  For me the questions are related to: how does Colby do at speed?  When they
are controlling the pace of the game, they seem to like to play slowly and deliberately.  Can they keep their combination style play and stay organized if they play a team who prefers a frenetically paced game, like Amherst, Bowdoin, and Tufts seem to prefer?

I was finally able to find the Noah Robinson goal against Bowdoin.  Remarkable individual effort and I'm not sure there's anything the Bowdoin defense could have done. It also looked like the Bowdoin keeper could have made a better effort.

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/947583186577616897

[Mr.Right]

Yea see that goal was scored on MacMillian's side of the field which IMO was the weaker link on that very solid back 4. MacMillian got caught to high up the field and Ellsworth who usually is on the left flank was on the right flank but he did not track the man very well at all to cover for Macmillian. Looks like Ward came over but was a step to late and actually I am surprised Ward did not catch that kid and tackle him as he is pretty quick. I thought he had a chance to absolutely stick the kid right before he shot the ball but maybe thought he would trip him and give up a PK. That certainly was not Van Siclen's best effort but honestly it looked like a lack of communication between him and Ward and not reading what e/o was going to do before it turned into a goal. I mean after Ward failed to tackle him it was basically 1v1 against the GK and the kid absolutely blasted it into the net. Tough angle as well. However, the whole play started because Macmillian was caught to high up the field and Ellsworth did not track the kid to cover for MacMillian.

[OldNed]

Mr. Right,
I'm not that familiar with the Bowdoin players, but I agree the goal happened primarily because the defender got caught too far upfield.  I didn't post it to point out any issues with Bowdoin's backline - I actually agree they were generally pretty damned good this season.  Even good defenses get caught out sometimes, I guess.

[Ejay]

Hmmm.  I've watched this a few times I would only give MacMillian partial blame, and it's not for playing to high up the pitch.  I fault him for a poor touch that simply gave the ball away to #27 for the header.  I would also lay a large portion of the blame on Ellsworth who allowed #3 to win the 2nd ball and play a nice pass down the line.  Ellsworth should have been tighter on #3, forgot about tracking the runner which should have been Ward who was in no-mans land, especially once #3 checked back to the ball.

[Mr.Right]

So in your opinion Ellsworth should have just ole'd the kid to Ward..Yes MacMillian gave the ball away but if you watched Bowdoin enough this year you rarely would see MacMillian get caught on what looked to be an overlap. Tough to tell because we do not see what happened before the giveaway. Either way Ward should have stuck the kid right before the shot and I think Van Siclen thought he was going to tackle him because he was not really set and Ward looked like he thought he had cut the kids angle enough so Van Siclen could get big and make the save because of the limited angle.

[Ejay]

Without seeing the entirety of the play lead-up, and what exactly all players were doing, my opinion is both Ellsworth and Ward were slow to recognize what was happening and adjust accordingly.  But yes, once the play progressed down the field, I would have expected a tackle and I agree that Van Siclen probably expected one too. Credit to the forward for putting a strong touch to get into the box before firing high.

[Sir.MixALotz]

All,

I'm new to the site and very excited it exists. Mr. Right your prior analysis has been a godsend for us fans thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Looking forward to the next season this coming fall.

Cheers.

[mom1234]

I'm new to this board. Was reading LaPAz's assessments of various NESCAC coaches. but it's from three years ago. Is anyone qualified to provide an updated scoop on current coaches? My son is being recruited and he's cares a lot about the coaching style, attitude, etc. of whoever he's going to commit to for the the four years and the vibe on the team. I'll write some general facts on my player, and if anyone has an opinion on what schools fit him, let me know:
- High-level, talented club player (team is unbeatable in top state league, top in their regional league - NOT eastern seaboard, BTW, and they're very strong in National League)
- son told he should play D1 but he doesn't want to. Wants NESCAC academics/small school and also would rather be a bigger fish in small pond and actually play and be coache's fave
- played Academy before but the coach was inept, so he moved to Div 1 with better coach who works them hard and runs a good structured practice (son loves that) but is upbeat, fair, really knows the game, smart with strategy, and doesn't get negative - all that matters to son
- played in Europe all 10th grade on soccer exchange program - got very good at his tactical game
- He's a super positive, passionate, highly coachable kid; very dependable in his position; very technically adept, clean off ball 
- Grades excellent, but he doesn't even take SATs till May and they probably won't match up to grades
- needs LOTS of financial aid, partly why we're looking at schools where he is highly recruitable from a skill point of view

So without giving away too much info on him:
- Which teams have decent team vibe and coaches (and players, too I guess) with good attitudes, quality coaching, really know the game, and all the stuff kids want to know before investing the time?
- Why is Bates so lame? If Flaherty just is bad recruiter, is he also an unknowledgeable coach? We need someone who actually knows what they are doing...
- which teams rely on playing dirty, using brawn, or playing trashy soccer? (which coaches only want huge physical guys?)
- What's the deal with Nizzi? Is he "in the hot seat" on the way out? Can anyone describe him? His current roster looks huge and doesn't seem he plays the younger guys. What do I need to know about how he runs his team??
- Murphy at Conn College - guy seems very personable talking to my son, but a few years ago someone on this board said he could be negative -  this still true? Are players still leaving to get away from him?
- Which schools are going to be the most generous with the financial aid and lenient with SATs? Which coaches are most likely to pull more strings to get a high quality player in who doesn't have wealthy parents?
- Should he step "down" to Centennial as a strategy to secure better financial aid? Those coaches are dying to bring him on but maybe that's stepping down in level too much and he'll be bored? Along with that: any how much lower is the level of play/ quality of players on F&M and Dickinson compares to NESCAC? Should we write those off?
- Should we look at Wesleyan? I thought it was too artsy before but maybe that's dumb; obviously there are athletes there so it can't be all like that.
- Trinity? I thought that was too snobby for my middle class kid but could be wrong...

- I'm writing off Bowdoin, Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst. My assumption is that even a 3.8 GPA can't do the trick if SATs are possibly not going to top 1200 or 1300 - or am I completely wrong about that? For example, Bowdoin says it's test-optional, so despite being harder to get into for the general population, maybe if the coach wants him he tells him to not submit tests, at which point he just needs a stellar writing sample? I have no clue.

Anyway, any thoughts are appreciated.

[Ommadawn]

Welcome, Mom!  I think you will find this to be a board full of friendly and knowledgeable folks who are capable of providing answers to many of your questions (but not as rapidly as they might during the season).  I will take a stab at a few of your questions, but there are many other regular posters who know far more than I do about the subject at hand (especially the venerable LaPaz in his current incarnation).

- Which teams have decent team vibe and coaches (and players, too I guess) with good attitudes, quality coaching, really know the game, and all the stuff kids want to know before investing the time?

My general sense is that the caliber of coaching is pretty high across the conference and that most teams have a "decent team vibe."  You can check out the vibe of the Tufts team on the video series discussed earlier in the thread.

- Why is Bates so lame? If Flaherty just is bad recruiter, is he also an unknowledgeable coach? We need someone who actually knows what they are doing...

Coach Flaherty is an active recruiter, but it's harder to recruit players to Bates (and Lewiston) than to some of the other schools in the conference.

- which teams rely on playing dirty, using brawn, or playing trashy soccer? (which coaches only want huge physical guys?)

Most of the teams in the conference have their fair share of big guys, but most teams have a good number of technical players as well.  Style of play varies widely and beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, of course. A quick read of this thread will tell you that Amherst plays with a "direct" style and often imposes physical play on their opponents, but they also have some of the most skilled players in the league.

- What's the deal with Nizzi? Is he "in the hot seat" on the way out? Can anyone describe him? His current roster looks huge and doesn't seem he plays the younger guys. What do I need to know about how he runs his team??

I have no insight on Coach Nizzi's status or how the team is run, but Hamilton has been trending upward in the conference the past couple of years.

- Murphy at Conn College - guy seems very personable talking to my son, but a few years ago someone on this board said he could be negative -  this still true? Are players still leaving to get away from him?

My general impression is that Coach Murphy is an intense guy who gets a lot out of his players when they buy in to his message.  Conn College has had the conference Rookie of the Year two of the past three years.  The ROY from 2015 is no longer with the program, however.

- Which schools are going to be the most generous with the financial aid and lenient with SATs? Which coaches are most likely to pull more strings to get a high quality player in who doesn't have wealthy parents?

In general, the NESCAC schools are very well-endowed and give generous financial aid packages to students with demonstrated financial need.  I can't speak to the issue of leniency regarding SAT scores.

- Should he step "down" to Centennial as a strategy to secure better financial aid? Those coaches are dying to bring him on but maybe that's stepping down in level too much and he'll be bored? Along with that: any how much lower is the level of play/ quality of players on F&M and Dickinson compares to NESCAC? Should we write those off?

In my opinion, the Centennial Conference compares favorably with the NESCAC.  The NESCAC seems to have greater depth, but the top 5-6 schools in the Centennial would have a good shot at making the NESCAC playoffs and the best couple of teams of the Centennial in any given year would compete for the NESCAC title.

- Should we look at Wesleyan? I thought it was too artsy before but maybe that's dumb; obviously there are athletes there so it can't be all like that.

Wesleyan is bigger than most of the NESCAC schools and has a diverse student body, including artists and athletes    Coach Wheeler is a good guy and his teams play an attractive brand of soccer even though they have been a bit undersized the past few years.

- Trinity? I thought that was too snobby for my middle class kid but could be wrong...

I don't know much about the campus climate at Trinity, but snobbery sometimes comes with the territory in this conference  (and I say that as a big fan of the conference and the schools).  There are, however, plenty of middle class kids at each school. You can look at the rosters of each school to check out the high school backgrounds of the players on the team to get a general sense of where the players come from (socioeconomically).  Soccer players are often pretty down-to-earth (the humbling nature of the game helps in that regard!), so even at a "snobby" school the people your son would spend the most time with might not be so snobby.  Campus visits will be a good way for your son to find out how well he might fit in at the various schools.

- I'm writing off Bowdoin, Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst. My assumption is that even a 3.8 GPA can't do the trick if SATs are possibly not going to top 1200 or 1300 - or am I completely wrong about that? For example, Bowdoin says it's test-optional, so despite being harder to get into for the general population, maybe if the coach wants him he tells him to not submit tests, at which point he just needs a stellar writing sample? I have no clue.

I'll leave it to other posters to discuss the admissions process ("tips" and whatnot) at NESCAC schools.  I can tell you, though, that one NESCAC coach told me that players on his team ranged from 1550 to 2300+ on the old three-test SAT scoring system. 

Good luck to you and your son! 

[Falconer]

I'm new to this board. Was reading LaPAz's assessments of various NESCAC coaches. but it's from three years ago. Is anyone qualified to provide an updated scoop on current coaches?

That would be LaPaz, now known as Mr Right. When it comes to D3 soccer in New England, he's almost always Right. His bias to Williams (which I certainly can't criticize, given my own bias to Messiah) doesn't affect his objectivity. Perhaps you can persuade him to weigh in here.

[Falconer]

- Should he step "down" to Centennial as a strategy to secure better financial aid? Those coaches are dying to bring him on but maybe that's stepping down in level too much and he'll be bored? Along with that: any how much lower is the level of play/ quality of players on F&M and Dickinson compares to NESCAC? Should we write those off?

Yes, your son should listen to Centennial coaches. The F&M coach in particular (Dan Wagner) is a class act, and the school has a  large endowment that is used to give significant need-based aid. A college friend of mine sent his daughter there, b/c they covered almost the entire cost of attendance. He's a regular middle-class working guy without any inherited wealth, and his daughter isn't an elite level student. It was mainly need-based aid. But, your son's interest should start with the coaching staff.

Ditto Dickinson on financial aid, but I don't know their coach and am unable to compare him with F&M's coach.

As for other factors, Dickinson is located in downtown Carlisle, one of the nicest college towns in PA--which, like New England, has dozens of college towns. PA towns are generally quite different from NESCAC towns--more ethnically and racially diverse, more religious, not as old (in terms of their history), and much less expensive. Not necessarily more isolated geographically, however, and Carlisle is only about 25 minutes from the Amtrak station in Harrisburg, which means 25 minutes from the entire Northeast corridor. Trains from there to NYC are very reasonable, since the state contracts for regular service with Amtrak.

As for Lancaster (F&M), it's a trending city these days, with a pretty little downtown area within a safe walk from the college. There's a terrific theater, many small eateries, even an orchestra.
And a big Amtrak station that is just an hour from downtown Philly, a city that has gone through an unpublicized Renaissance, making it one of the great places to visit in the nation. You can match the food and culture of NYC on a much smaller scale, at a fraction of the price. If I'm your son, I'm doing F&M.

In terms of soccer, F&M is overall better than Dickinson (IMO), but both teams are well coached. Dickinson plays Messiah most years in the regular season, but so far without even a single result--but they clearly deserved to beat the Falcons in Grantham a few years ago and were just unlucky. F&M doesn't usually play Messiah any more, outside of the tournament, but they do have some top level non-conference opponents on their schedule every year, so either way your son would get to play against the best teams in D3.