NESCAC

[coach analytics]

NESCAC Mid-Season Review (part 3)

Middlebury


Highlight game of the season
While its hard not to choose two NCAA Elite 8 revenge games from the first half of the season, I will go with Wesleyan over Colby 4-3.  This game featured a "coming out party" for Wesleyan's offense as they generated an unreal 15 shots on net but needed 2 goals in the last 15 minutes to prevail.  On offensive explosion, a rarity in the NESCAC. First time they have scored 4 goals in a conference game since 2017

You cannot let homophobic tropes go and just let them sit out there. I'll clean it up no worries. I haven't been on here, but the air quotes are a shot at me and obviously this is a quick hit and old stereotype for Wesleyan that is just not relevant these days. Cheap stuff especially since I have been open with who I am, but we have no idea who this person is. I personally could care less to speculate. You have to condemn this stuff as minor as it is. Homophobia, antisemitism and flat out "white trash" racism are all on the rise and you have to call it out when seen.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/heinous-anti-semitic-act-at-trinity-college%ef%bf%bc/

https://www.iberkshires.com/story/69683/Extremist-Graffiti-Found-on-Williams-College-Monument.html

OK done with that. Next topic I want to discuss is




I wrote this and i offer my apologies.  I never intended it to be construed in an offensive manner.  No excuses. Just an apology.

[paclassic89]

ok, but coming out party is not a homophobic term and is often used in sports journalism without issue

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/sports/tennis/us-open-russia-ukraine.html

[Mr.Right]

There is both covert and overt homophobia, racism and antisemitism. It was just a good moment to educate and all. Thats it really. You do not agree and that is fine.

I say the poster knew what he was doing especially with the Wesleyan reference.

[Mr.Right]

I do not need or want apologies. I am a big boy. Just asking for people to respect each other. Just some education on these issues and then pass it on in ur own world.

[EnmoreCat]

Some responses:

Paul Newman:  How much did we "know" about Amherst prior?  We watched a fair bit of video and knew that the style might be a little different and appreciated the players were highly motivated, but to be fair, we knew in general anywhere in D3 was likely to be a change compared to the D1 environment.  D1 play is more structured and that's no surprise given the amount of time the coaches get to spend with their players.  Spring at WVU was intense. 

College Soccer Observer: I hope to get to watch a Middlebury game at South Street Field, I love the intensity of the match up.  The game I saw at Hitch was a great way to not just get introduced to the rivalry, but also to what is required to be successful in NESCAC.

D3 Coach: Yep, I have seen close up the respect that Coach Serpone is accorded by players, past & present and the broader Amherst community.  It's a real thing that has been earnt and as best I can tell, a strong factor in the programme's success.

EJay: I may have suffered some very minor nerve damage, but also, I do feel like it's a one way street at times and that if praise/respect is given, it tends to be in a back-handed, begrudging way.  On the more positive side, my son loves it there and regularly playing, along with the quality academics, makes it a tremendous experience.  Glad to hear you are rooting for them, along with a number of teams.  I do think it's the great thing about these boards, getting to hear and learn about different schools and how they are faring.  I feel like I know a lot more about D3 than I ever knew about D1 and that's due to everyone that contributes in here.

I'm from Perth, so the western side of the country and Australian Rules Football was more my thing.  I used to be quite passionate about it, but when my son's game times started to clash, it dropped off.  The team, Geelong, actually, won the equivalent of the Super Bowl in Australia this year, which under other circumstances, would have been celebrated for weeks on end.  Now, Amherst and Crystal Palace absorb my emotional energy.  So the rugby codes aren't quite me, but I watch occasionally.

4231Centreback: It was probably the use of "bludgeon" that sent me over the metaphorical edge.  We're all good. 

Pittsfield Pete: The yellow card count for Amherst is evidence enough that there is a physical edge to the game, but I am yet to see any NESCAC team back down from the challenge either.  My son cops his fair share of attention, but sometimes being 6ft 5 almost means that it has to be grievous bodily harm on him before a free kick can be called (but I reckon the parents of most central defenders would feel the same).

No Amherst game this weekend and I am suffering withdrawal symptoms.  Next week is Conn, really looking forward to it. 

[camosfan]

Did you say Pert,is that where we have the Gabba?

[EnmoreCat]

That's in Brisbane.  In Perth we used to have the WACA.

[camosfan]

OK! living in US too long forgot my cricket.

[coach analytics]

There is both covert and overt homophobia, racism and antisemitism. It was just a good moment to educate and all. Thats it really. You do not agree and that is fine.

I say the poster knew what he was doing especially with the Wesleyan reference.

I just joined the Board a couple weeks ago for some good old fashioned discussion on d3 soccer.  I am just an old retired coach who gave a lot to the soccer community and now i miss it.  I appreciate PA classics showing you that it is a common reference in sports media.

  I have no idea how you can draw the conclusion that what i said was intentional.  Please take my apology as sincere.  I have learned that you can offend others by actions and words even if non intentional and certainly not "covert". 

[Ejay]

There is both covert and overt homophobia, racism and antisemitism. It was just a good moment to educate and all. Thats it really. You do not agree and that is fine.

I say the poster knew what he was doing especially with the Wesleyan reference.

I just joined the Board a couple weeks ago for some good old fashioned discussion on d3 soccer.  I am just an old retired coach who gave a lot to the soccer community and now i miss it.  I appreciate PA classics showing you that it is a common reference in sports media.

  I have no idea how you can draw the conclusion that what i said was intentional.  Please take my apology as sincere.  I have learned that you can offend others by actions and words even if non intentional and certainly not "covert".

I always associated "coming out party" with debutante balls (those balls are a whole other discussion), but what do I know?  <shrug>. 

Welcome to the boards Coach - it'll be good to have your thoughts on the game. I encourage you to participate in our Weekly Pool - https://forms.gle/35Ss7yoHQFdy4BFJ9

[PaulNewman]

@EnmoreCat...I understand your point about begrudging respect.  The flip side of this lament is that it is virtually impossible to say anything negative about Amherst without also acknowledging what a great program/school it is.  I also have begrudging respect for a handful of other programs, and other programs that are all quite varied...Messiah, Tufts, Calvin, OWU.  What do all these programs have in common?  They WIN.  And whatever the particulars are with each that someone like me can find irritating, the common denominator for all of them is that they win...and I'm not naive to the fact that dreaded rivals causing heartbreak, often repeatedly, is what 95% of the antipathy is about for me and probably many others.  In short, lol, I'd love Amherst a little more if they lost a little more!

As an aside, I wonder if you could share some of what seems like a very interesting and unusual story....Perth to WVU to Amherst.  I'm guessing that combo of places has never happened before.

[Viking]

It's hard for those outside NESCAC to grasp the depth of feeling -- that heady mix of respect, irritation, anger, and, in some cases, humiliation-inflected "little-brotherness" -- that many folks associated with other NESCAC schools have toward the Amherst men's soccer program. The chief source of all that, of course, is Amherst's perennial success. But I'm glad that people brought up the word "bludgeoned," because there are other sources of people's feelings about Amherst men's soccer, and one of primary ones is pretty neatly captured in data. Have you ever looked at the conference's historic data set on fouls per game? In all but one year since NESCAC men's soccer achieved its current 11-team form in 2011, Amherst has finished first in NESCAC in fouls committed per game, sometimes by a breathtakingly wide margin (the exception was 2018, when Amherst finished just behind Middlebury in fouls per game). Let that sink in. The players turned over completely in those 12 years. The officials changed. Even the NCAA's rules and officiating "points of emphasis" changed. Even the average size of Amherst's roster changed, despite stereotypes to the contrary. But that one symptom remained constant. I've never seen any program-specific long-term historical trend like it at any level of the sport. There are generations of opposing players, coaches, parents, fans, and other observers who have witnessed (or felt) that disparity and emerged with permanently altered feelings about the experience and the factors that might have led to it. It's easy to see why former players find themselves using words like "bludgeoned," hyperbolic or not.

[Hopkins92]

(Not to pile on, but KUDOS to Viking for bringing that back up. I knew absolutely nothing about the national D3 soccer scene when I first started lurking on this board 10 or so years ago before joining up about 6 years ago. The sentiment around Amherst was pretty well established, and as I started following and watching, their reputation as playing bully-ball was well-earned.

It's hard for those outside NESCAC to grasp the depth of feeling -- that heady mix of respect, irritation, anger, and, in some cases, humiliation-inflected "little-brotherness" -- that many folks associated with other NESCAC schools have toward the Amherst men's soccer program. The chief source of all that, of course, is Amherst's perennial success. But I'm glad that people brought up the word "bludgeoned," because there are other sources of people's feelings about Amherst men's soccer, and one of primary ones is pretty neatly captured in data. Have you ever looked at the conference's historic data set on fouls per game? In all but one year since NESCAC men's soccer achieved its current 11-team form in 2011, Amherst has finished first in NESCAC in fouls committed per game, sometimes by a breathtakingly wide margin (the exception was 2018, when Amherst finished just behind Middlebury in fouls per game). Let that sink in. The players turned over completely in those 12 years. The officials changed. Even the NCAA's rules and officiating "points of emphasis" changed. Even the average size of Amherst's roster changed, despite stereotypes to the contrary. But that one symptom remained constant. I've never seen any program-specific long-term historical trend like it at any level of the sport. There are generations of opposing players, coaches, parents, fans, and other observers who have witnessed (or felt) that disparity and emerged with permanently altered feelings about the experience and the factors that might have led to it. It's easy to see why former players find themselves using words like "bludgeoned," hyperbolic or not.

Have some karma.

[coach analytics]

(Not to pile on, but KUDOS to Viking for bringing that back up. I knew absolutely nothing about the national D3 soccer scene when I first started lurking on this board 10 or so years ago before joining up about 6 years ago. The sentiment around Amherst was pretty well established, and as I started following and watching, their reputation as playing bully-ball was well-earned.

I think there has been a slight shift away from that, but just looking at one season or even a couple of years of perspective really does ignore the well-established histoyr of the progr

It's hard for those outside NESCAC to grasp the depth of feeling -- that heady mix of respect, irritation, anger, and, in some cases, humiliation-inflected "little-brotherness" -- that many folks associated with other NESCAC schools have toward the Amherst men's soccer program. The chief source of all that, of course, is Amherst's perennial success. But I'm glad that people brought up the word "bludgeoned," because there are other sources of people's feelings about Amherst men's soccer, and one of primary ones is pretty neatly captured in data. Have you ever looked at the conference's historic data set on fouls per game? In all but one year since NESCAC men's soccer achieved its current 11-team form in 2011, Amherst has finished first in NESCAC in fouls committed per game, sometimes by a breathtakingly wide margin (the exception was 2018, when Amherst finished just behind Middlebury in fouls per game). Let that sink in. The players turned over completely in those 12 years. The officials changed. Even the NCAA's rules and officiating "points of emphasis" changed. Even the average size of Amherst's roster changed, despite stereotypes to the contrary. But that one symptom remained constant. I've never seen any program-specific long-term historical trend like it at any level of the sport. There are generations of opposing players, coaches, parents, fans, and other observers who have witnessed (or felt) that disparity and emerged with permanently altered feelings about the experience and the factors that might have led to it. It's easy to see why former players find themselves using words like "bludgeoned," hyperbolic or not.

Have some karma.



The real interesting thing about Amherst is that they play this style over the last couple years despite having a generational talent at the D3 level in Giamatti.  I think he literally averaged 5 shots per game last year, well in excess of any other single player.

My personal opinion is that this style will not be as effective as the overall skill and tactical capabilities of the players continue to improve, as it has over the last several years.  I am a fan of what Conn has done and they won it all.  Also Wesleyan and Hamilton play a possession oriented style.  The rest of the season will be a great test.

But don't get me wrong, Amherst will continue to bludgeon many, especially on their home pitch.

[hiyasoccer]

Was excited to tune into Bowdoin this weekend with a big home game against a surprising Hamilton team I haven't watched at all. Long story short, Bowdoin look quite good, like a legit top 4 NESCAC side, and Hamilton look like what Hamilton look maybe slightly better than a normal Hamilton team but nothing like the top team in the conference.

First 25-30

Bowdoin basically didn't engage Hamilton with their defensive line outside their own half for the first 25-30 minutes. They did a mix of quick countering and pressing bodies forward quickly when they won the ball alternating with slow possession, and we're pretty successful in both areas. Hamilton was able to swing the ball around well but rarely get it into the box, and when they did there was never anything close to enough space to get a shot off.

Bowdoin had the first big chance of the game on the counter, with Ward playing I believe Bae running off the back shoulder of the last defender. At the top of the 18 under pressure from a defender on one side and the goalie in front of him, missed the net wide left.

Second big chance of the game should have been a goal. Bowdoin attacked down the right in possesiin and the winger beat a man or two, 1-2d with a midfielder to get to the byline and beat one more, and sent in a low cross. Runner at the front post showed great awareness and composure to pay the ball back with the outside of his food to ward who was completely unmarked just inside and right of the PK spot. He should have scored but hit the outside of the post.

Bowdoin finally took the lead in simple fashion. Corner, with a great back post header from Juantorena who is very dangerous in the air.

Last 15-20 of the half

Game changed as the subs started to come in. Bowdoin was a bit more aggressive on defense and Hamilton had a bit more space to work in. They created their best and only real good chance of the half on a nice possession play, starting on the left side and showing good technique, strength and awareness to break through the bowdoin midfield and switch the ball to the right back isolated 1v1 with Bowdoin's LB or LM. He beat him clean to the inside and looked to be in alone on Bowdoin GK Webber but a Bowdoin player came out of nowhere and recovered to make a tackle before a shot could be taken.

After about 5-10 minutes Bowdoin subs seemed to settle (I suspect many were on the younger/inexperienced side). Game was more open generally with both teams able to get the ball into semi dangerous areas but never quite find a way through. On balance bowdoin having the better of the play still.

With I think about 5 minutes left bowdoin creates a nice counter but the final run and ball don't quite line up and the defender barely beats Matt Braver to the ball a couple yards outside the 18 sprinting towards his own goal. Problem is that his GK has come out and wants to clear the ball. All of a sudden there's a 3 man mess, the ball bounces out away from the goal but Braver is closest to it with the Hamilton GK second closest. Braver has good composure to not whack to ball off the goal immediately, and as the goalie back off to get back in the box (a mistake) he rolls it into the net.

On the whole

Bowdoin clearly the better team, probably by 1.5 goals maybe 2. Should be interesting to see how the teams come out in the second. This would be a huge result for Bowdoin.