NESCAC

[hiyasoccer]

I don't mind the no regular season OT thing that much, but I dislike the no golden goal pretty strongly. There are few feelings like the sudden elation when you realize your team has scored the winner and it's all over, everyone sprints out onto the field and piles on the scooter, and celebrate. Plus, all else equal ending games sooner is probably better, these tournaments are already a grind fest.

[PaulNewman]

I don't mind the no regular season OT thing that much, but I dislike the no golden goal pretty strongly. There are few feelings like the sudden elation when you realize your team has scored the winner and it's all over, everyone sprints out onto the field and piles on the scooter, and celebrate. Plus, all else equal ending games sooner is probably better, these tournaments are already a grind fest.

LOL...how do you like when the other team scores, they're elated, and your season is done?

[oacalum]

This is a situation where the good far outweighs the bad. Few things are better than scoring a game winner in golden goal.

[PaulNewman]

I'm a glass half-full person...unfortunately.

I wouldn't mind golden goal in the regular season, but not much more brutal than a fluky goal against the run of play and the season's over.  Put it this way.  If my team wins playing out the OTs I'm still gonna be really happy.  Ecstacy feels a little greedy...and kind of random.

[hiyasoccer]

There's no right answer here, but I'm on board with oacalum's perspective. Collapsing on the field after giving up an OT winner hurts for a couple minutes more than a loss at the end of a game does, but it fades to the same feeling pretty quick. Celebrating and screaming your head off after an OT winner for your team sticks with you, like the adrenaline rush leaves an imprint in your memory.

Another thing - you let OT play out and the other team scores an equalizer, you end up in penalties, which are just like a dumb way to decide a game. We were 3-0 in PK shootouts in my career but they are a bad way to pick a winner.

I was 2-2 lifetime on playoff OT golden goals btw, I've experienced both sides of the coin.

[PaulNewman]

There's no right answer here, but I'm on board with oacalum's perspective. Collapsing on the field after giving up an OT winner hurts for a couple minutes more than a loss at the end of a game does, but it fades to the same feeling pretty quick. Celebrating and screaming your head off after an OT winner for your team sticks with you, like the adrenaline rush leaves an imprint in your memory.

Another thing - you let OT play out and the other team scores an equalizer, you end up in penalties, which are just like a dumb way to decide a game. We were 3-0 in PK shootouts in my career but they are a bad way to pick a winner.

I was 2-2 lifetime on playoff OT golden goals btw, I've experienced both sides of the coin.

Yep, I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority.  I also don't like roller coasters, bungee-jumping, or basically anything thrill-seeking. 

[College Soccer Observer]

The bottom line is that the rules committee, whose voting members are coaches and administrators, did not want sudden death. Two reasons were lack of familiarity with it for teams due to not playing regular season OT and they did not want teams to be at the mercy of a coin flip in terms of wind, sun, etc.

[hiyasoccer]

PN I'm with you on coasters... not my jam. College soccer observers point on it being different to add golden goal after nobody has played OT all year makes sense to me, though still not my favorite.

Quick predictions, in decreasing order of confidence:

Bowdoin 2-1 Conn
Amherst 1-0 Wes
Midd 2-0 Hamilton
Williams 1-1 Tufts

[camosfan]

Bowdoin missed a PK! Conn tend to gamble with fouls, lucky so far!

[PaulNewman]

Conn is just a mess right now.  No Jaran.  Djerdjaj sits until 10 min left in half.  Really poor giveways in bad spots where you can see the pass is gonna be cut out before it even happens.  Bowdoin should have scored in the first 12 minutes. After that Conn had some good play and got into the Bowdoin end a lot but they don't seem to have anyone up top who is really dangerous.  All that said, if Conn can sneak a goal their entire energy may change.

[Kuiper]

Conn is just a mess right now.  No Jaran.  Djerdjaj sits until 10 min left in half.  Really poor giveways in bad spots where you can see the pass is gonna be cut out before it even happens.  Bowdoin should have scored in the first 12 minutes. After that Conn had some good play and got into the Bowdoin end a lot but they don't seem to have anyone up top who is really dangerous.  All that said, if Conn can sneak a goal their entire energy may change.

Mess or not, Conn up 1-0 early in the second on a Yeonas goal.

[paclassic89]

Williams ties it up with 10 secs left! 

[d4_Pace]

Williams ties it up with 10 secs left! 

On a penalty called by the linesman for an off the ball foul... Don't see that every day. Time to see what Tufts are made of and how they respond

[d4_Pace]

Williams wins it in the 6th round of penalties. Just not a great game from either team and has kind of typified what the NESCAC has looked like this year.

[EnmoreCat]

Amherst 1 Wesleyan 0

A first half where Amherst dominated the play, but the Cardinals seemed mostly comfortable in handling that, but without looking dangerous in their own right.  I thought Wesleyan started the second half a little better and were pushing the Mammoths back, but then on a very fast counterattack, Amherst suddenly found a lot of space and scored.  Wesleyan did open up a bit and created some chances, but couldn't convert what was probably 1-2 something slightly better than half chances.  With two minutes to go Amherst missed a reasonably straightforward one, but I think that result might have flattered the Mammoths in what for the most part was a tense affair.  And because I know some people care, fouls on the day were 9 each, way below Amherst's typical gold medal pace and the Cardinals got three yellows.

Middlebury next, on neutral ground, albeit where Google Maps tells me it's much much closer to Amherst.  It's a shame that there isn't a home crowd for either side, because I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the game I attended in mid-September, but I am sure it will be a classic and certainly a game that would be worthy of one very late in the Tournament.