NESCAC

[SimpleCoach]

Trinity's prospects in the NESCAC look grim after the early results. A 2-0 loss to Bates and then a 5-0 loss to Wesleyan. Will they even score a goal in the NESCAC this year?

Trinity is currently losing 8-0 to Middlebury in the 60th minute and they are being outshot 19-0.  I think relegation might be in order if this keeps up.

I watched 20 minutes.  I was doing game notes, but decided to stop for how bad it looked.

SC.

[Kuiper]

Trinity's prospects in the NESCAC look grim after the early results. A 2-0 loss to Bates and then a 5-0 loss to Wesleyan. Will they even score a goal in the NESCAC this year?

Trinity is currently losing 8-0 to Middlebury in the 60th minute and they are being outshot 19-0.  I think relegation might be in order if this keeps up.

I watched 20 minutes.  I was doing game notes, but decided to stop for how bad it looked.

SC.

You are a kind and generous soul.

[Kuiper]

Williams 1 - Amherst 0

Big win for the Ephs.  Fair result.  Diffley saved them multiple times, but Williams' goal was a nice feed on the ground by Bethencourt past the Amherst defenders to another freshman MItchell who put it around/over a diving Perez (who I think got a piece of it). 

[EnmoreCat]

Williams 1 Amherst 0

This result didn't really justify being awake at 2.00am Sydney time to watch.  Amherst started the better and had opportunities to take the lead, but didn't and that's when the beautiful game can become a lot less beautiful.  To Williams' credit they hung in and their keeper was consistently well positioned when it mattered.  That for me at least, was the story of most  of the second half also, with the Ephs taking advantage when it counted.  Williams were ultimately rewarded for hanging in and whilst Amherst did have chances, they went untaken.  I'm reluctant to read too much into one result and really now it's about being ready for what comes next.  Fortunately, I don't really feel the Williams rivalry, but a loss hurts irrespective.

I'm going back to bed and the box score isn't available, but will come back to update the foul count later. 

Update - Foul count: Williams 9 Amherst 12

Not sure if there was a separate "vicious" category available.  Happy to opine that the most cynical yellow card offence was by far the one given to the Williams player in the first half, which if it had been on the other side of the half way line, would have been a contender for a straight red card.

[Freddyfud]

I tuned in for most of the second half.  Entertaining game to watch as both sides looked good.

[jumpshot]

Down goes Liston! The lord jeffs took it on the chin today.Instant classic win for the EPHS on a specular day weather-wise in Williamstown. Once again several vicious fouls by the losers.

[EnmoreCat]

WPI 0 Amherst 2

I will get my whinges out of the way first.  I definitely wasn't paying attention, but I can confirm that the NEWMAC has embraced Flosports and so I got to pay $14.99 to watch the game.  I checked WPI's endowment and Wikipedia advised a 2022 number of $589m, I hope my money gets spent wisely by the AD department there.  There was no commentator which is just a little cheeky given you are then paying for what is essentially a camera that doesn't quite follow the play 100% quickly.  Perhaps there is an enhanced offering where you pay more.  It does however, dovetail nicely into my second whinge, which was that the microphone did pick up what was incessant wailing from a select group of WPI supporters.  I get angry with referees and am quite good at venting my spleen, but in the first half at least, it was on practically every play and notwithstanding the purple bias that occupies a prominent place in my heart, they weren't always right and of course went remarkably quiet when there was a rather poor two footed tackle that went in from one of the angrier Goats. 

Onto the game, the Goats have had a very good start to the season after what was a successful 2023 also (NEWMAC champions and first round of the tournament) meaning no let up in terms of quality of opponent for the Mammoths.  Amherst hasn't lost two in a row since early 2018 and it was safe to expect there would be a reaction after a disappointing afternoon in whatever town Williams is based.  Coach made a couple of changes and whilst it wasn't a vintage display, the ball spent most of the time in the WPI half for the first 45 minutes.  I think I might have noted this after a previous game there, but it is one of the bouncier synthetic pitches going around and the Mammoths definitely looked better when it was on the desk.  0-0 at half time, with a WPI player heading it onto his own post being the closest either side came to scoring.

Early in the second half, one of the Juniors scored his first goal for the Mammoths after a goal mouth scramble in what was an exciting moment for him and an important one for the team.  On the play, it felt deserved to me and afterwards, the Mammoths started to play with more confidence and kept the ball more effectively further up the field.  WPI were of course, not taking this passively and had potentially dangerous moments, but without creating a clean opportunity, nevertheless, a 1-0 lead is a precarious one, irrespective of how comfortable things may feel.  With that in mind, with less than ten minutes to go, one of the seniors popped up with a clinical header off a corner and the game was effectively put to bed.  Mind you, this correspondent still vividly remembers a game in 1985 at Woodville Reserve in Perth where the greenshirts of University of Western Australia were leading arch rivals Perth City 2-0 with under ten minutes to go and managed to confect a 3-2 loss.  There was gnashing of teeth that evening...and so nothing is ever taken for granted.

After all that, it did finish 2-0 to Amherst and that felt like a merited scoreline.  WPI was well organized and dealt successfully with most of what the Mammoths brought and I am sure they will enjoy another strong season in NEWMAC.  However FloSports, I won't be renewing my monthly subscription to see it.

I fly out this evening and will have SOEK (Sister of Enmore Kitten) in tow for the Midd and Babson games which will be great.  If you are at either game, please come and say hello, if only to meet Australia's pre-eminent Gen Z US politics commentator (her, not me I hasten to add).  For the more literary here, I am staying overnight in Hartford on the Thursday and will get to visit the Mark Twain Museum on Friday morning.  He along with Steinbeck are easily my favourite American authors and it will be quite something to see where he lived. 

Foul Count Update: WPI 13 Amherst 13

[SKUD]

Accurate assessment Cat.  I too noticed the whining goat from the broadcast. 

[SierraFD3soccer]

The Twain House is really great! You won't be disappointed if you have never gone there.

[maineman]

Midd did win the game against Endicott last night, 2-0, but they scored so late in the contest I thought they were going to have to settle for a tie.  Endicott did have a sequence in the game where they had multiple point blank shot at the net from around the box, but the goalie and defense repelled them.

This sets up a big weekend for Midd with games on Saturday and Sunday against Amherst and Wesleyan respectively.

[EnmoreCat]

The Twain House is really great! You won't be disappointed if you have never gone there.

Thanks Sierra, I will report back my findings.

[MediumTime]

We'll certainly know more after this weekend of league play... Midd has a conference double header weekend and an undefeated tilt (although it may not be that way on Sunday) against Wesleyan.

Also, an all home match weekend against easily their toughest opponent so far in Midd and another slippery match against Bates the day before will show how accurately the 4-0-1 record reflects Wesleyan's level.

Nevertheless, after what I've seen so far here's my early season review for the 'Cac

Contenders
Tufts
Midd
Bowdoin
Amherst

Pretenders
Wesleyan
Williams
Conn
Bates

Not in the conversation
Hamilton
Trinity
Colby

I'm on the fence about Williams. Their win over Amherst, number of returners, and that I like what I've seen from Siebert as a coach the last few seasons makes me want to put them in the "Contenders" category. Although their loss to Hamilton, over reliance on Diffley, and the inconsistency in synchronization that comes with rotating players (especially in a high pressing system) makes them vulnerable and a "pretender" in my view.

[Newenglander]

We'll certainly know more after this weekend of league play... Midd has a conference double header weekend and an undefeated tilt (although it may not be that way on Sunday) against Wesleyan.

Also, an all home match weekend against easily their toughest opponent so far in Midd and another slippery match against Bates the day before will show how accurately the 4-0-1 record reflects Wesleyan's level.

Nevertheless, after what I've seen so far here's my early season review for the 'Cac

Contenders
Tufts
Midd
Bowdoin
Amherst

Pretenders
Wesleyan
Williams
Conn
Bates

Not in the conversation
Hamilton
Trinity
Colby

I'm on the fence about Williams. Their win over Amherst, number of returners, and that I like what I've seen from Siebert as a coach the last few seasons makes me want to put them in the "Contenders" category. Although their loss to Hamilton, over reliance on Diffley, and the inconsistency in synchronization that comes with rotating players (especially in a high pressing system) makes them vulnerable and a "pretender" in my view.

interesting - you see Conn play Bowdoin? Tufts? Controlled the entire Bowdoin game and can argue either team could have won the Tufts tilt......

[SimpleCoach]

We'll certainly know more after this weekend of league play... Midd has a conference double header weekend and an undefeated tilt (although it may not be that way on Sunday) against Wesleyan.

Also, an all home match weekend against easily their toughest opponent so far in Midd and another slippery match against Bates the day before will show how accurately the 4-0-1 record reflects Wesleyan's level.

Nevertheless, after what I've seen so far here's my early season review for the 'Cac

Contenders
Tufts
Midd
Bowdoin
Amherst

Pretenders
Wesleyan
Williams
Conn
Bates

Not in the conversation
Hamilton
Trinity
Colby

I'm on the fence about Williams. Their win over Amherst, number of returners, and that I like what I've seen from Siebert as a coach the last few seasons makes me want to put them in the "Contenders" category. Although their loss to Hamilton, over reliance on Diffley, and the inconsistency in synchronization that comes with rotating players (especially in a high pressing system) makes them vulnerable and a "pretender" in my view.

Sorry.  Noted an error so just correcting....

Contenders
Tufts
Midd
Bowdoin
Amherst

Pretenders
Wesleyan
Williams
Conn
Bates

Not in the conversation
Hamilton
Colby

Relegation Zone
Trinity

[EnmoreCat]

Amherst 1 Middlebury 1

The three games I have attended between the Mammoths and Panthers have been 1-1 draws, which I guess means absolutely nothing, other than to say the teams match up quite well.  Not for the first time this season, Amherst had the better of the first half, but without the goals to show for it.  Midd scrambled very well and needed to, as the white shirts regularly found their way past the defence.  Amherst did get one around ten minutes before half time, which on balance felt deserved, but possibly not properly representative of the game.

Second half, Amherst started okay, but then maybe just went into a collective shell, which gave Midd the opportunity to start to carry the ball inside the Mammoth's half.  The Panthers were looking quite dangerous and there were close calls, punctuated by some Amherst counter attacks, but without the second goal to kill things off. 8 minutes before time, the Dark Blue shirts got the Equalizer and it did feel like it was coming. In the end, Midd almost got a winner, which would have felt undeserved, but this game has the capacity to do this.

All up, it felt like a win to Midd and a loss to Amherst, given the deflating nature of the equaliser and begrudging credit to the Panthers for hanging in there. It was great to see some impressive freshmen for Amherst today and a number are already making strong contributions.  Personally, it was fantastic to be back at the billiard table that is Hitchcock Field and just generally revel in a North East Fall.

The visit to Mark Twain House was spectacular and I can strongly recommend.

Foul Count: Amherst 14 Middlebury 6