NESCAC

[SierraFD3soccer]

Really glad you liked the Mark Twain House! Very cool place. Don't build them like that anymore.

[Bucket]

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

Nice recap. Reflects what I saw online.

Enjoy the rest of your visit and safe travels afterward.

[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

Nice recap. Reflects what I saw online.

Enjoy the rest of your visit and safe travels afterward.

Thanks Bucket, appreciate it.

[SKUD]

I agree nice recaps Enmore.

[SierraFD3soccer]

FYI, Middlebury goal scorer, Hugo, is F&M's Oscar Horwitz's little brother who is a sophomore.  Oscar did outshine his brother last night with 2 goals. Not to many times can you point to a day when brothers score goals on the same day.

[PolarBearMom]

Long time reader, first time poster. While acknowledging good games this weekend, I want to defy the emphasis on the "four horsemen" per Paul Newman and show some attention to the Bowdoin Polar Bears in anticipation of their Tuesday match against Bates.

After a rocky start against what should have been an easy opponent in UNE, the Bears have started to gel. Strong defensive showing against Conn, where the Bears showed they were comfortable playing for extensive periods in their own end. Coming into the season I was worried about defense due to the loss of some key players so was heartened to see that performance. The win against Wheaton was convincing. The Bears controlled possession most of the game. Tyler Huck has come back into full form this year to score the winning goal against a non-conference team. I don't read too much into the earlier posts about the Bobcats as they always play the Bears tough. Hopeful for a decisive win.

[EnmoreCat]

Welcome aboard PolarBearMom, always nice to have NESCAC correspondents updating.  As an aside, I know it's early, but currently, Massey has the Polar Bears, Panthers, Jumbos and 🦣 in its top seven.

[northman]

Yes, welcome aboard PolarBearMom.  I'm a former Polar Bear dad who now lives in Brunswick and follows the team.

On paper, Bowdoin should be highly competitive in the NESCAC this year.  They did indeed lose all-NESCAC players in midfielder Juantorena and center back Jack Selig...but everyone else is back.  As you indicated, Tyler Huck is a highly intelligent and skilled player, and a difference maker.  One of the keys will be whether or not Rueda Duran gets into the scoring groove he discovered last year.  He hasn't found the net yet in five games.

The game at Bates tomorrow evening should be fun.  Bates's new coach is Ben Brewster, who played next to my son on Bowdoin's back line when they went to the Final Four back in 2010.  Ben is a great young man and has some solid coaching experience, having recently served as associate head coach at D1 UMass.

It's shaping up to be a fun and highly competitive NESCAC season.  Middlebury, Tufts, Amherst and Conn are obvious favorites.  But Bowdoin, and even Williams, will be very much in the picture for the top four in the conference.

[flyingdutchman]

Thoughts on NESCAC week..

Middlebury vs Amherst: As expected, it was a close battle between two heavyweights. Amherst looked stronger, especially playing at home on their grass field, which can be challenging for Middlebury, a team more accustomed to turf. Credit to Middlebury for securing the equalizer in a moment that must sting for Amherst and could prove decisive in the final standings. The goal came from a well-placed cross and finish, and Middlebury nearly stole the win at the end. Both teams featured freshmen, which is uncommon in such high-stakes games—Amherst had three freshmen in the starting lineup.

Tufts vs Hamilton: This game was effectively decided within the first five minutes. Tufts came out strong, scoring early, and with their defense in top form, Hamilton never really posed a threat. Tufts added some quality second-half goals to secure a convincing road win in upstate New York. Liam Gerken had a good game, and it looks like the graduate student is now finding the back of the net more consistently than in previous seasons.

Conn vs Colby: Conn might be one of the most technically proficient teams in the NESCAC. Colby struggled to get into the game, as Conn remained well-organized and difficult to break down. If Conn aims to contend for the NESCAC title, they'll need to win key matchups against the top teams. It was great to see Scoffone return to the scoresheet for the Camels.

Trinity vs Williams: This one came down to the wire, with Williams finally edging out an uninspired Trinity team. Credit to Trinity for holding out as long as they did, but it felt like the goal was inevitable. The penalty decision seemed like the right call. Trinity may struggle to score a goal all season in the NESCAC. Williams, on the other hand, is hard to gauge—they nearly earned a result against Tufts, beat Amherst, lost to Hamilton, and barely scraped by Trinity. They seem like a young team still finding consistency.

Wesleyan vs Bates and vs Middlebury: Wesleyan started the season strongly, but the tie against Bates is one they'll regret. Wesleyan looked like the better team, but they couldn't capitalize on their chances. They aim to control possession and build off that to create opportunities, which almost paid off against Middlebury on Sunday, where the game swung back and forth. Credit to Middlebury for finding a late result in a tight contest. A single point from their doubleheader weekend isn't ideal for Wesleyan's hopes of breaking into the NESCAC's elite.

[Freddyfud]

Just watched the end of the Bates Bowdoin game.  Bates wins 1-0 on a header with less than 2 minutes left.

[EnmoreCat]

Babson 1 Amherst 1

Firstly, a chance for me and SOEK to meet Skud today, who had access to some very nice potato crisps, amongst other things on what was a quite spectacular Fall Day at Hartwell-Rogers Field.  I've had the good fortune to attend a game there back in 2022 and it continues to be a superb place to watch at. 

Coach made some positional alterations and Amherst started the better and for the first half was in the ascendancy.  Unfortunately, for those with purple in their hearts it was a frustrating one where dominance didn't translate into goals, a recurring theme in 2024 thus far.  Overall, the game corner count of 10-0 in favour of the Mammoths served as a decent guide to the overall flow of the game.

In the second half, Amherst hit the post and it did to me at least and clearly incorrectly as it turned out,  feel that we were about to take the lead. Instead, with ten minutes to go, a Babson move down the left resulted in a goal mouth scramble where the end result was a penalty. I couldn't tell from where I was sitting, whether it was warranted, so can't comment, but it was given.  The Mammoths freshman keeper saved it, but the rebound was dispatched and so the Beavers took the lead.  I can't say the lead was deserved, but the Beavers had done well to hang in there and take advantage of their opportunity when it came. 

Amherst came on strong as you would expect and with under seven minutes to go, a well hit free kick was flicked on and eventually finished to make it 1-1.  That felt like the bare minimum Amherst deserved.  There was a subsequent moment where the Mammoths could have been awarded a penalty, but the referee waved it away.  It may have been harsh to give it, but as they say, "I've seen them given".  The relief of the equaliser didn't really offset what was another disappointing result and for those with purple in their hearts, we now look to Maine this weekend as a chance to kick start the season. I would guess actual goals to be considerably lower than xG and it would be great if the former jaw could start to lift ASAP.

Babson are now apparently undefeated in eighteen regular season games dating back to 2023 and are a well-organized team that displayed some impressive quick passing in midfield.  I'd expect they will be at the pointy end of the NEWMAC.

Foul Count: Babson 13 Amherst 19

[CACDaddy]

Bates 1 - Bowdoin 0

It was a tense rivalry game where both teams were desperately looking for 3 points. Bowdoin was pressing offensively for most of the first half, holding a 6-1 advantage in the shots column before heading in for the break. However, despite the shots advantage, the Polar Bears struggled to piece together productive possessions and didn't really threaten to score in the first 45.

The second half was much more evenly matched, although both teams struggled to piece together possessions. Bowdoin began to really threaten with ~15 minutes left. Rueda Duran hit one just barely over the bar that, had it been on target, would have been a really difficult save for the Bobcat keeper. Huck had a low driven shot with ~5 minutes on the clock that Pacelli was just out of position for; would've been a tap in. Ultimately though, Bowdoin has to put away these chances if they are going to compete for a NESCAC crown this year and, with just a minute left, Tife Agunloye, Bates' leading score lofted a desperate cross into the box that found the head of Sebastian Iacovitti to gives Bates the three points. Dropping this one hurts Bowdoin.

[nescac1]

Williams men's soccer is pretty crazy statistically through eight games (though of course the fact that only the younger two classes were recruited by the current coach makes them a bit less surprising):

Goals: 7 from FYs (all from Mitchell and Bethencourt), 3 from sophomores, 1 from a junior, zero from seniors
Assists: 6 from FYs, 2 from sophomores, zero from upperclassmen

Also, the starting lineup has accounted for only 3 out of 11 goals on the season.   

[EnmoreCat]

Bates 0 Amherst 1

It was Back To Bates Day today and the bleachers were full of Bobcat supporters in what really was a delightful fall day in Lewiston.  For the small contingent of Amherst Ultras the game couldn't have started much better, off a corner, the ball found its way to one of the sophomores who proceeded to hit a powerful drive from outside the area, making it 1-0.  For those with purple in their hearts, the hope was that this might be a catalyst for a Mammoths onslaught, but whilst they dominated possession, a second goal didn't eventuate.  What did however, was a period where the Bobcats looked dangerous in transition, with a few close calls on some enticing crosses.  The Bates keeper was fortunate to stay on the field after being the last man and bringing down one of the seniors when an open goal was gaping. 

Amherst started the second half better and played some of the best football I have seen whilst I have been visiting these United States.  The team kept the ball inside the Bates half with some attractive passing.  One such move led to a header that unfortunately hit the crossbar.  The Purple Shirts well and truly understand the precarious nature of 1-0 leads and the Bobcats did have one quite good chance which would have evened it up.  A one on one opportunity to make it 2-0 was spurned, but in the end it didn't matter and the Amherst Ultras could finally take a breathe.

All credit to Bates who have enjoyed a strong start to the season.  They definitely weren't easy to breakdown and looked menacing on the break.  As for the Mammoths, a win and a clean sheet are most welcome, but the game was perhaps made a little harder than it needed to be.  It is a run of four games undefeated now.

As an aside, I saw the Notre Dame/Clemson game on TV last night.  Whilst it was quite good to watch, all three goals in a 2-1 win to the Irish were on the back of mistakes.  The passing could be quite crisp and whilst the ball moves quickly, I would expect that any of the teams I saw last year in the FF in Roanoke would be competitive against them, after an adjustment.

Foul Count: Bates 9 Amherst 17

[EnmoreCat]

Colby 0 Amherst 1

I'm not sure I will return to Maine in my lifetime, but I am confident that the memories of the spectacular backdrop to Colby's Mark R. Serdjenian Field will not quickly pass.  The bleachers there offer a tremendous view of the field and it was a pleasure to watch.

I had already, by complete accident, had the opportunity to share breakfast with the team at the rustic Fireside Inn, where the sleep was much quieter than downtown Enmore.  I did sense a steely focus in the group and it was clear from the start that the white shirts were switched on.  The Mules attempted to play the ball out from the back, with mixed results and it did allow Amherst to take control of the game.  Just before the 20th minute, the end result from an attractive passing sequence was a careful strike from one of the seniors.  It was no more than the Mammoths deserved and now the question was whether or not a second goal could be found.  I won't drag things out, it didn't happen, despite numerous shots being taken, with some good saves by the Colby keeper.

Not for the first time this year, the lack of a second goal meant that the Blue Shirts (they are great looking shirts by the way) stayed in the game.  They did look dangerous on set pieces with some impressive deliveries and the Amherst keeper made one particularly solid save off a free kick.  The Mammoths were pushing for a second goal, which would have been wonderful for the hearts of those with purple in their hearts, but couldn't quite create the right opening.  Ultimately, it ended up being similar to the previous day against Bates, where we probably made it a little harder than we needed to.

Taking a step back, at the halfway mark in conference, Amherst is fourth and from this correspondent's perspective, still yet to produce a full game performance, which keeps the door open for a higher position in the standings, when things start to click.  Whilst the Mammoths are definitely underperforming xG, the encouraging news for this father of a central defender is that Amherst has only conceded three goals.  At the same time last year, it was seven.  It was also the first time since 2019 that Amherst has taken 6 points from this double header in what is aptly described as The Pine Tree State.

I thought Colby persevered in the face of Amherst pressure and they have a couple of players who are comfortable on the ball in midfield and capable of effective transition.  I understand it has been tough for them in conference so far, but I don't think they are far away from a result and with a bit of luck it will be at the expense of one of Amherst's close rivals.

Finally, I do need to mention the referee who was an exponent of the less-than-fine art of dramatic whistling.  To this uneducated ear it appeared to be only when Amherst committed a foul and it's possible that an itinerant Australian attendee at the game implored him to also dramatically whistle when the Mules fouled, but he resisted that temptation.

Foul Count: Colby 5 Amherst 16 (not the most fouls from a NESCAC team this weekend, the leader was 20).