NESCAC

[SierraFD3soccer]

Tufts/Bowdoin in OT?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WJuNJzXevI

[Scot_Fan]

Is it a real NESCAC tourney if the top seeds don't lose in pens?

[SierraFD3soccer]

Upset city.

Great for Bowdoin and Conn College. Amherst and Tufts get a two week break! Pks are tough. Both gks in the Bowdoin/Tufts made some great pk saves.

[Bucket]

See ya'll in Vermont next weekend.

[PaulNewman]

I was impressed by the NESCAC matches today especially in terms of level of competitiveness.  It is amazing to have 8-9 teams that good.  Three go to OT and two to PKs.  I thought Amherst looked great and Conn was good.  Niall Murphy has been a good player for Amherst since the early 1990s..really good player, and Nuhu is truly dynamic.  Tufts vs Bowdoin was fun to watch, and Bowdoin has to be pretty good earning two draws against Tufts within a week.  And even though this point is well-documented I feel compelled to comment on how outstanding the GKs in the NESCAC.  NESCAC obviously has a ton of talent but the GK talent might be the highest.

[SierraFD3soccer]

I was impressed by the NESCAC matches today especially in terms of level of competitiveness.  It is amazing to have 8-9 teams that good.  Three go to OT and two to PKs.  I thought Amherst looked great and Conn was good.  Niall Murphy has been a good player for Amherst since the early 1990s..really good player, and Nuhu is truly dynamic.  Tufts vs Bowdoin was fun to watch, and Bowdoin has to be pretty good earning two draws against Tufts within a week.  And even though this point is well-documented I feel compelled to comment on how outstanding the GKs in the NESCAC.  NESCAC obviously has a ton of talent but the GK talent might be the highest.

Definitely agree as to the Tufts Bowdoin keepers! Lights out. Could not really tell on the Amherst game. I thought the pk takers were not good leading  to ok saves.

[PolarBearMom]

Very proud of the Polar Bears!  In 2019, 2021 and 2023 the Polar Bears season ended against Tufts at Bellow Field.  Last year was especially painful because Bowdoin was the better team the last game of the season, despite losing and then lost again a few days later at Bellow after not having practiced that week due to the tragedy in Lewiston.  The 2-2 tie on Tuesday this week gave the team confidence.  Today they played with energy and skill. Alex Ainsworth really stood out, but a true team effort.  On to Middlebury!

[Camelparent]

As a fan it's stressful, but Conn winning the past 7 pk shootouts is a testament to conns players under pressure.

[Newenglander]

As a fan it's stressful, but Conn winning the past 7 pk shootouts is a testament to conns players under pressure.

yes - Peter Silvester makes it look easy....

[EnmoreCat]

Connecticut College 1 Amherst 1 (CC progresses after penalties)

A belated update from me.  NESCAC scheduling clearly hasn't caught up with the requirements of its southern hemisphere audience and waking up at 3.30am on Sunday morning in Canberra (three hours drive south of downtown Enmore) and watching it on my phone was less than ideal.  I don't actually have that much to say, but I have read PN's comment a few times and unless I am missing a nuance or hidden meaning and also, knowing the Murphy family, I am pretty sure Niall hasn't been playing for the Mammoths since the 1990s, but perhaps it was an attempt to describe a type of player.

I said previously that Conn was easily the best sixth placed conference team in the country and the game was as typical a NESCAC tug-of-war as I have seen between two capable groups.  Both teams had chances to get beyond the single goal and I wasn't completely surprised it went to penalties.  From the perspective of those with purple in their hearts, to take the lead in the shoot out and then give it up, is of course, disappointing, but in the search for a silver lining, a week off may not be the worst thing in the world for this group, but the preference is always to play.  Aside from offering Conn begrudging congratulations, I have to say, I do like their shirts.  It's not a topic I see opined about at all in these forums (aside from me I think), but I do think they are very stylish. 

Foul Count: CC 15 Amherst 15

[MunnyTim]

Long time reader, first time poster.  Was in person at Amherst yesterday and took in the game first-hand.  Just a handful of thoughts.

Player of the game - Silvester.  And not for the obvious reason (his two saves in the penalties).  He made two or three key saves (one or two specifically on Nuhu) in the first 20 minutes that allowed the Camels to level the field.  Surviving the first 25 minutes is always key against Amherst - with as big, physical, and high pressing they are.

Nuhu - Definitely the real deal.  The rest of the NESCAC has to deal with him for another two years.  Very nearly won it very late in regulation with a shot from just outside the box that forced Silvester into a very strong save.

While the foul count was even, I think a better indicator of the game was the yellow card count:  Amherst - 4, Camels - 1. 

PN - It DOES seem like Niall Murphy has been around since the 1990's.  The rest of the NESCAC is looking forward to him graduating and not having to face him.

EnmoreKitten - Heck of a player.  The rest of the NESCAC is also looking forward to him graduating and not manning the back line for the Mammoths.

[PaulNewman]

Long time reader, first time poster.  Was in person at Amherst yesterday and took in the game first-hand.  Just a handful of thoughts.

Player of the game - Silvester.  And not for the obvious reason (his two saves in the penalties).  He made two or three key saves (one or two specifically on Nuhu) in the first 20 minutes that allowed the Camels to level the field.  Surviving the first 25 minutes is always key against Amherst - with as big, physical, and high pressing they are.

Nuhu - Definitely the real deal.  The rest of the NESCAC has to deal with him for another two years.  Very nearly won it very late in regulation with a shot from just outside the box that forced Silvester into a very strong save.

While the foul count was even, I think a better indicator of the game was the yellow card count:  Amherst - 4, Camels - 1. 

PN - It DOES seem like Niall Murphy has been around since the 1990's.  The rest of the NESCAC is looking forward to him graduating and not having to face him.

EnmoreKitten - Heck of a player.  The rest of the NESCAC is also looking forward to him graduating and not manning the back line for the Mammoths.

Excellent post.  Always nice when someone has some interesting observations and opinions that don't come across as very partisan.

Glad someone got the joke about Murphy.  I checked because I would have guessed he was a frosh in 2018 or 2019.  I was shocked to see Cubbedu still on the roster.  He DID start his Amherst career in 2019 and had the famous 2021 goal in the national semis against Chicago.  Tough career with injuries and I assume injuries are the reason he only played like 21 minutes in one game...and basically the same for ten Cate.  Saw some good sportsmanship from Kitten too.  I had never seen Raymond out there before.  He and Curtis are another couple of very large men.  Impressive that Serpone gets some of those guys who have not played a ton to stay committed all the way through their senior years.

[MunnyTim]

For the record, I am most certainly partisan, but work to keep that stuff out of public commentary.

That being said, as a NESCAC partisan (you can now guess for whom), I am looking forward to the day when #7 is not on the pitch for the Mammoths.  Incredibly good player.  May fly a bit below the radar, but players like him are critical to successful programs.

[eaglesoccerdad]

I agree with previous posts about #7
He stood out to me as very talented when UMW played them in 2022. I also recall thinking that as skilled as he obviously was that his behavior could be boorish at times. Maybe he has matured since then

[eaglesoccerdad]

I agree with previous posts about #7
He stood out to me as very talented when UMW played them in 2022. I also recall thinking that as skilled as he obviously was that his behavior could be boorish at times