NESCAC

[Hopkins Walk-On]

After handling Franklin and Marshall, lets head to Mary Washington (another two-name school that will end next weekend with less wins than names).

GO CAMELS

Fewer

[soccerpapa]

A general question for some of you all who know more about the nescac than I... what makes the nescac so elite, what makes the programs tick, what makes them just that much better than the rest?

I mean you see the numbers on paper of teams qualifying, especially with this years NPI ratings.

For those of you who watch a ton of d3 soccer what makes this conference just that much better than the rest.

This 1000% a posting based upon genuine curiosity with no nescac hate or hate towards any other program/conference. Thanks

Self sorting mostly.  NESCACs are very high quality academic institutions which in turns attracts a lot of of the top student athletes.  A lot of the top soccer players in the country play for NEPSAC boarding schools which are in the heart of NESCAC country so they can also easily recruit the best players in their backyards. 

A lot of the top soccer players in the country that can afford to attend expensive schools, have played for academy teams, can afford to travel and be seen......so yes the top soccer players in a subset of soccer players in the country. 

[rdanie03]

Was anyone at the Tufts games this weekend?

I was on the mic. Both games were the epitome of the Dezotell Era. Dominant play but a horrid inability to find the back of the net.

[Another Mom]

^^Many teams have this problem!

[SierraFD3soccer]

Was anyone at the Tufts games this weekend?

I was on the mic. Both games were the epitome of the Dezotell Era. Dominant play but a horrid inability to find the back of the net.

Also tough when the other team has a hot keeper.

[SKUD]

http://tuftsjumbocast.com/roster/riley-daniel

[stlawus]

It's likely just confirmation bias on my own part, but I'm not shocked to see these Tufts results given comments made by the coach in a SC interview a couple years ago that bothered me more than they should have.  He's seemingly boxed himself in with his recruiting tactics.  "We only recruit from MLS Next and ECNL".  Yes there are good players in those club leagues, but in a club soccer landscape that is notoriously inequitable for talent in terms of socioeconomic factors you're willingly shrinking your recruiting pool for absolutely 0 reason.  Especially since a program like Tufts likely has a very high yield rate on recruits.  Look no further than yesterday's result.  Buff State's roster is full of in state high school talent along with JuCo transfers and the odd low major d1/d2 transfer.  It's quite an eclectic mix of player backgrounds.  Does this mean these players had the academic profile to go to Tufts? Of course not, but when you're having the same finishing problems year in year out you'd think maybe a change or two in recruiting for one cycle would be worth trying. 

[Bucket]

Was anyone at the Tufts games this weekend?

I was on the mic. Both games were the epitome of the Dezotell Era. Dominant play but a horrid inability to find the back of the net.

And Kyle was such a dynamic scorer as a player. Can't imagine how frustrating this must be for him.

[Newenglander]

It's likely just confirmation bias on my own part, but I'm not shocked to see these Tufts results given comments made by the coach in a SC interview a couple years ago that bothered me more than they should have.  He's seemingly boxed himself in with his recruiting tactics.  "We only recruit from MLS Next and ECNL".  Yes there are good players in those club leagues, but in a club soccer landscape that is notoriously inequitable for talent in terms of socioeconomic factors you're willingly shrinking your recruiting pool for absolutely 0 reason.  Especially since a program like Tufts likely has a very high yield rate on recruits.  Look no further than yesterday's result.  Buff State's roster is full of in state high school talent along with JuCo transfers and the odd low major d1/d2 transfer.  It's quite an eclectic mix of player backgrounds.  Does this mean these players had the academic profile to go to Tufts? Of course not, but when you're having the same finishing problems year in year out you'd think maybe a change or two in recruiting for one cycle would be worth trying. 

Fair post but some of this is also the academic rigor for a school like Tufts - I'm definitely not saying there aren't students outside of MLS Next and ECNL (which I believe he said he TENDS to recruit from in terms of which events he attends) but its also about building a network and familiarity with coaches and programs that may do some of that vetting in terms of having an understanding which student athletes may be the best balance of talent and ability to make it through the admissions process. It seems like NESCAC coaches have less sway than some other schools when it comes to working with admissions.

[PaulNewman]

The Tufts angst imo is overdone.  Dezotell by recent Tufts standards has had some tough luck, but they've made the tournament, and usually as a very high seed.  He's been to an Elite 8.  They were a top 4 seed THIS year and at times were #1 or #2 in NPI.

And.....this year, Tufts is STILL undefeated.

[FanofNescac]

I feel like the Tufts era of utter-dominance is over under Dezotell.

The best season was his first season (2021) when they were being carried by the super seniors (aroh, paoletta, daly, van brewer). Since then, they have been disappointing. They will always be able to recruit top players because of the history of success, academics, etc. The standard would be a Final 4 every four seasons and that hasn't happened.

This standard is not the case for other schools. I'm talking about athletic/academic power houses who have won multiple national titles

[PaulNewman]

I feel like the Tufts era of utter-dominance is over under Dezotell.

The best season was his first season (2021) when they were being carried by the super seniors (aroh, paoletta, daly, van brewer). Since then, they have been disappointing. They will always be able to recruit top players because of the history of success, academics, etc. The standard would be a Final 4 every four seasons and that hasn't happened.

This standard is not the case for other schools. I'm talking about athletic/academic power houses who have won multiple national titles

This feels understandable as a supporter but a little premature.  They've done well.  Just not Final Four every other year well.  And you never know.  What if Tufts gets to two F4s in the next three years?  They were seeded to get to the F4.  If PKs go the other way, your vibe on the Dezotell era might be very different.

Feels like the landscape has shifted....and hopefully (for most fans) we're beyond the dynasty stuff.  Tufts had the run after Messiah.  Chicago I would say flirted with becoming dynastic.  Amherst is always sitting right there, and will continue to be right there I'm sure.  But overall, seems like things have opened up.  Which is not to say there aren't at any given time 6-8 schools in the midst of a very good run (W&L, Calvin, MW, Hopkins, Williams, Conn Coll, Midd, Trinity, Kenyon, etc).  And making a F4 in recent years?  How about Centre, Wash Coll, Stevens, St Olaf

[Hopkins92]

The bottom line is that it's unrealistic to expect getting to the Final 4 every 4 years. November Madness is incredibly fluky. There are too many ways a tournament can turn on a dime and you run into a stout, gutsy team (Buff St) that puts you in a Golden Goal/PK situation that is pretty much just a coin toss.

[PaulNewman]

Followup on the Tufts/Dezotell comments in the immediate aftermath of Tufts getting knocked out.  I am no fan of Tufts, but....

Since leaving Tufts and taking the Harvard job, Shapiro has gone 8-5-3; 9-4-4; 5-5-7; and this year 4-7-4. Lost to UVM 5-0 and Stonehill 2-1. No NCAA appearances and no Ivy titles (as yet).

[Hopkins92]

I've learned our brains work differently. What's your take away from those results?