NESCAC 2014

[Ocean 1]

just saw the D3 NCAA selections and placement...all I can say is WOW did Conn get hosed.  At 15-2-1 (PK win over Williams is considered a tie) not only they don't get to host a playoff game, but they also have to travel to NJ and likely meet 16-1-2 Montclaire State on their home field in game #2 if they advance.   Yet somehow MIT at 14-4-2 gets to stay home and host, and to boot Bowdoin (who they just beat on a neutral field) gets to stay in New England.  Unbelievable.  They were ranked 2nd in the Region two weeks ago and all they did was win their last 4 games and they get dropped down to #5 when they beat two teams ranked above them (and Williams on their home field).  Utterly head scratching given their season and who they have beaten.

A couple of observations:

If a game ends in a tie after 2 OT's, the game ends in a tie. PK's are used in championship formats where the winning team advances in the championship but a tie in regular time is still recorded as a tie for team record purposes.

From the intel gleaned out there, apparently conference championships are not weighted very heavily in the NCAA tournament seedings. The logic seems to be that 1 or 2 games only represent ~10% of the schedule at the high end and teams are not penalized much if at all for the results. The real prize (like for Conn) was the conference championship, the automatic qualifier status...and I'd think some personal vindication over Williams and Bowdoin.

What really matters for the NCAA seedings appears to be the series of 3 NCAA Regional rankings over the last 3 weeks of the regular season which I believe incorporate win-loss record and strength of schedule. In this case, the final New England ranking had Williams, MIT, Brandeis, Bowdoin and Conn appearing in that order as #'s 1-5.

As a result, the top 2 New England seeds...Williams and MIT are hosting, Brandeis travels to PA, Bowdoin travels to MA and Conn travels to NJ.

Hats off to Conn for a terrific NESCAC season...let's see if the momentum can continue on the national stage. BTW, I think Conn gets by Swarthmore to meet Montclair State in the 2nd Round.

[Becks]

Story of the year has to be Conn. Greatest Cinderella in NESCAC history.

Last year they didn't even qualify for the NESCAC tourney and this year they won it. That has never happened before. Here's where NESCAC tourney champs had ended in the standings the prior year.

Year of championship, team, finish prior year
2014 - Conn - 8
2013 - Middlebury - 1
2012 - Williams - 2
2011 - Amherst - 2
2010 - Williams - 1
2009 - Williams - 1
2008 - Williams - 1
2007 - Williams - 4
2006 - Middlebury - 6
2005 - Bates - 4
2004 - Williams - 3
2003 - Amherst - 4
2002 - Tufts - 6
2001 - Amherst - 4
2000 - Middlebury - NA

Conn joins Bates and Tufts as the only teams to win the tourney besides Williams(6), Amherst(3) and Middlebury(3).

[All NESCAC]

Story of the year has to be Conn. Greatest Cinderella in NESCAC history.

Last year they didn't even qualify for the NESCAC tourney and this year they won it. That has never happened before. Here's where NESCAC tourney champs had ended in the standings the prior year.

Year of championship, team, finish prior year
2014 - Conn - 8
2013 - Middlebury - 1
2012 - Williams - 2
2011 - Amherst - 2
2010 - Williams - 1
2009 - Williams - 1
2008 - Williams - 1
2007 - Williams - 4
2006 - Middlebury - 6
2005 - Bates - 4
2004 - Williams - 3
2003 - Amherst - 4
2002 - Tufts - 6
2001 - Amherst - 4
2000 - Middlebury - NA

Conn joins Bates and Tufts as the only teams to win the tourney besides Williams(6), Amherst(3) and Middlebury(3).

Becks...thank you for the research and stats, not just above but for the entire season.  Good luck to  all the remaining NESCAC teams heading into the NCAA's....hopefully 1 or 2 will make a deep run.

[amh63]

Amherst wins its first round game today 2-0.

[nescac1]

Congrats to the Ephs on making a second-straight Sweet 16.   Since they are the highest-ranked remaining team in their quarter (and I think the most geographically-central), fingers crossed they get to host -- Nice story here on Kristi Kirshe, who is absolutely in the zone right now, scoring seven of the Ephs' nine goals over their last four games. 

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20141116/SPORTS/141117113/11524/SPORTS

[Ocean 1]

Congrats to the Ephs on making a second-straight Sweet 16.   Since they are the highest-ranked remaining team in their quarter (and I think the most geographically-central), fingers crossed they get to host -- Nice story here on Kristi Kirshe, who is absolutely in the zone right now, scoring seven of the Ephs' nine goals over their last four games. 

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20141116/SPORTS/141117113/11524/SPORTS

Williams will indeed be hosting next weekend. Thanks for sharing the Kirshe story...terrific competitor!

[All NESCAC]

Go Lady EPHS!  Playing in Billsville is plus for the purple.

[Ocean 1]

Go Lady EPHS!  Playing in Billsville is plus for the purple.

No doubt...with a record of 22-0-1 when on Cole Field over the past 2 years, the Ephs do not lose! 

[nescac1]

Unbelievable game, unbelievable finish in Williamstown.  RWU definitely the best team Williams has played this season.  The game was dead even in all respects until about the last ten minutes -- possession, shots, scores, opportunities.  Roger Williams was right there toe-to-toe with the Ephs, and the teams looked very even; RWU impressively didn't get down after giving up two quick goals, and gamely battled back.  The difference was that the Ephs had a little more depth, which allowed them to be fresher towards the end, and finally, in the last 10 minutes, the Ephs started to consistently get the better of play.  The Ephs after several good opportunities finally broke through with a truly spectacular team goal with under a minute left -- RWU attacking, Magruder, playing in the back, knocks just an incredible volley over half the field right to Kirshe, who then controlled the ball and made a gorgeously timed pass to a running Thomas, who finished the play beautifully in the back corner of the goal with about 40 seconds remaining.

I can't imagine  you will ever see three better offensive players in D3 on the field at the same time as Mariah Kaiser (who scored one RWU goal, set up the other, and constantly menaced the Eph defense with her ability to use her speed to blow past players, yet stop on a dime and maintain control of the ball ... she is definitely the most dynamic offensive player the Ephs have faced this season and should be an all-American), Kirshe, and Thomas.  Thomas and Kirshe continued to be the dynamic duo for the Ephs, with Kirshe matching Kaiser's danger up front with a very different but equally effective style, and Thomas, as always, using her quickness and aggressiveness to be an opportunistic finisher and creator.  Kirshe's incredible NCAA tourney run continues, now with six goals and a crucial assist through three games.  Thomas is right there with her, with three goals and three assists.  Go Ephs and good luck tomorrow! 

There is no doubt, by the way, that if they stay healthy Kirshe and Thomas will be Williams' all time leaders in points and goals ... the only question is who will finish on top, and in which category. 

[nescac1]

Kirshe somehow was not credited with an assist on the game-winner, I see, which is crazy.  Nonetheless, a tremendous play by all three Ephs involved. 

[nescac1]

Perils of watching on a small fuzzy feed ... I guess Thomas hit the ball off a RWU player, it then deflected off Thomas again into the goal.  Didn't see that at all, thought it was clean.  Hence no assist.  Still a great all around play and given the many strong Eph attacks in the second half, including a Kirshe header off the post, a deserved win!

[nescac1]

Congrats to the Ephs, on to the Final Four!  Who else but the dynamic duo up front sealed the deal with a Kirshe pass to Thomas for an easy breakaway one-on-one finish.  Unlike yesterday's wide open game where the Ephs defense looked a bit shaky, TCNJ had VERY few opportunities of any kind, and the Ephs dominated most of the run of play until very late in the second half.  TCNJ only put three shots on goal, and almost all of their attempts were long-distance prayers.  TCNJ didn't have any single unusually dangerous attacking player, and the Ephs' defense was really stout.  Williams had a lot of good opportunities in the second half and could easily have added a second goal.  Great win for the Ephs, and hopefully they continue their run of fine play in the Final Four!  Johns Hopkins is up a goal late so it looks like the Ephs will have a chance for some payback against the squad that broke their hearts last year. Should be a great match-up. 

[Jump4Joy]

Back-to-back final four appearances by NESCAC in both men's and women's brackets. People need to stop claiming that NESCAC is not one of the best conferences in D3 soccer. It. Just. Is.

[All NESCAC]

Back-to-back final four appearances by NESCAC in both men's and women's brackets. People need to stop claiming that NESCAC is not one of the best conferences in D3 soccer. It. Just. Is.

Agreed. Congratulations Lady EPHS and Tufts men both onto Final 4.  Go NESCAC.

[nescac1]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Williams-JHU match-up?  JHU played a really tough non-conference schedule including Messiah and Lynchburg, so they are certainly battle-tested.  They also bring back all-American striker Kronick who scored the last-second game winner vs. the Ephs last year.  Hopefully Williams will have a plan to mark her tightly as elite strikers have caused some problems at times for the Eph backline this season.  On the plus side, Williams is clearly a much better team than the one who lost to Hopkins last year, especially offensively, as the Kirshe-Thomas duo were still learning at this point last year.  No one has been able to stop them so far this post season, and my hope is that two superstars up front is greater than one come Friday!