2014 Surprise Teams

[MidwestAficionado]

Appreciate you starting the thread MidwestAficionado.  Agree with your comment, but unfortunately since only 2 NESCAC teams made the D3 NCAA last year with about 5 others just missing out on the bubble you will get some NESCAC centric posts concerning Middlebury, Tufts, Conn, Trinity, Wesleyan and Bowdoin as they are all bringing back a number of returning starters and hoping to surprise in 2014 by making the NCAA's.  Hope others join in from outside the Northeast to provide commentary regarding possible surprise teams in 2014.

No worries, just saying the post above mine was solely about Amherst and Williams... as if we need to hear about them more! 

[FourMoreYears]

Appreciate you starting the thread MidwestAficionado.  Agree with your comment, but unfortunately since only 2 NESCAC teams made the D3 NCAA last year with about 5 others just missing out on the bubble you will get some NESCAC centric posts concerning Middlebury, Tufts, Conn, Trinity, Wesleyan and Bowdoin as they are all bringing back a number of returning starters and hoping to surprise in 2014 by making the NCAA's.  Hope others join in from outside the Northeast to provide commentary regarding possible surprise teams in 2014.

No worries, just saying the post above mine was solely about Amherst and Williams... as if we need to hear about them more! 

Even those of us in the NESCAC would agree.     Hopefully 2014 will be a competitive year and full of surprises.

[Firsttouch]

St. Lawrence returns with their entire squad minus one player

[Saint of Old]

There are quite a few surprise (more appropriately, up and coming) teams from the Liberty League I believe.

Skidmore was extremely unfortunate not to make the NCAAs last season.
They had a great season. Beat SLU at Home and made it to the Conference tournament Final.

Union is another good program, failed to make it to the dance after starting the year with an 11 game unbeaten streak... Barely  missed the Conference Tourney and therefore did not make the dance.

Vassar and RPI are both Up and Coming programs.
They Both made back to back NCAA appearances in '11 and '12.
Made the Four Team Conference Tourney last season and came up just short.

Additionally, U of R  is perhaps one more final four appearance from being considered a National Contender.
Coach Apple has done an amazing job with this program in the last 10 years. They consistently dance and dance well.

Plattsburgh and Brockport are always dangerous and capable of having terrific seasons.
Brockport is the first ever National Champion and play with the Pride that reflects that.

Plattsburgh is Coached by Chris Waterbury who is one of the most succesful coaches in NCAA History.
Last year was a good season for them, SUNYAC champs and an NCAA appearance.

Stevens is dangerous.
Along with Ohio Weslean last season, their 2nd round loss was the surprise of the Tourney.
If they are able to be anything close to last year, they could possible win a championship soon.

I think that there are about

[LaPaz]

Sounds like Amherst will be the prohibitive favorite yet again.  Who is the D-1 transfer?  Didn't realize Heo would be returning -- he must be around 25, considering he was originally in the class of 2012, so he will literally be a man among boys out there.  Adding Rico, Heo and a D-1 transfer to a team that already returns nearly all of its offense (much of which was generated by first-year players, who should improve) is pretty scary.  And Amherst has by far the best goalie in the league.  They lose several very good defenders but also have two really good frosh in the backfield who played a lot this past fall, so they will be fine there. 

If Williams can find a solid goalie (there are a few good candidates, 6'4 senior Andrew Bravo, rising sophomore Christian Alcorn, and incoming first-year Bobby Schneiderman), they should be significantly improved, as the Ephs really overachieved in the post-season, especially after losing two starting backs to injury late in the season.  The deep tourney run was great experience for a fairly young team. 

As noted having Rashid healthy all year will be a big difference, and the Rashid/Montenout/Moralles offensive trio really started to gel late in the season, and should be more dynamic after a year playing together.  All three are very creative players.  The Ephs desperately need at least one more big-time finisher to help that trio out; hopefully Grady can step up or an incoming recruit or two can emerge in that department because they are really thin up front with Kastner and Ushaina graduating, and the last few years they've struggled at times to score despite dominating possession. 

The Ephs will get Michael Madding, a key defensive midfielder, back from a season-long injury, as well as Burbank-Crump and Ritter back from season-ending injuries.  Thanks to guys having to step up for injured players, Williams is very big, experienced, versatile and incredibly deep in the back and at defensive midfield, with Seitz, Madding, Pierce, Ritter, Conder, Danilack, Dory, Grunman, Westling and Burbank-Crump all returning, and averaging about 6'2 as a group.  They could put some physically overpowering lineups out there.  One or two of those guys (Westling almost certainly, as he has played up in the past) will surely move up as there are more bodies than spots available, and they will be able to rotate a lot of fresh bodies in.  If the Ephs can find one more consistent goal scorer and get solid goalie play, they should be the biggest threat to Amherst yet again. 

Middlebury's great rising sophomore class should help them contend as well, although they did graduate some very good defenders.



No way Heo is playing next year. His frosh year was 2008..its 2014 and I believe there is a NCAA rule you have to play 4 in six years or something like that. I have not heard who the transfer is but most D1 transfers can be tricky. Midd's transfer from Seton Hall the past few years was a solid wingback but nothing special, certainly not able to change a game. Most transfers are transferring for a reason, usually not a positive one. As far as Williams goes you are right they GK situation is not a good one. Bravo is no starter and the other 2 have no experience. Madding a great player but after 3 ACL's you cannot count on him yet. The only real loss is Morrell and after the semi-final in San Antonio I am not so sure he is not replacable. User faded his last two years and Kastner suprised with 5 goals and his tenacious ball hunting they both can be replaced.

[LaPaz]

No way Heo is playing next year. His frosh year was 2008..its 2014 and I believe there is a NCAA rule you have to play 4 in six years or something like that. I have not heard who the transfer is but most D1 transfers can be tricky. Midd's transfer from Seton Hall the past few years was a solid wingback but nothing special, certainly not able to change a game. Most transfers are transferring for a reason, usually not a positive one. As far as Williams goes you are right they GK situation is not a good one. Bravo is no starter and the other 2 have no experience. Madding a great player but after 3 ACL's you cannot count on him yet. The only real loss is Morrell and after the semi-final in San Antonio I am not so sure he is not replacable. User faded his last two years and Kastner suprised with 5 goals and his tenacious ball hunting they both can be replaced.


SORRY WILL GO BACK TO MY NESCAC PAGE.....Liberty league I believe Hobart will improve but SLU def #1. Union schedules to many weak teams out of league to get any regional ranking help. Same goes for Plattsburgh

[lastguyoffthebench]

Will be interesting to see how E-town does in the Landmark this year...   Had a golden opportunity to get back to NCAAs after Lycoming knocked off Messiah in PKs.

[KICKIN95]

No way Heo is playing next year. His frosh year was 2008..its 2014 and I believe there is a NCAA rule you have to play 4 in six years or something like that. I have not heard who the transfer is but most D1 transfers can be tricky. Midd's transfer from Seton Hall the past few years was a solid wingback but nothing special, certainly not able to change a game. Most transfers are transferring for a reason, usually not a positive one. As far as Williams goes you are right they GK situation is not a good one. Bravo is no starter and the other 2 have no experience. Madding a great player but after 3 ACL's you cannot count on him yet. The only real loss is Morrell and after the semi-final in San Antonio I am not so sure he is not replacable. User faded his last two years and Kastner suprised with 5 goals and his tenacious ball hunting they both can be replaced.


SORRY WILL GO BACK TO MY NESCAC PAGE.....Liberty league I believe Hobart will improve but SLU def #1. Union schedules to many weak teams out of league to get any regional ranking help. Same goes for Plattsburgh

That rule doesn't apply to DIII athletes.  You can comeback 10 years later and play your final season as long as you are enrolled as a student and have an eligible year left.

[LaPaz]

Someone Prove this....I thought all NCAA rules applied for all divisions

[lastguyoffthebench]

I think the rule is... you are only eligible while enrolled for up to 10 semesters...

[gustiefan04]

Correct Lastguy...

[MidwestAficionado]

Someone Prove this....I thought all NCAA rules applied for all divisions

Here is a great example from the 2012 season... http://www.csidolphins.com/news/2012/8/29/MSOC_0829121203.aspx?path=msoc

"Nedgy Nazon, a Haitian native who last played at CSI in 1999, is returning to the team after an incredible 13 year absence.  The senior netted 15 goals in 15 games that year. "

You have 10 full time enrolled semesters to complete 4 seasons at Division III

[Saint of Old]

Crazy.
I played striker with this guy in High School.
It was Brooklyn Strikers in da house!
We went to different colleges obviously.
Was always a good player, who could score goals.
Also was the leading scorer in all of D3 in 1997.

If the wife would let us, myself and a few other has beens would gladly sit on the edge of the Saint Bench in '14.
Sadly no eligibility !!!

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Definitely unlike D-1 where the rule, I believe, is that once a student matriculates, he or she has five years of eligibility to complete four seasons of participation.  There are exemptions for medical (or other waiver) known as "red shirt" which allow limited participation in a given year without having that season count against the four years, and there is also the ability to petition the NCAA, for special circumstances (including medical), to extend the five-year eligibility.

[CAC2424]

In this particular case, Heo served two years in Korean army which is an exception across all divisions and all sports.  I'm pretty sure this is why he is allowed to play. 

One team I saw in NCAA's last year that I thought was a program on the upswing was MIT.  They played a great game vs. WNEC have some talented attackers.  One of the other parents was also talking about a few good recruits they have coming this fall,  Could they make a deep tourney run?