2016 NCAA Tournament

[Nutmeg]

Calvin is much more talented, but they need to convert and finish the game.

Not this game.....Congrats to the gritty Jumbos.....The  Jumbos depth was the key to their championship....

[letsGOswans!]

Could have told you Tufts would score the game winner off a set piece. Well done to the Jumbos. Shapiro is the best coach in D3 soccer. He knows he doesn't have a stand out player and that defense wins championships. Tufts just does not give up goals or even good opportunities. Crazy to think this is his second time doing this in the last 3 years! There is no chance anyone can think that this Jumbos team is better than the 2014 team in any aspect of the game.

Oh well doesn't matter, well done!

Congrats to the seniors who have now won 2 NCAA championships. That is remarkable!

[oldknight]

Tough loss for the Knights but a well executed corner by Tufts makes the Jumbos National Champs once again. Either team was a deserving champion. Kudos to Dave McHugh and Jeff Burns for providing an exceptionally well done broadcast. An easy to listen to pair of announcers who know the sport and were a pleasure to listen to.

[blooter442]

Congrats to the Jumbos. If I am correct, Tufts is the first NESCAC side to win the NCAA title more than once, as I believe Amherst, Midd., and Williams have one each.

[Domino1195]

Certainly wasn't the prettiest of soccer at times, but a well fought battlebetween both sides. Game could've really gone either way. I give major credit to both goalies for coming up with some big saves.

What's your son doing?  The Crew have a combine Sunday at Ohio Dominican - would love to see him on our back line!

Tomorrow - if Calvin dictates the game it will be fast and wide - they have ridiculous speed.  Tufts has size - if they dictate it will be a "half-court" game and they will most likely cash-in on a set piece.

Well we got both - Calvin effective getting the ball wide and using their speed and attacking skills; Tufts playing very physical but using their size on the set piece fit the winner. Tufts' Sullivan might consider rugby or pointy-ball in his future.

[calvin_grad]

Heartbreak.  Runners-up 3 of the last 8 years.  It's so hard just to get to the championship game.  One of these years.....

Thank you to the Calvin seniors.

[letsGOswans!]

A few more observations:

Calvin got behind Tufts plenty of times but they just were not committing enough numbers forward as others said. They should have had people in the box when their wingers drove byline to cut it back.

3 NCAA championships in a row for NESCAC teams. Lol that only 2 teams got bids this year. I PROMISE you that bowdoin and williams would have at least got to the second week of competition.

Calvin lacked quality on their left wing and striker position. Is that their normal striker? He got no change from Sullivan or Coleman.

Can't help but feel sorry for Messiah. I do think they were the best team this year.

[Nutmeg]

Could have told you Tufts would score the game winner off a set piece. Well done to the Jumbos. Shapiro is the best coach in D3 soccer. He knows he doesn't have a stand out player and that defense wins championships. Tufts just does not give up goals or even good opportunities. Crazy to think this is his second time doing this in the last 3 years! There is no chance anyone can think that this Jumbos team is better than the 2014 team in any aspect of the game.

Oh well doesn't matter, well done!

Congrats to the seniors who have now won 2 NCAA championships. That is remarkable!

Congrats to Shapiro! I don't like to compare the championship teams. Each is different and deserves credit. They had different styles... grit vs. extreme talent... both had great defense... the key and common denominator.. also, the NESCAC deserves some credit, given its highly competitive nature. Teams are battle tested all year... 3 champions in three years....

[d3fan1]

Congratulations to Tufts on the victory. Calvin was clearly the more skilled and technical team, but Tufts did not break and got a gritty win buy imposing physical play and gutted out a gritty win. Soccer is a game that doesn't always reward the most skilled team if you can't put together successful scoring combinations in the front third.

[blooter442]

Interestingly enough, despite not having as star-studded of a cast as the 2014 side, Tufts does graduate a significant amount of talent up the spine: Greenwood, Sullivan, Zach Halliday, Lawson, Majumder, and Becherano. However, they do have some good players coming back, so I'd imagine they'll be strong next year as well.

Fun fact: that was Kulscar's first career goal.

[PaulNewman]

Calvin deserved to win.  Brutal loss.

Seriously, congrats to you damn Tufts fans.  Too big, too much depth, too talented and athletic.  Shapiro is a great coach but also a great recruiter.  He just kept bringing in players off the bench, including players who had not played at all until rather late in the 2nd half.  Zinner scored two years ago in the first national title semi game and didn't get in until late.  He made a difference.  Tasker was huge on the left side, as was the kid from Hawaii.  Majumder pressured Calvin in a different, threatening way....such a wiry, slippery, strong and skilled player.  Just player and after player.  Kulscar scores....seems like they have about 10 guys just like him.  Tufts back line won almost every header and usually with a message.  Sent a message to Stark in the first 5 minutes that he was going nowhere today.  Greenwood is just a pure winner.  I give Shapiro credit for having some sense of when to go to certain guys even if they had not been in the rotation.  Did Jameson even play in the two Sectional games at Tufts?

Tip of the hat to Vegter who is a stud.  Van Dorne is superb but thought he also got tired.

[4samuy]

Congrats to Tufts!  Well done.  I've read a good amount about Majumber on these boards, but this was the first time I've seen him play.  Since I haven't seen him I'm hoping someone can give some insight on him.  It seemed to me that there were many more players on the pitch (on both sides) that had more of an impact on the game.  I would enjoy hearing anyone's thoughts.

[Mr.Right]

Congratulations to Tufts on the victory. Calvin was clearly the more skilled and technical team, but Tufts did not break and got a gritty win buy imposing physical play and gutted out a gritty win. Soccer is a game that doesn't always reward the most skilled team if you can't put together successful scoring combinations in the front third.

The Calvin team that beat Messiah was the more technical team...This weekends Calvin side did not look the same team...They looked gassed and unable to deal with physical play. I am nor sure where u are seeing they are a "way" more technical side today...The interesting thing is I remember remarking in that Messiah game how dit Calvin looked and how Messiah looked gassed...Not sure how that changed in 2 weeks...Shapiro win his 2nd in 3 years and Nescac their 3rd in a row...You would have to figure if Shapiro is to move on back to D1 this would be the time to do it...Mid 40's, Former D1 assistant at Georgetown, etc etc...IDK maybe he is happy in Boston...To think Ralph Ferrigno had this Tufts team as the absolute doormat in Nescac only 6-7 years ago.Amazing what a new coach can bring....Williams and Amherst have had more talented sides in the past but could never get 2 NCAA's and Tufts has so that is a big +...I just did not see this Tufts side anywhere near winning this title this year and didnt even think they would get out of the regular season...Shapiro recruits "heart" almost over talent but I can tell you atleast 4 of Tufts starters were passsed by by Williams and Amherst and he turns them into players...Hats off

[blooter442]

Congrats to Tufts!  Well done.  I've read a good amount about Majumber on these boards, but this was the first time I've seen him play.  Since I haven't seen him I'm hoping someone can give some insight on him.  It seemed to me that there many more players on the pitch (on both sides) that hamper of impact on the game.  I would enjoy hearing anyone's thoughts.

He is a very good player - physical, fast, and skilled. Can play both up top and out wide.  However I do think he was a bit overhyped at the start of last year because, after graduating a ton of offense of talent from the 2014 team, he was the one scoring most of the goals earlier in the year.  Perhaps some of that sentiment carried over into this year. He did have a good year last year but after a flying start he went quiet towards the end of last year, although he did score 2 goals in the tournament against Kenyon, and got a few big ones this year after being out injured, so he is definitely a clutch player. That said, if it sounds like he is overhyped, that is perhaps our own fault.

[Mr.Right]

Congrats to Tufts!  Well done.  I've read a good amount about Majumber on these boards, but this was the first time I've seen him play.  Since I haven't seen him I'm hoping someone can give some insight on him.  It seemed to me that there were many more players on the pitch (on both sides) that had more of an impact on the game.  I would enjoy hearing anyone's thoughts.

He was a local Williamstown kid that Russo desperately wanted at Williams. His father is a Williams professor and the kid just wanted to get out of town...Harvard took a look at him and were not interested , he ends up at Tufts and Russo calls Shapiro to tell him "hey give this kid a chance as he is a stud"...He went under the radar because he did not play club soccer I believe