Let a New Era Begin

[Saint of Old]

Assuming we are not at the end times (which might still be premature), I think we are now in the midst of a Seismic change in National D3 football. I have said somewhere before that the Joshua (Shapiro)  who took Tufts to the promise land is right at the top of coaching elite history.
There was really nothing more he could do.
All Coaches who are in his class have done three things:
1. Build a program from nothing and climb the mountain.
2. Maintain success
3. Leave the program in a place where your successor simply has to rinse and repeat.

That being said, he earned his move and it seems as though Tufts has signaled its desire to continue that success by the replacement they chose. A young coach from a competitive league who has had an amazing past 2 seasons.

This move ofcoarse has shaken up the National and Regional changes.
Tufts is automatically no longer the favorite to win a title. They are however still in the top 6 or so teams who could win a title.
Amherst is now very happy because an opportunity is now open to reclaim regional and national dominance.

As for the Liberty League, Ithaca is still in a good position, no other team in the league besides RPI and perhaps Hobart  is in a position to mount a challenge to the Bombers right now.

Harvard got a steal.

In any event, I would argue that this latest period of dominance by Tufts is comparable to anything that has ever been done before.
I think that they are equal to what the amazing men in PA did simply because even though they "only" won 4 titles, I can never recall them EVER losing a big game.
Also Messiah even before they broke through and won a title in 00, were always a very very good team way before then with a strong alumni base, but these Tufts guys  came out of no where like magicians, and then all of a sudden they won that Elite 8 game dethroned Messiah and just never took their foot off the gas.

What a legacy!!!

[d4_Pace]

Saint an awesome post and first I want to thank you for that. I think you are right that this is going to create an opening for a lot of teams moving forward. Amherst has to be a big big favorite next year. They are returning someone thats gonna finish as one of the top 5 Nescac players of all time at he most important position on the field. Secondly they really don't lose a ton to graduation a couple of important glue guys sure but no one that is irreplaceable. 

Next you know that usual suspects calvin, messiah, chicago etc are going to be looking to finally knock tufts off the perch.

And unfortunately Saint we did lose one big game and it happened to end my career against brandeis with 1:06 left in double OT in the 2017 elite 8.

[Saint of Old]

I stand corrected.
Seems to have been the only big one and from what I can remember, that was quite the Brandies team.
That win perhaps took a bit too much out of them and might have stopped them climbing the hill.

On another more personal note.
I feel your pain my friend, I do not think (remember this is from a personal point of view) there is anything more painful in football than winning a title your junior year and coming just short of repeating as a senior.
It takes a very long time to get over that last game (if we ever do).

Good news is you were part of a great foundation laid down by the Tufts boys.

The trick is that when you build something big, you deserve credit for a few other rings down the road as well

[PaulNewman]

Sorry...feeling a little run over by the Tufts media industrial complex lol...and gotta hold on to something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRHt3H4tLK8

P.S.  Thoroughly agree with Saint of Old.  A remarkable, unprecedented run by Shapiro and his players.  I'm afraid we won't see the next chapter of the Tufts story until Fall, 2021.

P.S.S.  I'm sure this post will earn me another look at a certain Majumder Elite 8 GW in 2016. so I'll just go ahead and post it now.

https://www.facebook.com/TuftsAthletics/videos/watch-nate-majumder-score-the-game-winning-goal-for-the-tufts-mens-soccer-team-i/1461637993863981/