2021 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[FBALLISLIFE]

Anyway, that may have been another incident.  Almost positive the one I'm referring to involved PLK, and vaguely recall being pretty hard on him on this site along with several others.

Peter Lee-Kramer had a re in a 2014 tie against Amherst.  Maybe that is it.

[PaulNewman]

RE:  Tufts-Brandeis 2014...Interesting that I was there to watch Brandeis, at a grass field I think somewhere in Boston that was Tufts' home field at the time (or part-time there and part-time at Bello?).  Anyway, I recall that Tufts did have a rep at that time of being quite talented (and maybe underachieving) and in some ways Tufts looked like the better team.  I recall Kayne being excellent and dangerous...recall a clever pass into space that almost put Majumder 1v1 with Woodhouse?  Woodside?  I recall Connor Brown and Robbie Lynch (one of the kids I knew along with Savonen) going at it down the right side.  I think #10 for Brandeis got the 2nd goal on a header for Brandeis to close the deal.  But there was definitely a sense that Tufts was gonna be a handful.  Viera maybe?  Kid with a headband?

Here you go...   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rq266q_G5Q

Goals by 4 (Zach Vieira) and 13 (Mike Lynch)    https://www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/boxscores/20140920_jr32.xml?tmpl=soxml-monospace-template

Oh gosh....abject humiliation.

The 2014 game was on Brandeis' turf field.  That doesn't work.

It was 2015!  I was confused because Savonen had graduated same year as my kid in '14 and Robbie Lynch was still playing because of an extra year allowed due to an injury year I think.  Blooter will remember the details.

Anyway, 2015 Brandeis won 1-0 at Tufts' Kraft Field in Somerville.....and Vieira scored the GW and at least I can say in 2015 he was #10!

[PaulNewman]

Anyway, that may have been another incident.  Almost positive the one I'm referring to involved PLK, and vaguely recall being pretty hard on him on this site along with several others.

Peter Lee-Kramer had a re in a 2014 tie against Amherst.  Maybe that is it.

Found it.  It was Bowdoin...10/29/14.  The ref missed it so he got away without any kind of card.  But there was talk about how the Bowdoin player could have been seriously injured and I think a video of the incident got passed around.

And he did NOT play the next 2 games...the QF loss to Conn Coll and the 1st round NCAA game versus Dickinson.  He returned for 2nd round game with Wheaton.  So possible Shapiro gave him a 2 game suspension OR entirety of NESCAC tournament but of course they lost first game there.  Anyway, that jives more with my memory, and an interesting event to happen literally on the cusp of the Tufts tournament run ending in 1st title.  Credit to Shapiro here assuming I'm right about a suspension (and/or I guess it's possible the conference got involved?).

[PaulNewman]

After beating Messiah I don't think the program has expected to lose a game since.

This is the tweet.  Says everything in one short, sweet sentence.

[jknezek]

Looking like a tough go for W&L today so far. First half down at Hampden-Sydney, 20 shots, 10 on goal, no scores. H-SC, no shots.

[jknezek]

Looking like a tough go for W&L today so far. First half down at Hampden-Sydney, 20 shots, 10 on goal, no scores. H-SC, no shots.

And a 2-0 win. 35 shots, 18 on goal. H-SC managed one shot. Taking cate of business is important!

[Another Mom]

While W&L totally dominated, they also looked sloppy I thought. But maybe I am too hard on them. Watching that game, I am not sure how they would fare against Tufts or Amherst. (There are other good teams besides those two, but I haven't watched them).

[jknezek]

While W&L totally dominated, they also looked sloppy I thought. But maybe I am too hard on them. Watching that game, I am not sure how they would fare against Tufts or Amherst. (There are other good teams besides those two, but I haven't watched them).

Could be. I didn't watch too much. A bit here and there and then the stat lines. But not all games will be the sharpest. I'd like to see them be a bit more ruthless, something I've said a few times this season. They won't get so many chances against the best of the best, so the conversion rate is an easy thing to pick at. But I don't know if they didn't really get good looks, the H-SC keeper stood on his head, or if they just were wasteful. Or a combination of all of them. It's soccer, odd things happen. A comfortable 2-0 road win over a conference foe that will finish in the middle of the ODAC or better is not something to sniff at!

The Generals are an excellent team, in the midst of what has, so far, been an excellent season. They are obviously capable of earning ODAC hardware and possibly even more, so at this point, I feel very spoiled even wrinkling my nose about a single stat line that didn't end up mattering one bit.

[PaulNewman]

Tough day for the SUNYAC heavyweights.

As I predicted Oneonta goes down for the 2nd game in a row, this time to New Paltz St in OT.  Actually didn't predict it publicly but meant to  .  New Paltz quietly is having a season and may be in line for national ranking consideration.

And Cortland goes down to Brockport in OT.

[PaulNewman]

Gutsy draw for Midd against probably best team in the country.  Played like 50 min with 10 men, and hard to see on video but looked like harsh call.  Midd has very good players and grew into game but whatever reason Tufts will have 6-7 players passing around in the final 3rd for 25-40 secs and get a slew of possible chances.  Midd has one or two guys up too isolated and can probably spring them occasionally against slightly weaker teams but they end up going 1 v 4 or 5 and 2 vs 7 against a team like Tufts.  Midd needs to figure out how to get more chances for #9 and #23....both very good players and physical enough to play against Tufts-caliber players.

Didn't catch much of Emory-Wash U, but when I did seemed like Emory had more of the play.  But that said a draw probably a pretty good result for the Eagles.

[d4_Pace]

Yeah going into the game a draw at Midd after a weird geographical back-to-back on the road isn't the worst result. But being up a man for 50 minutes and not getting the three points is disappointing. I don't think it was a weak red as much as a dumb decision. Raffi is an awesome player and has had a great career there, but he just made a quick misjudgment and paid for it. He clearly kicked the ball out of the goalies hand when he tried to punt it and that is always a yellow card. That being said the response from Midd was very impressive and it was hard to tell they were down a man for large stretches.

I don't think Tufts played particularly well in either game this weekend (being tied with Trinity with 20 minutes to go is unacceptable). That being said there is no better team to see on the schedule after a down weekend than Amherst at home for homecoming. That will instantly boost the motivation levels and ensure an intense week of training. Plus all the washed up bros being in town will make sure to keep them in line.

All in all sitting at 9-0-2 and top of the NESCAC is where you want to be. Now they have to dial in for the toughest stretch of their schedule and roll into the post season.

[PaulNewman]

Was at the game in person, and Midd had some good chances even after going down a man with 30 minutes left in regulation.  Tufts was very lucky to escape with a yellow when Campbell took down Saint-Louis as the last defender.  Referee made typical mistake of not looking around prior to the foul, but judging the position of players after the foul had occurred.  I think this was a very important psychological result for Midd.  They came away pissed that they did not win, and they will be up for a rematch down the road.  This game highlighted everything that is wrong with NESCAC officiating:

1. Allowing one coach to whine and question calls all day with no repercussions
2. Allowing some early hard fouls with no cards, followed by trying to get the game under control later
3. Flat out incorrect decision to stop the clock in first OT when both teams had players at the table to sub in and ball went out for a corner kick. Ref stopped clock to allow Tufts to take a set piece that they otherwise would never have gotten off
4. Not visible on video, but when Paoletta got a card for decking Roberts at the end of the second OT, Midd players were asking for a red card (It was not a red, IMO).  Tufts #23 gets in the face of Midd GK Grady and pushes him.  Midd #25 Nelson runs over, yells get the %*#% off my goalie, and pushes him down.  Ref was oblivious to the whole thing and asked AR if he saw anything, to which the reply was "No"

Having seen quite a few NESCAC games, the officiating is simply way too permissive and not at the level it needs to be.

Moved the above from SC's Game Notes thread to here.

Interesting post and I'm sure more than a couple of Tufts supporters would have a very different version.

First, for Midd...agree with much of what you said.  Taking another L, even to Tufts, after the prior week, would have been tough.  Especially given playing with 10 men for so long I would count the draw as a win which should give the Panthers some confidence going forward.  Midd did have a few very good chances, and they forced the new Tufts GK to make a couple of good saves.  That said, Tufts was camped out in the Midd final third quite a bit and could have been up 2-0 in the first 25 min.  I actually was impressed with Midd once they settled in...one of the few teams that can come close to matching Tufts' size and physicality but imo they need to have more possession and rely less on Reid and St Louis breaking free on a counter.

Your comments regarding Tufts while partisan seem to hint at some truths.  Tufts has an arrogance/entitlement that grows on itself and serves them well.  In their heart of hearts, many among the Tufts faithful are convinced the Jumbos should have won 6 titles in a row.  I suppose they've earned the right to have that kind of attitude, and that's not gonna change until they get knocked off a few times in the tournament.  As D4 said so well, Tufts fully expects to win every time out and regardless of the opponent.  That's powerful.  Messiah has an arrogance/entitlement too that serves the Falcons well, but the vibe of it feels very different.  The Falcons while often a team with plenty of size to go along with superior skill and dynamic offensive and team play never give off a bully kind of vibe. I get a sense that Tufts enjoys the rivalry with Amherst partly because they can go toe-to-toe with the Mammoths while relatively speaking being the "good guys."  At any rate, Tufts is just as imposing as Amherst or more so.  That back line with Paoletta, Clivio, Gibson, and I think Daly, with Aroh in front of them is unyielding and very good.  They are going to run up your back and make you feel them nearly every time...few offensive players are going to relish facing them for 90 or more minutes.  The #23 you mentioned is like the smallest guy on the Tufts squad but of course that doesn't mean he isn't feisty.

NESCAC teams, even inferior ones, know what to expect when they play Tufts or Amherst, and maybe that's why we see them get knocked off with some frequency in the NESCAC tourney and then go on as they usually do in the NCAA tournament.  Therein lies my question for W&L, Hopkins, Chicago, Trinity, etc.  Can they raise their physicality soon enough, and effectively enough, without foregoing their own strengths?  Are they willing to be as ruthless?

As for Dezotell, who I assume you were referencing, I know little about him but what a spot he is in.  First year at Tufts, and basically it's title or bust.

[D3_Slack]

An observation on a team that I feel possesses the physicality and very strong goal keeper play to make a run and get after the top teams in D3.  NYU is big, feisty and skilled...and I believe they have one of the best GK's I've seen this year.  Going through the UAA schedule here at the end is going to round them into form.  A team to keep an eye on for sure.

[Hopkins92]

One of my observations of this Hopkins team is that they have very little bite. They are just a bit too polite out there.

[Hopkins Walk-On]

Tim Treinen, Hopkins senior center back, has some bite--perhaps too much. He was red carded earlier in the season and sat out the game they tied vs. Stevenson. He got a yellow card on Saturday vs. Worshington College. They really cannot afford to lose him - he makes the system go. Without him, they look much weaker. The other defenders are solid if not quite as aggressive. They are not running up offensive player's backs much though. One of the problems is that none of them is very big - in a physical game, I can seem them getting out-muscled, especially on corner kicks.

The offense tends to rely on quick passing - very little physicality.