2021 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[SimpleCoach]

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

Totally agree.  From the times I have watched they seem much more comfortable when they have the space to move and there is not a lot of clashing for the ball. They hold the ball in the back to get teams to step up and spread out to afford them the space to move.  When it has gotten physical you can tell it is very disruptive for them.

[Mr.Right]

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

Haha....Damn Vieira schooled a wide eyed Frosh RB....

[Mr.Right]

Yeah interesting in that the NESCAC had two legendary coaches that were contemporaries in Russo and Seward. Seward mentored those 4 and deserves a lot of the credit for their careers. On the other hand I don't believe there are any current Williams alums coaching in the NESCAC after Sullivan's unceremonious departure. Mr. Right you would be the expert on this subject, do you know of any factors that might explain the difference?

Good point. Saward has a good amount of former players coaching. Serpone has a ton of former assistants coaching. Russo should have made it more of a priority and now Williams Men's Soccer is feeling it.  There are no alums to grab the reins right now. I personally think Eric Watson(who was a Williams GK) and former Head Coach at Linfield, SUNY New Paltz, Utica and maybe one more would be the only alum to be able to get an interview.  He turned all those programs around, knows the game tactically, would keep the ball on the grass, has College Head Coaching experience etc etc..But he left Coaching about 7 years ago and I think went into Admissions so it would be a long shot. For all I know maybe he wanted to get out of the game but IMO once you get your own program to run it stays in your blood.

I feel like  historically(presently things have probably evened out) for athletes, Williams and Amherst kids either wanted to be the "big swinging d....", work in the bulge banks, med school, etc. While I think Midd and especially Bates kids were more creative and adventurous with their existence,  not afraid to take chances with their lives(only live once I want to be happy type deal)....start-ups, environmental gigs, giving back, climbing mountains, non-profits, teachers, ski bums, coaches etc etc...That is my kind of guy trust me...The type of kid that would look at the corporate world, a corporate desk, a corporate phone, corporate bosses, corporate friends, corporate marriage and want to seriously vomit. I worry about the mental health of some of these non-athletes at Williams, Amherst and Midd. They put unnecessary pressure on themselves and worse get more from their parents. Anyway, my point is I think most of these Williams and Amherst kids and ESPECIALLY their parents would look down on a profession like Coaching as if they could and should do better. Can you imagine the dinner table argument? The father screaming "I did not just spend 300,000 dollars for you to be a Coach. kid "but dad"...Father "Son u listen to me and listen to me good".....Of course greed and money play a part as well. 


That is the best answer I could give. I would hate to further this conversation especially in this forum on this topic. However, I do not duck questions

[Another Mom]

Zack Grady is an assistant coach at Trinity, who graduated from Williams a few years ago . . .

[blooter442]

Haha....Damn Vieira schooled a wide eyed Frosh RB....

Paul made a comment that I'd remember the details. I do — it was a weird game. I showed up around 20 minutes in and Tufts dominated the first half without creating a ton, and Brandeis would have been happier with 0-0 at the half. I had started to think that the Judges struggled with NESCAC teams, after losing to Williams in two Sweet 16s and falling to (a much less-heralded) Tufts in the 2013 regular season, but the longer the game went on the more I felt Brandeis had a chance, and despite being outshot actually created the better opportunities in the second half (Soboff hit the post and missed a subsequent sitter, and Ocel put a nice shot on goal). Two goals in the last 12 minutes: Lynch got the first one off a corner, Savonen hit the inside of the post a minute later, and then Vieira iced it — D4, to be fair, didn't have much help from his covering defender. I felt even better about the result after Tufts tied Amherst the next week, but also being struck by how Tufts played Amherst (at the time the prohibitive favorite for the NESCAC) very evenly despite being down a man for the last 20 mins + OT and thinking that they were a good side. A harbinger of what was to come (that no one could have anticipated).

The other year that Paul was referring to that was 1-0 was at Tufts, and Tufts was ranked No. 1 coming off its maiden title. Another weird game where Tufts probably was the better side on the day but Brandeis won the midfield battle and kept a shutout...I think that was one of 16 one-goal wins that year, and it was also the year of the Judges' last UAA title.

Ah, the days of prime Brandeis-Tufts. The Judges are a ways away right now but hopefully can re-ignite the competitiveness in future years. Easier said than done...

[Flying Weasel]

This game highlighted everything that is wrong with NESCAC officiating:

1. Allowing one coach to whine and question calls all day with no repercussions

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.

I was at the Messiah-Ithaca game opening weekend of the 2019 season, and Dezotell and his staff rode the ref loudly and often.  I wasn't sure if that was their SOP, but I didn't find the referring to be that bad to warrant such persistent griping and complaining.

[PaulNewman]

I was preparing my "It's definitely NOT better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."

Will probably say a little more later this evening.  Got caught having to actually work and follow game at same time.  I have never enjoyed watching an OWU-Kenyon match.  Never.  Just too nerve-wracking, and even when Lords carry much of the play I am positive OWU will win. 

Gomez is unbelievably good.  Kenyon doubled and tripled him all day, and when that didn't work they fouled him.  And he still almost pulled off a GW, first I think in regulation on magical cross and then maybe in 2nd OT when turned last defender in the box and looked like he was in.

A great D3 game imho.

[PaulNewman]

Obviously a critical, gut-check W for the Lords.  Stats may be a little deceptive but 27 (11) to 10 (4) shots, and 10 to 4 corners is a big edge, especially when 2nd half and OTs shots were 22 to 5.  I thought Kenyon botched a lot of opportunities by shooting too early or too far out, and the OWU GKs made some very good saves too.  Would have been heart-breaking to take a L, and I was sort of with the announcer the last few minutes...like get a goal if you can but at least get the draw.

The right back Luke Muther #15 has got to be among the better right backs in the country.  Very good defensively but also dangerous offensively.  I hope he was cramping instead of a hamstring as he will or would be big loss.  And injuries have got be hard for all of the guys who took a year off to save a year of eligibility.  Luke is a New England kid and I've heard that his father played at Colby back in the day.  The left CB Burns #19 is a soph but this is his first year, and he has a chance to be one of the best at Kenyon in the last decade...and that's saying a lot when thinking of Justice, Myers, Lowry, and current right CB Hosmer-Quint.  Burns has scored some big goals, including on free kicks, and he just looks really solid back there.  He definitely has eased the pain of losing Bruneau to Springfield.

Given the new talent mixing in the with old, the Lords should get better over the next few weeks (as long as they can stay relatively healthy).

Looking ahead cannot afford a letdown this weekend at Wabash.

[SimpleCoach]

The right back Luke Muther #15 has got to be among the better right backs in the country. 

I thought he was the best player on Kenyon.  Hope it was indeed just a cramp.

Best is that he has the hair to match!

[deiscanton]

#7 NYU goes down tonight to Mt. St. Vincent, 2-1, in non-conference action.

This game was originally scheduled to be played on September 1, but was postponed due to flooding from Post-Tropical Cyclone Ida.

Brace from Ian Lamas late in the second half past a charging NYU goalkeeper Nick Vafiadas seals the comeback for Mt. St. Vincent.  The brace came on Mt. St. Vincent's first 2 shots on goal of the match.

NYU goalkeeper Luca Mancuso was serving a 1 game suspension due to a red card received in Saturday's match vs Carnegie Mellon.  NYU backup goalkeeper Nick Vafiadas played all 90 minutes of the match.

[jknezek]

Shenandoah cancels tomorrow's game at W&L. No make up scheduled. No reason given on W&L's website. Second game this season cancelled.

[Another Mom]

The game was canceled due to covid. Thankfully,  not on the W&L team.

[Mr.Right]

Zack Grady is an assistant coach at Trinity, who graduated from Williams a few years ago . . .

Yes you are correct. He had no interest applying this summer so doubtful that will change in off season. He is happy at Trinity and the Williams family is proud of him.

[d4_Pace]

Obviously I'm a few years out so the team is probably drastically different but my senior year we beat Mt. St. Vincent 10-0. They showed up to the field all posting snapchats about playing the defending champs and hoping to keep the score in single digits. Pretty incredible to have progressed from that to beating a top UAA team in 4 years.

From NYU's perspective that just can't happen. That type of loss reveals a lot about a team's mentality and does not bode well for their future.

[deiscanton]

Obviously I'm a few years out so the team is probably drastically different but my senior year we beat Mt. St. Vincent 10-0. They showed up to the field all posting snapchats about playing the defending champs and hoping to keep the score in single digits. Pretty incredible to have progressed from that to beating a top UAA team in 4 years.

From NYU's perspective that just can't happen. That type of loss reveals a lot about a team's mentality and does not bode well for their future.

I would agree with you there, especially since Mt. St. Vincent came into last night's contest tied for third in their own league.  Manhattanville is leading in the Skyline Conference standings.  So far this season, Mt. St. Vincent tied with Manhattanville and lost to the team currently in second place in the Skyline, Merchant Marine.

The person who scored the brace for Mt. St. Vincent last night is a junior transfer who transferred into Mt. St. Vincent from NCAA DII side Concordia (NY) of the CACC.

On another note, it is rare for a top goalkeeper on any NCAA DIII team to have also played in a USL League One game (third division of the US Soccer pyramid) while under a USL academy contract that allows the player to play on a pro team while still maintaining college eligibilty, like Luca Mancuso did in March, 2019....