Big Dance 2022 - Let's Go!

[MNBob]

Video On Demand
PKs start at 2:51:24

[coach analytics]

Every sport will have an organization that decides to lean into the villain status. When you play, it's your team versus the universe, and you see them get increasingly bought into that model as they continue to see good results. It's difficult to maintain, because EVERYONE wants to take you down, but, again all of that hatred and envy makes people play their (Amherst's) match.

The Centennial has a team that is in the Amherst zone, but primarily through their "energetic" bench, applying a lot of pressure, and being unafraid to foul a lot to slow the other team down. It's interesting to note, they don't always play this way. But they sure do crank things up against Hopkins.

As an aside, I went to go watch Hop and F&M play in the CC semis at Haverford some years back (2018?) and remarked on these boards that the Hopkins bench was incredibly flat/quiet. Everyone was sitting, including the coaches. At the time I found it very odd behavior. Hopkins lost, I think 2-1, but it kind of never felt like the boys were in it. Watching them play each other this year, it occurred to me... I think the Hopkins coaches made a very purposeful decision back in 2018 to just not engage with F&M's energy. Don't try to play their game, including all the stuff going on with their bench. I think it resulted in a bit of a flat demeanor in 2018, but this year the Hop bench was livelier, but still... Coaches sitting quietly for long stretches sends a message.

I say all of that to say this: If I'm the opposing coach when playing Amherst, I'm in the refs ear BEFORE the game, pointing out this team (Am.) leads the nation in fouls and be ready with the cards. And I'm reminding him early on during the match. I know sometimes that can backfire, but I think it's worth it against Amherst. And you just have to get your players ready... There just can't be a surprise that they are gonna play like that... I know... Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth... But you have to walk into that game ready for nonsense.

I could not agree with this thought more.  If I were a coach or a team captain, i would tell the ref all about the Amherst strategy and in the name of "keeping the kids safe" i would encourage him to give out yellows for accumulated fouls whether they do it for fouls by a single player or on a single player.  I watched the Trinity Amherst game and Amherst had 5 fouls in the first 10 minutes and no card, no warning.  The tone was set.

I personally think the Amherst strategy is not long lived as more and more kids are skilled.

[gustiefan04]

UWEC showed well and took GAC to the brink.  Is there a better GK name in the country than Spencer Banks?

Except that Spencer was not in goal during the shootout. Coach substituted in 6'6" Jakob Leonard who had very limited minutes all season. Jakob stopped 3 shots but the GAC keeper stopped 4. All 14 PK shots were on frame. I said it in my previous post about the game but keepers stopping 7 of 14 PK was very impressive.

Or... :-)

(I didn't see it, so I'll take your word... I saw some great PKs this weekend, and I saw a lot of guys tense up and put a ball on frame that was way too easy for the goalie... That's the nature of the beast.)

There was certainly a few PK attempts that were not as well taken. The final save by the GAC GK however was outstanding.

[PaulNewman]

Kenyon appears to be the only host not playing the early game.  I wonder if this was by choice or if there is some arcane rule whereby playing early went to Williams because they took the spot of the #1 seed in the quad.

[JEFFFAN]

New to the soccer boards after years on hoops and football, but curious ... does anyone not think that the referees know all about team reputations, good or bad?  One of my close friends - a NESCAC grad from many moons ago - can give me a full run-down of each team, each coach, and each player before he heads out to ref a game.   Let's give these refs some credit here - they know exactly who they are covering, for good or for bad!

[regularguy]

New to the soccer boards after years on hoops and football, but curious ... does anyone not think that the referees know all about team reputations, good or bad?  One of my close friends - a NESCAC grad from many moons ago - can give me a full run-down of each team, each coach, and each player before he heads out to ref a game.   Let's give these refs some credit here - they know exactly who they are covering, for good or for bad!

can confirm this as a current NCAA D1-D3 referee, myself and my closest peers take every game like it's our last. we lurk on these boards especially during NCAA tournament to get valuable insights that people here can provide for teams that we may not normally see.

just some insight

[Hopkins Walk-On]

2) I've been saying all year, if Hopkins had a finisher, they would move from a really good team, to a great team. Well, FR winger/striker Scotty Coleman is emerging as "that guy." He scored the dagger goal last night to pretty much finish the game with the second goal. Tonight. Wow. Pulls down a brace and they were the kind of goals Hopkins needs. When you open up the opposition so consistently, you just need a guy to put the ball in the back of the net when obvious chances emerge. This kid is doing that. I said to my wife early in the second... This Coleman kid is a problem. (He had only scored 2 goals on the season... Not like this is coming out of nowhere... It's kind of coming out of nowhere.)

Coleman looked good fairly early in the season against Lycoming. To my knowledge, that was  his first major playing time and I thought he really showed promise. He got very little playing time afterwards, though. Not sure if it was an injury or just hesitation to play a freshman.

I agree with Hopkins92, though. He has demonstrated a willingness to take shots from 18 yds + and a shooting accuracy that Hopkins sorely needs. I have also been impressed with Jackson Shapiro, another freshman who didn't play much early in the season but has seen significant minutes in the first two playoff games. Excellent ball skills and feeds Coleman well.

[OldNed]

New to the soccer boards after years on hoops and football, but curious ... does anyone not think that the referees know all about team reputations, good or bad?  One of my close friends - a NESCAC grad from many moons ago - can give me a full run-down of each team, each coach, and each player before he heads out to ref a game.   Let's give these refs some credit here - they know exactly who they are covering, for good or for bad!

can confirm this as a current NCAA D1-D3 referee, myself and my closest peers take every game like it's our last. we lurk on these boards especially during NCAA tournament to get valuable insights that people here can provide for teams that we may not normally see.

just some insight

It's nice to know refs like to be well informed about the teams that they have to ref for, but how do you account for the seeming lack of accountability for teams like an Amherst?  Is it simply a case of foul fatigue where a ref doesn't feel he or she can call every single infraction since there are so many of them?

[SimpleCoach]

I don't know if assigning of referee's has changed since my days of coaching, but a number of referees had a vested interest in keeping home coaches happy so that they would be in rotation for the season.  Whether because it was close to home, or whatever.  Bob Reasso at Rutgers was big into get it into refs ears that he would file a complaint to never have them referee games at Rutgers because he didn't like the way they called a game.

I am not saying this is what happens at Amherst to explain what they get away with.  What I will say, and I think this applies very broadly, is that referees are more comfortable with the obvious fouls ... shirt grabbing, etc., then the antics on the sidelines, or the defensive hug inside the box..

I don't know why I dove into this topic, but hey.  Give me a yellow.

SC.

[EnmoreCat]

New to the soccer boards after years on hoops and football, but curious ... does anyone not think that the referees know all about team reputations, good or bad?  One of my close friends - a NESCAC grad from many moons ago - can give me a full run-down of each team, each coach, and each player before he heads out to ref a game.   Let's give these refs some credit here - they know exactly who they are covering, for good or for bad!

can confirm this as a current NCAA D1-D3 referee, myself and my closest peers take every game like it's our last. we lurk on these boards especially during NCAA tournament to get valuable insights that people here can provide for teams that we may not normally see.

just some insight

Interesting to know Jeffan, am sure you're aware that non-Amherst players know how to foul too.

[PaulNewman]

New to the soccer boards after years on hoops and football, but curious ... does anyone not think that the referees know all about team reputations, good or bad?  One of my close friends - a NESCAC grad from many moons ago - can give me a full run-down of each team, each coach, and each player before he heads out to ref a game.   Let's give these refs some credit here - they know exactly who they are covering, for good or for bad!

can confirm this as a current NCAA D1-D3 referee, myself and my closest peers take every game like it's our last. we lurk on these boards especially during NCAA tournament to get valuable insights that people here can provide for teams that we may not normally see.

just some insight

Lol, regularguy...

You must think the average IQ is well, well below average.

You were "born" here six days ago...you started a bracket pool...predicted a Gambier River moving games to turf...and now, for the encore you're suggesting that top level college referees (including yourself) come on here to see what a bunch of highly biased, sometimes angry, sometimes deluded, and sometimes clueless fans here like myself on an internet chat board think and reveal for tips to assist said high level referees in the performance of their duties.

Wow.

[Hopkins92]

2) I've been saying all year, if Hopkins had a finisher, they would move from a really good team, to a great team. Well, FR winger/striker Scotty Coleman is emerging as "that guy." He scored the dagger goal last night to pretty much finish the game with the second goal. Tonight. Wow. Pulls down a brace and they were the kind of goals Hopkins needs. When you open up the opposition so consistently, you just need a guy to put the ball in the back of the net when obvious chances emerge. This kid is doing that. I said to my wife early in the second... This Coleman kid is a problem. (He had only scored 2 goals on the season... Not like this is coming out of nowhere... It's kind of coming out of nowhere.)

Coleman looked good fairly early in the season against Lycoming. To my knowledge, that was  his first major playing time and I thought he really showed promise. He got very little playing time afterwards, though. Not sure if it was an injury or just hesitation to play a freshman.

I agree with Hopkins92, though. He has demonstrated a willingness to take shots from 18 yds + and a shooting accuracy that Hopkins sorely needs. I have also been impressed with Jackson Shapiro, another freshman who didn't play much early in the season but has seen significant minutes in the first two playoff games. Excellent ball skills and feeds Coleman well.

Great call on Shapiro... Future is bright on the attacking front. That kid was everywhere, and I was like "whoa, where'd this come from." Pretty wild...

[regularguy]

New to the soccer boards after years on hoops and football, but curious ... does anyone not think that the referees know all about team reputations, good or bad?  One of my close friends - a NESCAC grad from many moons ago - can give me a full run-down of each team, each coach, and each player before he heads out to ref a game.   Let's give these refs some credit here - they know exactly who they are covering, for good or for bad!

can confirm this as a current NCAA D1-D3 referee, myself and my closest peers take every game like it's our last. we lurk on these boards especially during NCAA tournament to get valuable insights that people here can provide for teams that we may not normally see.

just some insight

Lol, regularguy...

You must think the average IQ is well, well below average.

You were "born" here six days ago...you started a bracket pool...predicted a Gambier River moving games to turf...and now, for the encore you're suggesting that top level college referees (including yourself) come on here to see what a bunch of highly biased, sometimes angry, sometimes deluded, and sometimes clueless fans here like myself on an internet chat board think and reveal for tips to assist said high level referees in the performance of their duties.

Wow.

i will just go back to being a logged out user then. thanks for the fun. enjoy the bracket challenge.

[PaulNewman]

regularguy, it's that easy?  As a high level referee I'm sure you're used to taking a little guff.  I mean, isn't that exactly why you're here...to learn how to deal with difficult customers? 

Please explain how I got it all horribly wrong.  Show me a yellow and stick around.

[paclassic89]