2023 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[College Soccer Observer]

As my son is a keeper, thought I would chime in here.  He has started every game since arriving as a freshman.  Each year, there have been at least 3 and sometimes 4 other keepers on the roster.  He came out of games twice his freshman year due to injury.  His freshman year, back up keeper comes in against Conn College in NESCAC quarterfinals after not having played since the second game.  Marco Kaper made an unbelievable save in what was then sudden death OT, and then saved two PKs in the shootout to help his team win.  Without that win, they most likely do not make the NCAA tournament in 2019.  The next week, my son was back in against Amherst in the conference semifinal.  Kaper returned for his super senior year in 2021.  He knew the situation, but loved training with the team and being around the guys.  He played 20 minutes his senior year.  Last year, none of the backups played.  Despite that, the bond between the keepers is close.  The guys (and their parents) are all supportive of each other.  I know that each coach handles things differently.  My son has enjoyed his experience, especially knowing that his coaches have complete confidence in him.  If you are a goalkeeper being recruited, the best advice I can give is to ask about philosophy of who gets a chance to earn the job and to what extent the coach believes in rotating in the other keepers.  The key is to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the plan.

[PaulNewman]

As my son is a keeper, thought I would chime in here.  He has started every game since arriving as a freshman.  Each year, there have been at least 3 and sometimes 4 other keepers on the roster.  He came out of games twice his freshman year due to injury.  His freshman year, back up keeper comes in against Conn College in NESCAC quarterfinals after not having played since the second game.  Marco Kaper made an unbelievable save in what was then sudden death OT, and then saved two PKs in the shootout to help his team win.  Without that win, they most likely do not make the NCAA tournament in 2019.  The next week, my son was back in against Amherst in the conference semifinal.  Kaper returned for his super senior year in 2021.  He knew the situation, but loved training with the team and being around the guys.  He played 20 minutes his senior year.  Last year, none of the backups played.  Despite that, the bond between the keepers is close.  The guys (and their parents) are all supportive of each other.  I know that each coach handles things differently.  My son has enjoyed his experience, especially knowing that his coaches have complete confidence in him.  If you are a goalkeeper being recruited, the best advice I can give is to ask about philosophy of who gets a chance to earn the job and to what extent the coach believes in rotating in the other keepers.  The key is to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the plan.

Seems like most who have chimed in had things work out for themselves or their sons.  What would have you have done if your son had mostly sat for a couple of years?  Would you/he have been willing to wait one year?  Stick it out no matter what?

[College Soccer Observer]

We will never know, but my son is thrilled to be around his coaches and teammates.  I asked him that question once, and he was emphatic that he would not want to leave, regardless of playing time.

[Kuiper]

As my son is a keeper, thought I would chime in here.  He has started every game since arriving as a freshman.  Each year, there have been at least 3 and sometimes 4 other keepers on the roster.  He came out of games twice his freshman year due to injury.  His freshman year, back up keeper comes in against Conn College in NESCAC quarterfinals after not having played since the second game.  Marco Kaper made an unbelievable save in what was then sudden death OT, and then saved two PKs in the shootout to help his team win.  Without that win, they most likely do not make the NCAA tournament in 2019.  The next week, my son was back in against Amherst in the conference semifinal.  Kaper returned for his super senior year in 2021.  He knew the situation, but loved training with the team and being around the guys.  He played 20 minutes his senior year.  Last year, none of the backups played.  Despite that, the bond between the keepers is close.  The guys (and their parents) are all supportive of each other.  I know that each coach handles things differently.  My son has enjoyed his experience, especially knowing that his coaches have complete confidence in him.  If you are a goalkeeper being recruited, the best advice I can give is to ask about philosophy of who gets a chance to earn the job and to what extent the coach believes in rotating in the other keepers.  The key is to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the plan.

Seems like most who have chimed in had things work out for themselves or their sons.  What would have you have done if your son had mostly sat for a couple of years?  Would you/he have been willing to wait one year?  Stick it out no matter what?

I can't specifically answer the question @ PaulNewman poses, but one option is to transfer and I can't recall seeing a GK transfer to another D3 school in the hopes of getting playing time, although I'm sure it happens.  It happens all the time in D1, usually because a top school recruits multiple keepers with MLS Academy and USYNT camp experience and the backup keeper's reputation gives them the credibility to attract interest, but my sense is it's much less common in D3.  Part of that may be because it's hard to transfer within D3 given the academic requirements of many small liberal arts colleges.  The reality, however, is that if you haven't much or any college-level film to send to a coach, it would be an unusual situation for that coach to not only recruit you as a transfer but for you to feel confident playing time will get any better.     

The more interesting question is why many backup GKs in D3, who sit on the bench pretty much knowing they will never see the pitch or maybe only see it for a few minutes here and there or in their senior year, stay on the team all four years and don't just quit (although many do).  As College Soccer Observer noted, it's usually because they like training, like the routine the schedule provides, and like the camaraderie of the team.  Here's the reality: In most cases, the backup keepers look decent in practice.  With a few exceptions, they can all make a good save in a shooting drill, they perform pretty well in GK training on all the fundamentals, and they can make the occasional great save in a short-sided game that causes everyone to stop and applaud. Their problem is usually in something more intangible or technical like decision-making, aggressiveness in traffic, command of the box on a cross, 1 v. 1 skills, ability to catch or parry out of trouble rather than push it into danger, ability to use their feet for short, intermediate, and long distribution, or something like that.  You need all of those skills to play 90 as a starter, but you don't need them all to be successful in a lot of training exercises.  So, training can actually be more fun and less stressful for a backup GK than starting if they can adjust their ego to be OK with it and with not being part of the traveling roster if they are deep backups. 

The hardest situation is not being the 3rd or 4th backup, but being the #2.  That means you're probably good enough to start, but just less experienced or maybe a little deficient in one or more areas from the perspective of the coach.  The #1 and the families of the other GKs may think everything is great, but unless the coach has explained very specifically to the #2 what they need to do or when they expect their time will come, the backup can become very frustrated.  The worst is when the difference between the starter and the backup is a simple deficiency in height or athleticism, because the reality is that this actually doesn't impact the game except in a few instances that coaches often over-emphasize.  For example, a smaller or less "bouncy" GK might be able to get everything in their "bubble," while the tall GK gets beaten on low balls to the bottom corner or spills balls that create dangerous situations where another GK might have held the ball, but some coaches have an intense fear about the top corners and focus on those even if the taller keepers miss them most of the time too. Or they simply think taller GKs are more intimidating or commanding, which is kind of hard to prove or disprove.  The backup GK can't change any of that.  It's why it's so important for the GK to go where he is wanted and for the coach to recruit the GKs they can see themselves playing given their biases.

[College Soccer Observer]

I will say that in the instance I quoted, I complimented Marco on his great game when I saw him the next week, and observed that it had to be hard for him to go back to not playing the next week.  His response--"Yeah, but the kid is a baller. I get it"

[SierraFD3soccer]

As my son is a keeper, thought I would chime in here.  He has started every game since arriving as a freshman.  Each year, there have been at least 3 and sometimes 4 other keepers on the roster.  He came out of games twice his freshman year due to injury.  His freshman year, back up keeper comes in against Conn College in NESCAC quarterfinals after not having played since the second game.  Marco Kaper made an unbelievable save in what was then sudden death OT, and then saved two PKs in the shootout to help his team win.  Without that win, they most likely do not make the NCAA tournament in 2019.  The next week, my son was back in against Amherst in the conference semifinal.  Kaper returned for his super senior year in 2021.  He knew the situation, but loved training with the team and being around the guys.  He played 20 minutes his senior year.  Last year, none of the backups played.  Despite that, the bond between the keepers is close.  The guys (and their parents) are all supportive of each other.  I know that each coach handles things differently.  My son has enjoyed his experience, especially knowing that his coaches have complete confidence in him.  If you are a goalkeeper being recruited, the best advice I can give is to ask about philosophy of who gets a chance to earn the job and to what extent the coach believes in rotating in the other keepers.  The key is to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the plan.

Seems like most who have chimed in had things work out for themselves or their sons.  What would have you have done if your son had mostly sat for a couple of years?  Would you/he have been willing to wait one year?  Stick it out no matter what?

I can't specifically answer the question @ PaulNewman poses, but one option is to transfer and I can't recall seeing a GK transfer to another D3 school in the hopes of getting playing time, although I'm sure it happens.  It happens all the time in D1, usually because a top school recruits multiple keepers with MLS Academy and USYNT camp experience and the backup keeper's reputation gives them the credibility to attract interest, but my sense is it's much less common in D3.  Part of that may be because it's hard to transfer within D3 given the academic requirements of many small liberal arts colleges.  The reality, however, is that if you haven't much or any college-level film to send to a coach, it would be an unusual situation for that coach to not only recruit you as a transfer but for you to feel confident playing time will get any better.     

The more interesting question is why many backup GKs in D3, who sit on the bench pretty much knowing they will never see the pitch or maybe only see it for a few minutes here and there or in their senior year, stay on the team all four years and don't just quit (although many do).  As College Soccer Observer noted, it's usually because they like training, like the routine the schedule provides, and like the camaraderie of the team.  Here's the reality: In most cases, the backup keepers look decent in practice.  With a few exceptions, they can all make a good save in a shooting drill, they perform pretty well in GK training on all the fundamentals, and they can make the occasional great save in a short-sided game that causes everyone to stop and applaud. Their problem is usually in something more intangible or technical like decision-making, aggressiveness in traffic, command of the box on a cross, 1 v. 1 skills, ability to catch or parry out of trouble rather than push it into danger, ability to use their feet for short, intermediate, and long distribution, or something like that.  You need all of those skills to play 90 as a starter, but you don't need them all to be successful in a lot of training exercises.  So, training can actually be more fun and less stressful for a backup GK than starting if they can adjust their ego to be OK with it and with not being part of the traveling roster if they are deep backups. 

The hardest situation is not being the 3rd or 4th backup, but being the #2.  That means you're probably good enough to start, but just less experienced or maybe a little deficient in one or more areas from the perspective of the coach.  The #1 and the families of the other GKs may think everything is great, but unless the coach has explained very specifically to the #2 what they need to do or when they expect their time will come, the backup can become very frustrated.  The worst is when the difference between the starter and the backup is a simple deficiency in height or athleticism, because the reality is that this actually doesn't impact the game except in a few instances that coaches often over-emphasize.  For example, a smaller or less "bouncy" GK might be able to get everything in their "bubble," while the tall GK gets beaten on low balls to the bottom corner or spills balls that create dangerous situations where another GK might have held the ball, but some coaches have an intense fear about the top corners and focus on those even if the taller keepers miss them most of the time too. Or they simply think taller GKs are more intimidating or commanding, which is kind of hard to prove or disprove.  The backup GK can't change any of that.  It's why it's so important for the GK to go where he is wanted and for the coach to recruit the GKs they can see themselves playing given their biases.

Very, very good explanation and could not even touch this. In my opinion on all of this below. Hope I can distinguish what makes a successful starting keeper v. a backup.

Many coaches, though have a great understanding of the game, do not know what makes a good or bad or marginal keeper. Why would they, most have only ever been field players and in many cases they have no (or part time) keeper coaches And the part timer come and go frequently and most likely don't contribute much.

Confidence by the coach is important, but also confidence in a keeper by the players. It definitely shows. Saving is only one part of a keeper's game. Important yes, but communication and foot skills today are as important in the game today.  As to foot skills, watch games and see how often a back under pressure is willinging to use the keeper as another back. Is the keeper moving to safe places (not in front of his goal) to received these passes.  Receiving the pass is important, but then distributing it is as a important. Does he pass to open man who is not being pressured (breaking the press)?  If he does this, the backs will absolutely hate you because you just made their jobs crazy hard and will most likely not pass to you again for the rest of or for several games. Is he hitting players on the sidelines so that they run on to the ball or quickly turn and move the ball up field?

As to communication, when a team is playing a very good team, don't look how many times a keeper has to make a circus save, listen for the communication for the keeper (not easy to do online). If you are in the stands and a keeper is on the other end of field, can you hear him?  Is he taking charge of his backline and midfielders, do the backs and midfielders allow him to do this? Is saying very loud - AWAY, KEEPER, [INSERT TEAMMATE'S NAME] RIGHT SHOULDER (this person should not be covering the man with the ball).  Is he making sure that on free kicks, his players are not holding the line closest to the goal but at least at the 18 or even better further up the field. If he is doing this correctly, he may not ever have to make any circus saves. In this case, the keeper is standing out by not standing out stats-wise, because of his excellent communication and trust he's built within the team. 

Coaches often can pick up on this.  Teams run better when a keeper becomes additional type of coach on the field. Also remember, that the coach only has his defense in front of him for half of the game.

Also keepers can demonstrate all these in practice. First thing my son always did trying out with any team whether HS, ODP, ID camps or club was learn the other kids names especially in the back and use his communication to direct the players in front of him even in short field play. In many cases, he didn't know them 2 minutes ago, but just by asking other kids' names who may trying out and nervous makes them feel a part of that drill/practice. He then uses their names.  It benefited him and the players appreciated that someone was looking out for them even during practices. He did have to learn that though when he had to clean up a situation (poor pass or missed trap) he had to temper his anger. I may have said this to him, but may have not - as a keeper your ass is always on the line. If you don't communicate in real time with good information, very few are going to care if a back makes a mistake and they ram a ball down his throat. Why not get ahead like a middle linebacker or even a quarterback stepping up to the line because the down players can't see the other players moving around.

Keepers who are quiet and/or bad with their feet are often not successful keepers in the long run and often end up as a backups in my opinion. Also keepers who don't own their mistakes end up as backups as teammates and coaches will lose confidence in them.

Throughout my son's career, may other parents complimented my son on his communication especially ones who played on multiple teams or came from another team. They would say that the keeper(s) on the other teams never or rarely ever did this. I would joke by asking if their sons' went to bed with my son's voice in their ear. As to his coaches and backs, they played it back to him all game long and he did not distribute the ball to place where his player would be pressured.  Further he often hit players on the sidelines in the midfield and sometimes beyond where they could flip the field quickly. Very few teams even tried to press the team on him because of this.

Last point - son transferred from a D1 program for a lot reasons during Covid. Played 2021 spring practices and then pre season with his new D3 program. Before the season started, son was named by the coach (he was a field player) as one of two captains before son ever played a minute of a game for the program. The other player was a senior who eventually won Player of the Year for the league. Some programs captains don't mean a lot, but the captains on this team were responsible for a lot especially when the coach was not around as far as players who were having issues personally and/or soccer-wise. They had to make decisions.  They were the glue that held the team together while acclimating freshman on to the team. Coach also actively sought captains input on soccer decisions/strategy. Son would give his opinion and coach considered. Senior year he was the only captain. Each year they made it the conference playoff and lost in the second round of the NCAAs.

[Kuiper]

As my son is a keeper, thought I would chime in here.  He has started every game since arriving as a freshman.  Each year, there have been at least 3 and sometimes 4 other keepers on the roster.  He came out of games twice his freshman year due to injury.  His freshman year, back up keeper comes in against Conn College in NESCAC quarterfinals after not having played since the second game.  Marco Kaper made an unbelievable save in what was then sudden death OT, and then saved two PKs in the shootout to help his team win.  Without that win, they most likely do not make the NCAA tournament in 2019.  The next week, my son was back in against Amherst in the conference semifinal.  Kaper returned for his super senior year in 2021.  He knew the situation, but loved training with the team and being around the guys.  He played 20 minutes his senior year.  Last year, none of the backups played.  Despite that, the bond between the keepers is close.  The guys (and their parents) are all supportive of each other.  I know that each coach handles things differently.  My son has enjoyed his experience, especially knowing that his coaches have complete confidence in him.  If you are a goalkeeper being recruited, the best advice I can give is to ask about philosophy of who gets a chance to earn the job and to what extent the coach believes in rotating in the other keepers.  The key is to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the plan.

Seems like most who have chimed in had things work out for themselves or their sons.  What would have you have done if your son had mostly sat for a couple of years?  Would you/he have been willing to wait one year?  Stick it out no matter what?

I can't specifically answer the question @ PaulNewman poses, but one option is to transfer and I can't recall seeing a GK transfer to another D3 school in the hopes of getting playing time, although I'm sure it happens.  It happens all the time in D1, usually because a top school recruits multiple keepers with MLS Academy and USYNT camp experience and the backup keeper's reputation gives them the credibility to attract interest, but my sense is it's much less common in D3.  Part of that may be because it's hard to transfer within D3 given the academic requirements of many small liberal arts colleges.  The reality, however, is that if you haven't much or any college-level film to send to a coach, it would be an unusual situation for that coach to not only recruit you as a transfer but for you to feel confident playing time will get any better.     

The more interesting question is why many backup GKs in D3, who sit on the bench pretty much knowing they will never see the pitch or maybe only see it for a few minutes here and there or in their senior year, stay on the team all four years and don't just quit (although many do).  As College Soccer Observer noted, it's usually because they like training, like the routine the schedule provides, and like the camaraderie of the team.  Here's the reality: In most cases, the backup keepers look decent in practice.  With a few exceptions, they can all make a good save in a shooting drill, they perform pretty well in GK training on all the fundamentals, and they can make the occasional great save in a short-sided game that causes everyone to stop and applaud. Their problem is usually in something more intangible or technical like decision-making, aggressiveness in traffic, command of the box on a cross, 1 v. 1 skills, ability to catch or parry out of trouble rather than push it into danger, ability to use their feet for short, intermediate, and long distribution, or something like that.  You need all of those skills to play 90 as a starter, but you don't need them all to be successful in a lot of training exercises.  So, training can actually be more fun and less stressful for a backup GK than starting if they can adjust their ego to be OK with it and with not being part of the traveling roster if they are deep backups. 

The hardest situation is not being the 3rd or 4th backup, but being the #2.  That means you're probably good enough to start, but just less experienced or maybe a little deficient in one or more areas from the perspective of the coach.  The #1 and the families of the other GKs may think everything is great, but unless the coach has explained very specifically to the #2 what they need to do or when they expect their time will come, the backup can become very frustrated.  The worst is when the difference between the starter and the backup is a simple deficiency in height or athleticism, because the reality is that this actually doesn't impact the game except in a few instances that coaches often over-emphasize.  For example, a smaller or less "bouncy" GK might be able to get everything in their "bubble," while the tall GK gets beaten on low balls to the bottom corner or spills balls that create dangerous situations where another GK might have held the ball, but some coaches have an intense fear about the top corners and focus on those even if the taller keepers miss them most of the time too. Or they simply think taller GKs are more intimidating or commanding, which is kind of hard to prove or disprove.  The backup GK can't change any of that.  It's why it's so important for the GK to go where he is wanted and for the coach to recruit the GKs they can see themselves playing given their biases.

Very, very good explanation and could not even touch this. In my opinion on all of this below. Hope I can distinguish what makes a successful starting keeper v. a backup.

Many coaches, though have a great understanding of the game, do not know what makes a good or bad or marginal keeper. Why would they, most have only ever been field players and in many cases they have no (or part time) keeper coaches And the part timer come and go frequently and most likely don't contribute much.

Confidence by the coach is important, but also confidence in a keeper by the players. It definitely shows. Saving is only one part of a keeper's game. Important yes, but communication and foot skills today are as important in the game today.  As to foot skills, watch games and see how often a back under pressure is willinging to use the keeper as another back. Is the keeper moving to safe places (not in front of his goal) to received these passes.  Receiving the pass is important, but then distributing it is as a important. Does he pass to open man who is not being pressured (breaking the press)?  If he does this, the backs will absolutely hate you because you just made their jobs crazy hard and will most likely not pass to you again for the rest of or for several games. Is he hitting players on the sidelines so that they run on to the ball or quickly turn and move the ball up field?

As to communication, when a team is playing a very good team, don't look how many times a keeper has to make a circus save, listen for the communication for the keeper (not easy to do online). If you are in the stands and a keeper is on the other end of field, can you hear him?  Is he taking charge of his backline and midfielders, do the backs and midfielders allow him to do this? Is saying very loud - AWAY, KEEPER, [INSERT TEAMMATE'S NAME] RIGHT SHOULDER (this person should not be covering the man with the ball).  Is he making sure that on free kicks, his players are not holding the line closest to the goal but at least at the 18 or even better further up the field. If he is doing this correctly, he may not ever have to make any circus saves. In this case, the keeper is standing out by not standing out stats-wise, because of his excellent communication and trust he's built within the team. 

Coaches often can pick up on this.  Teams run better when a keeper becomes additional type of coach on the field. Also remember, that the coach only has his defense in front of him for half of the game.

Also keepers can demonstrate all these in practice. First thing my son always did trying out with any team whether HS, ODP, ID camps or club was learn the other kids names especially in the back and use his communication to direct the players in front of him even in short field play. In many cases, he didn't know them 2 minutes ago, but just by asking other kids' names who may trying out and nervous makes them feel a part of that drill/practice. He then uses their names.  It benefited him and the players appreciated that someone was looking out for them even during practices. He did have to learn that though when he had to clean up a situation (poor pass or missed trap) he had to temper his anger. I may have said this to him, but may have not - as a keeper your ass is always on the line. If you don't communicate in real time with good information, very few are going to care if a back makes a mistake and they ram a ball down his throat. Why not get ahead like a middle linebacker or even a quarterback stepping up to the line because the down players can't see the other players moving around.

Keepers who are quiet and/or bad with their feet are often not successful keepers in the long run and often end up as a backups in my opinion. Also keepers who don't own their mistakes end up as backups as teammates and coaches will lose confidence in them.

Throughout my son's career, may other parents complimented my son on his communication especially ones who played on multiple teams or came from another team. They would say that the keeper(s) on the other teams never or rarely ever did this. I would joke by asking if their sons' went to bed with my son's voice in their ear. As to his coaches and backs, they played it back to him all game long and he did not distribute the ball to place where his player would be pressured.  Further he often hit players on the sidelines in the midfield and sometimes beyond where they could flip the field quickly. Very few teams even tried to press the team on him because of this.

Last point - son transferred from a D1 program for a lot reasons during Covid. Played 2021 spring practices and then pre season with his new D3 program. Before the season started, son was named by the coach (he was a field player) as one of two captains before son ever played a minute of a game for the program. The other player was a senior who eventually won Player of the Year for the league. Some programs captains don't mean a lot, but the captains on this team were responsible for a lot especially when the coach was not around as far as players who were having issues personally and/or soccer-wise. They had to make decisions.  They were the glue that held the team together while acclimating freshman on to the team. Coach also actively sought captains input on soccer decisions/strategy. Son would give his opinion and coach considered. Senior year he was the only captain. Each year they made it the conference playoff and lost in the second round of the NCAAs.

Totally agree on communication and trust.  The latter can be a team/culture problem that a keeper can't always overcome until the players graduate (e.g., cliques), but communication is definitely within the power of the keeper and it can be demonstrated in practice.  I've seen many a new keeper in practice start talking and the other keepers try to do it themselves, but you can't really fake it if you don't know what to say and when to say it.  You have to have a legit feel for the game.

One thing I heard a pro GK coach say in a training session:  "You don't kneed to say it loud enough so your teammates can hear you.  You need to say it loud enough so your coach can hear you."

[coach analytics]

NESCAC Preview

Overall, I expect another very competitive league, especially at the top, with a handful of NCAA births.  Last year was one of the most competitive from top to bottom with teams like Bates and Colby putting up some impressive results against the top teams.  Ties were abundant as OT was eliminated and the depth of the league made every game a battle, with very few multiple goal advantages.

The league is evolving to be quite a bit more technical as recent up and comers like Conn and Hamilton have instituted possession and ball movement styles which have had success and neutralized some of the athleticism of the traditional powers. 

I expect this season to go back to a more traditional, more top heavy league.  Traditional powers Amherst and Middlebury bring back strong rosters. Tufts, Bowdoin and Conn bring back a lot of key starters but also lost some very high end talent.  Bates, Colby and Williams have been hurt the most by graduation and Hamilton remains the most intriguing team in the league with their maturation.  Trinity could definitely surprise on the upside as they seemed poised for their strongest team in years.

Player of the Year Candidates
Ada Ojorogheye - Amherst
Jordan St. Louis - Middlebury
Fynn Hayton Ruffner – Amherst
Luke Peplowski - Hamilton
Julian Juantorena – Bowdoin
Max Clivio – Tufts
Ryan Grady - Middlebury

Other Top Offensive/Midfield Players
Pandelis Margaronis – Hamilton
Luke Peplowski - Hamilton
Tife Agunloye – Bates
Matt Scoffone – Conn
Jake Creus – Conn
Rye Jaron – Conn
Gavin Vanden Berg - Conn
Ignacio Cubbedu – Amherst
Sean Traynor – Tufts
Daniel Yanez – Tufts
Woovin Shin - Tufts
Mario Simoes – Colby
Tyler Huck – Bowdoin
Ronaldo Cabral – Bowdoin
Felipe Rueda Duran – Bowdoin
Adam Hadzic- Middlebury
Eujin Chae – Middlebury
Michael Traynor – Trinity
James Donaldson - Trinity
Kyle Burbage - Wesleyan
Lucas Ruelemann - Wesleyan

Other top defenders
Eamon Gara Grady – Williams
Sebastian Ghosh – Hamilton
Jack Kelesoglu – Conn
Alessandro Horvath Diano – Conn
Luke Madden – Middlebury
Matt Moran – Trinity
Ben Clark Eden - Amherst
Laurens Ten Cate – Amherst
Simon Kalinauskas - Amherst
Evan O Brien – Wesleyan

Other top GKs
Ben Diffey – Williams
Peter Silvester – Conn
Brendan McCarthy – Colby

Top Newcomers
Mohammed Nuhu - MF/F– Amherst
Xavier Canfin – F - Tufts
Chalie Miles – D – Conn
Alex Ainsworth – GK – Bowdoin
Zach Feldman – D - Wesleyan

[coach analytics]

NESCAC Preview

Middlebury

It does not seem like a big statement to say that Mid is loaded with many, many contributing players returning.  The only question that I have is whether they can rebound from the end of the year swoon which saw them go 1-4-1 in their last 6 games including a first round upset to Rowan in the NCAA tournament.  After a 6 goal second half explosion against Trinity, they managed to score in only 3 of the last 6 games.  This year's opening thrashing of Mt. Saint Marys and a 4-0 scrimmage victory over Williams is very encouraging for a bounce back.

Key losses - No team except Amherst brings back more but the loss of 4 year starter and 3 time All NESCAC center back, Mark Mc Farlane cannot be over looked.

Key returners - Where do I start? That's easy - 4 year starter and multi time all league keeper Ryan Grady locks down a solid D with former d1 player Luke Madden, who will also step into a leadership role.  There is a ton of returning production up front led by player of the year candidate Jordan St. Louis, solid finishers in Alex Muris, Alem Hadzic and one of the best play makers in the league Eujin Chae.  No player in the league is better at initiating the O and using the outside talent of St Louis than Chae.

Outlook - They will no doubt contend for the league top and have the most favorable schedule by getting to host Tufts and Amherst.  The pressure will be on this year to make up for last years disappointment and they will surprise no one after being a top the league and the country for most of the year last year.  A lot of senior leadership will want to finally get it done in their last season.  They play a nice style of using their athleticism and toughness to dominate but still can technically break down a team by using its skill on the outside to unbalance the defense.

Amherst

Like Middlebury, they are loaded with returning players with very few departures.  In addition, many are very high on the technical abilities of their recruiting class.  With an incredible string of sweet 16 appearances, I would not expect anything else besides a top 3 NESCAC finish and a solid run in the tournament.

Key losses - They will need to replace Bernie White in the net as well as multi year starters and contributors in Nico Kenary, Alex Shahmirzadi, a true playmaker, as well as underclassman Aidan Curtis who scored 8 goals in limited minutes.  Curtis is on an academic sabbatical.

Key returners - Like Mid, they are loaded with returners in almost every phase.  Defenders like Laurens Ten Cate, Simon Kalinauskas, and Ben Clark-Eden will protect any new GK with their physical prowess.  Returning former star Ignacio Cubeddu will be the maestro in the middle and get the ball to returning forwards Ada Okorogheye and Finn Hayton Ruffner.  My projection for NESCAC player of the year is Ada Okorogheye who really blossomed during their tournament run. Also, word out of central Massachussetts, is newcomer Mohammad Muhu could be a game changer with his skill set.  The smallish speedy player is not your typical Amherst player and will bring something different to their attacking third.

Outlook - While they have a slightly tougher schedule with road trips to Mid, Tufts, and Conn, teams that will benefit greatly from getting off the small, high grass pitch in Amherst.  One thing is certain, Amherst will try to bludgeon teams and use their size and strength to intimidate. They have been in the top 2 in the league in both fouls and yellow cards for the last 10 straight years and remarkably had 5 players with at least 5 yellow cards.  Only one other league player matched this level.  This lack of discipline really cost them as they took a red card late in their NCAA tournament loss when they could have had a man advantage for OT.

Tufts

While they have lost more than Mid and Amherst, Tufts is also in reload mode.  A number of younger players got considerable experience in 2022 and if they can get more production from a year older and wiser front 4, this Tufts team will compete will anyone.  First game is a good sign as all 4 front starters notched at least two points.

Key losses- In addition to 2 year starting GK Eric Lauta who transferred to D1, Tufts loses 2 time national champ and 4 year starter Ian Daly who was a tremendous 2 way player.

Key returners.  The D looks solid with returning center backs Alex Wall and 2 year starter Max Clivio and numerous players who saw time on the back line.  The midfield looks solid with emerging star Danny Yanez highlighting an experienced group.  It will be the returning playmakers on the outside Sean Traynor and Ethan Feigin who will need to step up the production as well as finding a #9 where the production was inadequate last year.

Outlook -   Can Tufts get back to their national dominance when they could both possess as well as overwhelm you with speed and strength? While still relatively young but older and wiser than in 2022 when there were 7 new starters, they have a lot of playoff experience among the seniors.  Without a dominant #9 they will need to build through the midfield and get the ball out to their wave of crafty wingers like in years past.

Connecticut College

You could argue only Bowdoin rivals Conn College in terms of what a top team lost from 2022.  Something was just not right last year as the team struggled being "the hunted" with high expectations.  How do they respond this season?  The early results are very promising as they have found the net frequently as their heavy possession style can really frustrate teams early who are overly aggressive.  No one moves the ball better horizontally and uses the width better than Conn.  They know they cannot attack the strong CBs in the league so they attack the width.

Key losses - Two huge losses in 4 year starters, multi time all NESCAC players in Steve Yeonas and Augie Djerdjaj.  These two could do it all, and they did. 21 combined goals over the last two years. In addition, defensive stalwart and 2 year starter Roman Dutkewych will be missed.

Key returners -  While the big names are gone, Conn still brings back a number of multi year contributors and will take their possession game up a notch with their technical depth.  Jake Creus, Rye Jaran (who missed 2022 with an injury), Matt Scoffone and Gavin Vanden Berg are proven producers with a lot of big game experience.  GK Peter Silvester, a PK saving star for the national championship team, returns after a solid 2022 campaign and Jack Kelesoglu and Alessandro Horvath Diana return as big time defensive contributors although Diano may move up the field.

Outlook -  They bring a very unique and refreshing style to a league known for its physicality.  They have experience but will need to see new leaders emerge across the pitch.  They have the most favorable schedule of the top teams, hosting Mid, Amherst and Tufts.  Putting the ball in the net is the hardest part of NESCAC soccer and they have proven scorers, so I like their chances.

Hamilton

After starting off last NESCAC season with 4 wins and a tie including upsets of Tufts Conn and Middlebury, Hamilton lost its way, going 0-3-3 and did not reach the NCAA tournament.  It was quite a downfall.  The season started off with a whimper as they drew SUNY Oswego in the opening week.  Which Hamilton team will we see?  Was scouting a part of the turnaround for other teams?  Or a key injury? I think this team is very promising as they return all their key personnel.

Key losses - None

Key returners - You can literally name the entire squad as key returners as many young players saw considerable time and gained valuable experience.  The headliners are definitely their midfielders Luke Peplowski, Luke Ehrenfruend and Pandelis.  They have the makings of the top midfield in the league with their possession as well as ability to score. Charles Hawthorne brings some finishing and athleticism to the #9 spot.  One of the merging superstars in the league is cool-as-a-cucumber center back, Sebastian Ghosh, whose late season injury could have been the catalyst to their demise. He does not fit the typical mold of a NESCAC center back at a slim 6 feet but he can initiate the build up through the middle that they like.

Outlook - If any of the non traditional powerhouses can break into the top tier, it's Hamilton.  A year older and a year stronger and wiser is really important in the NESCAC where traditionally upper classman and experience have ruled.  Last year was promising and the early season dud may be just a blip.  I like their chances to break into the top 4 and host a NESCAC tournament home game where no one wants to make that drive west.

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[coach analytics]

NESCAC Preview

Bowdoin

Similar to Conn, they lose some very high end talent especially on D, which was their calling card last season as they only lost 2 games despite scoring only 2.2 goals per game.  They were lock down on D. They do not have a strong out of conference schedule so they will need to produce in the league to get a bid for the second straight year.  This feels like a team in transition from a defensive stalwart to a team with good young attacking players.

Key losses -  They lost maybe the top two players in the league last season in GK  Michael Weber, who graduated with a 0.63 goals against average and Dylan Reid, a star center back, NESCAC player of the year and 4 year starter.  In addition, the 2 of the top 3 scorers in Harry Cooper and Charlie Ward are gone.

Key Returners - All Everything midfielder Julian Juantorena will be a NESCAC player of the year candidate and will be joined in the returning midfield by Charlton Steinberg. Jack Selig and Ben Brown return to the D which will need to step up in Reid's absence.  The most promising part of Bowdoin's team is their young attacking stars Tyler Huck and Felipe Rueda Duran (4 goals in the opener) who join top scorer Ronaldo Cabral to form some offensive fire power up in Brunswick.

Outlook -  As I mentioned, this team could transition into a more offensive oriented squad with its talent base but the name of the game in NESCAC soccer is defense.  Can they reload after losing such stalwarts?  The disappointment of losing in the final 8 after Reid went down has to sting.  Will that be motivation?  They also are planning on playing a couple home games on turf.  Maybe that is a recognition that they boys are ready to get numbers forward.



Wesleyan

Like Hamilton, they started off strong last season but could not finish strong and did not receive an NCAA bid despite a top 10 ranking at one point.  This season looks like a rough one.  Along with Williams, Bates and Colby, this team has lost many key players so they will need to find some contributors from last years bench and the new comers

Key losses - They lost key players all over the field but nowhere more acutely than the crafty midfield trio of Oliver Clark, Phillip Cubbeddu, one of the leagues top playmakers, and Mathew Rubenstein who initiated their offense very nicely last year.  There will be a new GK as 3 year starter Liam Devanny has moved on.

Key returners - No doubt, in typical NESCAC fashion, a strong CB Evan O'Brien is the heart and soul of this team and will likely be paired up with freshman Zach Feldman who has looked good in preseason.  Up front, leading scorers, Kyle Burbage and Lucas Ruehlemann return and look to build on productive seasons a year ago if they can get the midfield right.

Outlook -Wesleyan could definitely be a wildcard as they replace some key contributors and try to build off an improvement in 2022.  They lack the size and athleticism of some of the top end teams and will need to build on their success from 2022 by maintaining the ball.

Williams

Could Williams be this seasons version of Conn and struggle being the "hunted"?  Couple this scenario with the fact that they lost a ton of excellent players and saw a couple transfers and several quitters.  For a team coming off a national championship runner up, things do not seem right in Williamstown and the early scrimmage results support a concern.

Key losses -  While Jayden Reid won NESCAC player of the year, the player who had the finest overall season was Nick Boardman who carried his squad through game after game in the playoffs.  Another key loss will be super athletic, all everything, Will Fellito whose career ended prematurely in 2022 with injury. Another key loss is Nathan Song a skilled playmaker in the middle and Cole Mariello, an athletic outside player with a long dangerous throw.

Key returners - As last season, the key to Williams success will be a stout defense with returning GK Ben Diffey and star CB Eamon Gara Grady.  To bolster the scoring they will need more from Sam Gibson,  Henry Kirkman, and Dan Rayhill who have all shown signs.

Outlook -  This season could be an interesting one.  I predict they will rival the 11 ties they achieved in 2022 as the defense again looks solid but the offense is unproven and the set piece dominance from Fellito and Boardman are gone. Last year they may not have even made the NCAA tournament if not for an 89th minute questionable PK call they got in the NESCAC quarterfinals. They turned that good fortune into a magical season.

Trinity

Is this the year they can break into the NESCAC win column and even challenge for a NESCAC tournament slot?  I think the answer is yes as the bottom of the league looks weaker than 2022 and they return almost all of their contributors.  Breaking into the win column will not be easy but they did play the middle of the league and the bottom of the league tough last year.

Key losses - The only full time starter that left was 2 year starter Gabe Mangiafico

Key returners -  The core of this team, although winless in the NESCAC, has a lot of experience.  4 year starter Matt Moran is a top level NESCAC center back as is playmaker James Donaldson.  The D is bolstered by 2 year starter Dante Merlin and 2 year starting GK Bernardo Simones who often kept them in close games.  Michael Traynor is the most dangerous outside player.  The return of Quinn Ackmann in the midfield from a 2022 injury should solidify the middle.

Outlook - It's make or break year for Trinity as their top players are either seniors or Grad students. While they played some teams tough last year, they did not generate enough offense, particularly from the #9 slot where they could not even register shots let alone goals.  Their opening game win this week matched their entire season total from 2022.  Last year a new coaching staff used far too many players and played a more direct and pressing style which does not match their overall athletic disadvantage to most teams.  A team which is a year older, stronger and wiser should challenge the bottom league teams as the coach appears now to know who and what his strong group can be.

Bates

Bates saw improvement in 2022 despite a new coach and nearly made the NESCAC tournament with an end of season win versus Colby. I think 2023 will be tough to continue to make progress as they lose several key players.

Key losses - The defense stalwarts, Max McKersie and Alex Kodak, multiple year starters are gone.  In addition, key playmakers Iwowa, an athletic force, and Ciaran Bardong have also moved on.  On a team that has struggled to score, the loss of athletic and proven scorer Alex Szwarewicz will also be very difficult to replace.

Key returners -  With the loss of so many leaders and playmakers, a lot of responsibility will be on Tife Agunloye, a gifted 1v1 player and proven finisher.  The defense will rely on returning starter Seba Niehenke and some unproven faces in front of a rookie GK.  Midfield is better positioned with returning starters David Ortiz and Sebastian Iacovetti who will do their best to get it wide to Tife.

Outlook - I see Bates struggling and their opening game loss to Emerson is concerning.  A lot of veteran faces need to be replaced, especially on D and striker which is always tough in a very defensive minded league.  Tife will need to explode along with some new faces for them to improve on their 9th position.

Colby

Colby had a very similar year to Bates as they rode a lot of experienced players to a very competitive position and rivaled Williams by achieving 5 conference ties including Amherst and Tufts and a victory over Conn.  However, graduation and transfers have devastated this squad and this season looks to be a challenge.

Key losses - Up top, Colby had a dynamic duo of Ethan Franco, a top  v1 player and Ethan Fabricant, a strong, classic #9 with size and speed to battle the NESCAC best center backs,  whose goal production and creativity will be sorely missed. At midfield, Colin Sullivan and Nicholas Lemaire's work rate and playmaking will be missed. On Defense, Jared Wood and Aboubacar Traore were both multi year starters whose physical presence will be missed.

Key returners -  The list is a little sparse but veteran GK Brendan McCarthy returns along with defenders Alex Moretti and Ryan Stewart bringing some experience on the outside.  In preseason camp, Mario Simões has been a force and will be expected to fill the large shoes up front.

Outlook -  I see this young and inexperienced squad struggling with the upper echelon teams in the conference who seemed to have much stronger returning squads.  Ethan Franco and Ethan Fabricant could be game changers and their production will need to be replaced although Simões has that game changing speed and technical ability if they can get him the ball in dangerous places, particularly wide.

[Another Mom]

Halftime Washington & Lee 2, Sewanee 0

[Chargers96]

Oglethorpe appears to be having their way with Roanoke, 2-0 at half.  Someone mentioned several D1 transfers.  I did a little research and one was a freshman at USC Upstate in 2016. Another was a freshman at Mercer in 2016.  How does D3 eligibility work?

[Kuiper]

Pretty impressive win by Cal Lutheran over Whitworth 3-0.  Cal Lu played down a man for 88 minutes after its starting GK was hit with a red card in the 2nd minute.  Not only did Cal Lu score in the first half, but it piled on two more in the second half.  The extra space on the field appeared to help Cal Lu and hurt Whitworth.  Of course, the college sub rules help in these situations and Cal Lu gave meaningful minutes to 9 subs.

Of note:  Freshman Max Schelloto (son of the Paraguay NT coach and former Galaxy coach/former player for the Argentina NT and Boca Juniors) got his first collegiate goal.

Of further note and relevant to the earlier conversation about GK playing time - Cal Lu brought in 5'7" Junior GK Gen Katashiba to replace the starter when he was ejected.  This was Katashiba's first action of his college career and he made two saves over 88 minutes to keep the clean sheet.  You never know when your number will be called!

[Cartobo29]

Quick question...

What is the attitude on these boards on current players contributing? I've been lurking on this site since my freshman season in 2021, and it's become something I check on a daily basis (both for fun and to stay informed on the national D3 soccer landscape). I've thought about posting a few times, but never really knew when to jump in, and I wasn't ever sure if active players are generally accepted as posters on here. If for whatever reason it's frowned upon or problematic, I'll gladly go back to being a silent reader of the boards, just felt like the start of a new season was a good time to ask. Is there precedent for it? Are some of the common contributors active players and I'm just not aware?

Also, didn't know which board to throw this on or whether to start a new subject (not sure of the proper board etiquette) so I figured the national board was as good a place as any. I know it can get annoying when the boards get too off-topic, so I apologize if I've done just that.

In any case, I am happy to have finally hit the 'post' button after a couple of years of considering it.

[Another Mom]

Washington and Lee 3, Sewanee 1, final.

My two cents is everyone is encouraged to post!