2023 NCAA Tournament

[SierraFD3soccer]

No one has said this, so I will.

I thought Amherst's postgame behavior was exemplary.  Most of the team briefly met in an expected celebratory huddle between the keeper and final kicker after the end.  Others immediately found W&L players who they'd battled against for 110+ minutes to console them, congratulate them on a hard-fought game, and offer words of support.  Even Nuhu, who earlier in the match had a few things to say to the General faithful was quite restrained in his celebration and did not address them afterward.  I was there among the W&L army, and was looking for something to happen.  It didn't.

I don't see why teams should get kudos for meeting the most basic expectations of sportsmanship, especially the ones that have lowered the bar to the ground.

Yup. Also agree that there should have been repercussions from their post game performance last game. Whether they be bench players, starters or asst. coaches, no excuses.

[camosfan]

Say what you want about Amherst, they are better prepared than any of the teams who made the final four. Playing Middlebury, Conn, Tufts and Wesleyan twice before the final four, then they were MSU, Babson and Bowdoin; to survive such a schedule says a lot.

[GKForverr1]

Say what you want about Amherst, they are better prepared than any of the teams who made the final four. Playing Middlebury, Conn, Tufts and Wesleyan twice before the final four, then they were MSU, Babson and Bowdoin; to survive such a schedule says a lot.

Better prepared....to survive such a schedule....at what cost? The way they got to this moment...does the end justify the means?

IMO when I watch teams like Amherst play...there is this sense they do what they want to gain an advantage in a situation and hope for the best from the ref.

[camosfan]

Don't blame them for poor quality Refs in the league, btw I have seen other teams exploit the Ref weakness in the league.

[GKForverr1]

Can you elaborate on poor quality refs?

College players have enough experience to know what is and isn't a foul regardless of the ref's stance in any given game.

Yes other teams abusive weak referees. Is that an excuse to ignore the rules?

[coach analytics]

Say what you want about Amherst, they are better prepared than any of the teams who made the final four. Playing Middlebury, Conn, Tufts and Wesleyan twice before the final four, then they were MSU, Babson and Bowdoin; to survive such a schedule says a lot.

Better prepared....to survive such a schedule....at what cost? The way they got to this moment...does the end justify the means?

IMO when I watch teams like Amherst play...there is this sense they do what they want to gain an advantage in a situation and hope for the best from the ref.

Iron makes iron....no doubt Amherst is the most battle tested teams out there because of their schedule and getting to the NESCAC final.

However, i find their style to be atrocious.  I find their behavior to be horrible.  I am just amazed that opposing coaches and the referees allow 20+ fouls without setting the tone early with yellow cards.

I was at a NESCAC game last year where they committed 6 fouls in the first 10 minutes of a game. A couple of the fouls were vert tactical and 4 of the 6 fouls were against a single player....yet no yellows...crazy. 

If I were an opposing coach i would discuss this with the ref before the game and remind him at every tactical foul.

[PaulNewman]

Say what you want about Amherst, they are better prepared than any of the teams who made the final four. Playing Middlebury, Conn, Tufts and Wesleyan twice before the final four, then they were MSU, Babson and Bowdoin; to survive such a schedule says a lot.

So if they play a monster schedule that immunizes them from any penalties?  Please explain in more than 1-2 sentences how this point is relevant to what was being discussed.

Beyond that, why hasn't Amherst steamrolled through opponents by large margins?  2-1 over SUNY Poly, 1-0 OT vs Stevens, 1-0 OT vs Oxy, 1-0 vs Midd, PKs vs W&L.

Every team that gets to the Final Four has to be beat some very good teams.

W&L had to play W CT, Oneonta, Tufts, and Colorado Coll to get to Final Four.  Also played 5 NCAA teams during regular season (Oglethorpe, Emory, Otterbein, CNU, Lynchburg x2...also Stockton).

WC had to play perhaps the toughest Final Four road...Otterbein, Kenyon at Kenyon, Mary Wash at Mary Wash, Conn Coll...and during season teams like Stockton, Rowan, Muhlenberg, F&M, Hopkins x2.

And St Olaf's road to national title game...Carleton, UWEC, Chicago, Wash Coll...and during season played Chicago, OWU, Kenyon, Carleton, Macalester, UW-Platteville, GAC x2.

For me there are two main takeaways this season....Yes, NESCAC remains preeminent and one can argue their dominance has never been greater with 4 teams in Sweet 16 and 3 in Elite 8.  And secondly, that excellent D3 soccer is being played outside the NESCAC in multiple areas of the country, including Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Midwest (Ohio/Michigan and Minn/Iowa), Texas, Colorado, and California.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Say what you want about Amherst, they are better prepared than any of the teams who made the final four. Playing Middlebury, Conn, Tufts and Wesleyan twice before the final four, then they were MSU, Babson and Bowdoin; to survive such a schedule says a lot.

Better prepared....to survive such a schedule....at what cost? The way they got to this moment...does the end justify the means?

IMO when I watch teams like Amherst play...there is this sense they do what they want to gain an advantage in a situation and hope for the best from the ref.

IMO Amherst got incredibly lucky in that the referee did not call as many fouls as he could have, especially the clear hand ball in or near the penalty area in the second half. 19 to 9 in regular time and overall 26-14. IMO, W&L lost the game in the end as opposed to Amherst winning the game.

Soccer is a brutal sport, and, like most of us, we have seen games like this. Not always sure the "beautiful game" is an apt description especially when it comes to this level of soccer.  However, happens at all levels - perfect example Son for Tottenham v. Man. City scores a goal with a great breakaway and not great goalkeeping and then Son gets an own goal with the ball glancing off his thigh in less than 3 min. time.

[FBALLISLIFE]

especially the clear hand ball in or near the penalty area in the second half.

Not that it was a guarantee W&L converts that PK.

[Kuiper]

Since we're past the point of in-depth tactical analysis, here are a few things about the St. Olaf - Amherst matchup that may only be of interest to me:

1.  Amherst doesn't have a single player who hails from Minnesota and St. Olaf doesn't have a single player who hails from Massachusetts (although St. Olaf's Clemente Arcuch Puig from Chile played two years at Northfield Mt. Hermon).  Indeed, for all the talk of Amherst's diversity, it appears to completely ignore so-called "flyover country."

2.  The teams have never played each other and also have no common opponents.  St. Olaf hasn't even played a NESCAC team before.  In other words, this is similar to the Occidental - Amherst game.  A true clash of teams from different parts of the country with different styles and players who were developed in different parts of the country with varying types of play.

3.  However, much like the Occidental game, there is a HS connection among a couple of players.  Amherst freshman defender Riley Priddy (the next generation of 6'4" defenders) went to boarding school at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota.  So did St. Olaf's sophomore MF Robi Buzakovic.  The two were teammates on Shattuck-St. Mary's team.

4.  Each team also has players from Sydney, Australia:  St. Olaf's Senior MF Zac Harvey-Latham and Amherst Junior D Simon Kalinausakas.  Ironically, those appear to be the only two players on either team who are from the same city.  Unfortunately, Harvey-Latham is out for yellow card accumulation and so we won't see the battle of Sydney.

[saint_forever]

Amherst with an all time garbage half. Guys running around with zero plan, just hit and hope. Losing their heads too. Late tackles, reckless tackles. No surprise, hope Olaf can find one here.

[Kuiper]

HALF:  St. Olaf 0 - Amherst 0

Could have been 1-1 based on some clear chances the teams missed (or the GKs/defenses saved), but 0-0 is probably fair. 

A little bit of a battle of attrition.  We'll see if Nuhu's injury will prevent him from coming on in the second half.  Rapal seemed to go out with some kind of problem in the first half, but looked to be standing and cheering, so I assume he can come back in for Amherst.  Cubeddu came on and played 30 minutes, but he looked to be limping to me.  Still dangerous though.  St. Olaf also had a player with a possible asthma issue although the announcers described it as heat and joked about Minnesota winters.

Announcers also added that Landa might be injured a little because his backup Perez was aggressively warming up during the halftime

UPDATE:  Landa didn't take the goal kick, so it's clear he has something wrong.  Typically, is less than ideal because you take a CB out of position to do the kick.  IN this case, the goal kick from the CB was pretty mediocre, so it not only takes a CB out of position, but it puts the ball in a bad position if the kick is not great.

Rapal also not in and on his back apparently, so he might be unavailable.  Nuhu is also apparently out for good.

[jumpshot]

Many of us agree that amHurst's style of play and behavior is atrocious and has been for many years. Another 8 fouls in today's first half.
Why Dave as as an announcer attempts to defend it is beyond comprehension. amHurst has major and minor sports, erratic senior leadership and athletic administration, and acknowledges a specific recruiting approach to men's soccer. It is what it is and unlikely to change until changes occur on the sideline. coach analytics is quite correct.

[FBALLISLIFE]

WOW, what a goal.  Let's go Olafs!

[NEsoccerfan]

WOW, what a goal.  Let's go Olafs!

What a beauty! Lets go!