NESCAC

Started by LaPaz, September 11, 2011, 05:54:52 PM

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SlideTackle

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 12, 2019, 03:54:52 PM
Quote from: SlideTackle on September 12, 2019, 03:44:11 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 12, 2019, 03:06:43 PM

News and Notes:

-I was not able to predict the start of the year but my biggest two question marks for Tufts was going to be in net and leadership. Who are their leaders? Big Senior class with a ton of talent but certainly questions have to be asked about leadership(compared to the past two years). Tasker and Jameson are Captains....First of all its never a good sign when 1 Captain is not a regular starter. I know Jameson is a solid piece but he was more of a factor on the field when he first came to the program in his earlier years. Not sure if he had injury issues or if he just lost playing time. Tasker is one of their best players so he has the credibility BUT these guys all need to prove they are leaders when things sh*t the bed. So far so good with the 3-2 come from behind win at Williams but between you and me I think if things go south for Tufts there are a couple, let's say more "selfish" players, that could cause some issues down the line. Not predicting it will happen just maybe something to watch for.

-Wesleyan has found its best start in a couple years with an impressive 0-0 draw at Home to Midd. I caught the OT's when both teams were scratching and clawing but Wesleyan held on and got an important point against one of the better teams. Wesleyan was very young last year and I would still consider them a young side but they have a mix of veterans and frosh that looks a little more formidable than the past 2 years. Wheeler has found a reliable starting lineup mixing 4 Frosh with 4 Seniors.  Wesleyan really do not have any stars but they are gaining depth and look to have some more bite in attack. There is enough talent here to compete with the likes of Bowdoin/Williams/Bates. They will face an absolute desperate Williams(0-2-1) side on Saturday on Jackson

-Bates Head Coach Sheikh roster shows 17 FROSH brought in mixed with some talented returning players. Sheikh has showed his hand that he will take all comers including almost every WNEPPSA school is represented on the roster. All jokes aside and just reading between the lines I am guessing Sheikh has very good relationships in DA and the Preps. I have heard he is good at building relationships. Ironic because of what he succeeded.  I am expecting even more improvement with this program this year and beyond. I have not seen a Bates roster loaded up with so many "good Preps" in well ever. However, I am not up to speed on all the Frosh so not sure if the bright lights of the program are blinding the reality of the talent. I will have to watch and find out.


-Had a very good conversation with someone tied into Trinity. He believes this is it for Pilger at Trinity as they are in the middle of rolling 3 year contracts. Still I think to myself can Trinity at least pretend to care about Men's Soccer. You give the program a new field but still strangle it of resources compared to other Nescac's. You go 0-10-0 and do not make a move with a new AD but would rather wait a year? Does not make sense but maybe I am reading to much into it. Pilger cannot compete with aid packages of other Nescac schools and these days with a ton of people struggling that the financial aid package provided by each school is becoming most important.

Great to have your analysis again! Watched the Wes/Midd game. Too bad you missed regular time. I saw one stud on Wes and it's their frosh GK Devanny. Terrific athlete. He will be a difference maker. Stopped one no-doubter from Potter and then another that would go in on most others. Wes didn't threaten much in the game. Will be interested in your thoughts when you see him play. The game against Williams will be a tough one for both sides with Williams playing to win big I am guessing.


Good to hear for Wheeler. Wheeler's system and program is predicated on solid GK'ing which he has not had since 2013..BTW is the Captain his brother? Kid has serious wheels..I agree as Williams is absolutely desperate. This is their worst start since 1982. Can Wesleyan take advantage?

His brother is on the team. Not sure if he's captain. This GK got many honors last year based on a quick online search. Looks to be the real deal.

Mr.Right

Quick guesswork of Nescac Men's Soccer 2nd working weekend:


Bowdoin v Midd--History tells us when these two teams meet it will be a battle. Middlebury lost a couple key Seniors from last years squad including their leader O'Grady. Looking at what Midd Head Coach Alex Elias has done is move a few players around but the core of the team has remained. The goals should come from Goulart/Potter and then also on set pieces when their trees come forward like McFarlane / Wilhelm / Spiridellis and MOST importantly Aidan Robinson. I see Midd is again big and physical on the backline. Not sure if anyone besides Midd fans have noticed but Elias is using the 6'3 Frosh Ryan Grady as his starting GK. The issue is that last year's GK Matthew Hyer is only a JR and still on the roster. Is Hyer injured? Or did this Frosh just come in and bully him out of his job? I thought Hyer did a fine job last season other than the odd mistake here or there so this move is surprising. Bowdoin's roster looks depleted. They still have the dangerous Drake Byrd who is now a JR and already has 3 Goals. I see a bunch of steady players that will sustain them throughout the season BUT I see nothing on this roster that is going to make a difference in trying to get Bowdoin vaulted back into the Top 4. They will hang around and get some results here and there including a Nescac Playoff berth near the bottom of the league but THAT IS IT. This is a rebuilding year in Brunswick. Midd needs this game and finds a way. 1-0 Midd


Hamilton v Amherst-----The starting lineup Serpone has settled on to start the year is impressive. Every single one of them is a returning veteran who played a massive role in last year's run. You cannot just attain your goals by sheer will as you also need to rely on past experiences or failures as a team to get through the next step of challenges. This Amherst lineup has that experience and the talent and depth on this roster is plentiful. I mean this team ACTUALLY has Dane Lind and Jimmy McMillian coming off the bench. No team in Nescac, not even Tufts, can match the talent. Now the issue last season seemed to be more based on attitude and motivation. For the first time in Serpone's Coaching tenure it looked like from a distance he and his staff were struggling with morale last season especially with all the mistakes in net and defensively game after game. Players looked dejected by the end of the year walking off the field but the talent still showed because they lit up St.Joe's but just could not hold on against UR. Will Amherst come together as a team following Tufts lead? They will have to if they want to attain their lofty goals. Hamilton has been a mess defensively since 2017. They stand at 1-2-0 right now and are staring down their schedule as their next 3 games v Amherst, at Midd, at Oneonta could blow up any hopes of having a successful season. Nizzi should be playing Oneonta in October not this early as you are just adding pressure to your team to find Wins and prevent Losses. Hamilton still have a potent attack with Wood, Dils and Schmidt. Eckels leads the backline but they have to tighten up in front of GK Thomas Benson. Nizzi has gone with Benson in goal but maybe coincidentally maybe not it seemed Hamilton was getting results with Linds Caldwell in net the past few years. He is a SR now and it might be time to make a change especially against an Amherst side that will physically dominate Hamilton in this game. Benson has nutsack coming out of his net and commanding his area but Caldwell just has more size and presence IMO. Amherst finds a pesky Hamilton side that will battle for a Half and then allow Amherst to run away with the game.....Amherst 3-1.


Colby v Trinity-----I was surprised that Colby took such a beating at Home from Conn last Saturday. I was not expecting Colby to Win but I thought it would be very tight. It was not as Conn rolled 3-0 and Colby to 3 Shots 2 SOG. AT HOME...That is sluggish..They have a solid Frosh Nicholas Assadourian who is a good recruit for Seabrook. They bring back JR Jack Fletcher and SO Grant Pugh who are both natural leaders and excellent athletes as Captains. Colby has a very good base still and will be very tough to break down once the season gets going. Get your goals now because I predict if they get good GK'ing Colby will be very efficient in October when they get fully organized. However, The GK is a major question mark and how their GK'ing goes is how their season will go. I still see nothing that resembles a striker on this roster so it will be goals by committee again. Trinity is due for a Nescac win just I do not see it happening here. Pilger brought in 6 Frosh to compete. Was that enough? Trinity has about 3 Seniors and are VERY YOUNG. Can veterans Henry Farr, Burns, Cottrell and company get this outfit a win? Nah...Colby moves to 3-1-0 on the year heading into next weekend's match at Tufts. Memories anyone...............Colby 2-0



Bates at Conn-----Conn lost their leader in Head Coach Kenny Murphy but they have basically returned everything else. They are a solid experienced battle tested 14-15 players deep with a superb GK. Speaking of Marcucci in net we are starting to see a trend. Just dominant performance during the regular seasons of 2017 and 2018 but absolute head scratching mistakes cost his side up at Oneonta against UR in 2017 and against Ramapo in 2018. Both mistakes cost his team and came at the most inopportune time in a season. Marcucci MUST turn this trend in the other direction. Conn will be right there at the end in the Top 3 with a slim chance of winning Nescac. I have discussed Bates improvement this season and while they still are a year or two away they are much more organized and structured and are not an easy "W" anymore. I think Bates youth shows in this game against a side not just more experienced like this Conn team but especially not on their field and in front of their fans. Not to say Bates will be intimidated because they have 4-5 solid veterans who will cause Conn havoc but I think their younger players will make more mistakes than Conn's veterans. Mistakes usually = goals allowed.....Conn 2-0



Williams at Wesleyan---------I have yesterday talked extensively about both teams. A win for Wesleyan would do wonders for their confidence and could possibly catapult them up the standings as they have a favorable schedule with only 3 Road games from now until October 16th. A win for Williams here and at Babson Sunday would get them re-focused as well..I am expecting a very even game but am hoping Williams midfielder Oberg breaks out as he has been MIA the 3 games. I want him pushing into attack. I also want Gass out wide with his speed and skill NOT in the middle of the field. Changes will be made I am sure  but who and where will be most interesting for Williams.  1-1


Brandeis at Tufts----I am curious what others think of this one..Battle of the weekend for sure. I have not seen Brandeis play yet but just looking at their roster I am still seeing a lack of physicality unless players have grown and improved. I think this is a big test for Brandeis as I thought Tufts played well 2nd Half at Williams. However, they looked dis-interested to start the game and Williams found 2 Goals. They just did not have the talent to hold Tufts off. I think like Williams, Brandeis can score against this Tufts side and pounce on mistakes when the are made. Tufts has lost leadership on that backline and in net so teams must take advantage. Saying all that both teams have a tendency to clamp down on each other when they play and give no one any space. I love games like that JUST NOT EVERY GAME which Nescac has been evolving into. MUST WATCH game however although I liked the Friday night spotlight better.....0-0

Mr.Right

Midd and Bowdoin 0-0 at the Half. Pretty sluggish start with some rust still being worked out. Both teams passing in final 3rd, when they actually where there, was lacking. Midd started the 6'3 Frosh Grady in net again and he is a presence but he has not had to do much so I cannot rate him yet. Neither team has had any dangerous looks so neither GK has been tested.

I give Midd tons of credit as they came out and tried to play some futbol. They were knocking the ball around even in their own half which was a rare sight in years past. I liked it. They controlled possession 1st Half over Bowdoin I would guess maybe 58/42. Still Midd's passing was not good and there were way to many giveaways.  Midd did not look good 1st Half in attack. Midd came out in a 4-2-3-1. They had Aidan Robinson and Mike McFarlane at CB. A very solid CB duo that played well together and along with the big Henry Wilhelm holding and the 6'3 Grady in net Midd has plenty of size and physicality in its spine. Elias has another tree at RB with JR Jack Spiridellis and the feisty SR Oudet at LB. As I said, Wilhelm was holding with the skilled Goulart attacking and Barsamain as the hybrid. 2 Soph Brendan Barry and Liam Sloan showed nothing in the Half but they both have some skill and I remember Barry snagging some goals last season. Potter was up top. The good news was the big striker Brandon Reid did play but did not start and really did not do much when he did play. This Midd team when they get fully organized and comfortable with each other is going to be VERY hard to break down. This should be one of the better defensive teams in the league with one of the better CB duo's. The wingbacks are still suspect but Oudet is solid enough. If Midd is going to try to play more on the ground then they must play faster. When the game started the first 10 minutes they were passing and moving and looked good but as the game bogged down Midd attackers looked very stationary...

Bowdoin had a sniff or two and as predicted this game could go either way. I will stick my neck out there and predict we do not finish 0-0 as someone will find a goal. I think it was last season that the first Nescac Weekend there was like 3 Goals in 5 Nescac Games with like two 0-0 Finals. It was awful..

Mr.Right

0-0 Midd at Bowdoin heading to OT...Weather playing a factor as it is raining hard and windy. Both teams have had a few good looks. Pretty even game. Bowdoin LB #16 Selig is havin a nightmare game and Midd should be going at him. He has been giving the ball away at will and should be pressed hard. Can one of these two find 3pts?

Mr.Right

Amherst takes a 1-0 lead over Hamilton going into a hard wind. More defensive breakdowns for Hamilton as Amherst Cutler Coleman burns 2 Hamilton players who lazily went into tackle #13 Matt Jordan and #3 Jack Sheehan. On top of it Sheehan trots back when he should have been tracking hard...anyhow Coleman delivered a nice thru ball to Lind who found Giammattei who was WIDE OPEN and also was not tracked and he finished it nicely. Hamilton's defensive miscues continue.

blooter442

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 14, 2019, 01:55:39 PM
0-0 Midd at Bowdoin heading to OT...Weather playing a factor as it is raining hard and windy. Both teams have had a few good looks. Pretty even game. Bowdoin LB #16 Selig is havin a nightmare game and Midd should be going at him. He has been giving the ball away at will and should be pressed hard. Can one of these two find 3pts?

I thought about going over...glad I didn't!

Mr.Right

Amherst 2-0 as McMillian finds Giammattei's head on more misery from Hamilton defense. Sheehan was shielding McMillian and looked to get fouled but the ref called nothing and McMillian picked Sheehan's pocket and fed Giammatttei. Still Sheehan stopped playing after getting stripped and more problematic was Giammattei getting free AGAIN.

Mr.Right

Quote from: blooter442 on September 14, 2019, 02:14:53 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 14, 2019, 01:55:39 PM
0-0 Midd at Bowdoin heading to OT...Weather playing a factor as it is raining hard and windy. Both teams have had a few good looks. Pretty even game. Bowdoin LB #16 Selig is havin a nightmare game and Midd should be going at him. He has been giving the ball away at will and should be pressed hard. Can one of these two find 3pts?

I thought about going over...glad I didn't!


Yea looks dark an dreary in Brunswick like a November day. Can't wait..Good news Bowdoin looks to have added a brand new scoreboard to an already fantastic facility..field looked great on stream not sure how it played..Bowdoin and Midd finish 0-0 which is a fair result.

Mr.Right

Conn College scores a late 1st Half goal to go up 1-0 on Bates at Halftime at Home. Nice crowd for Conn as both teams are battling. Conn scores off a long throw that was flicked by Bates #5 perfectly across his own box that a Conn player finished off. Failed clearance by #5 but also Conn player was WIDE open to score because 2 Bates defenders were ball watching the entire sequence until it was to late.

Mr.Right

Williams and Wesleyan are knotted at 1-1 1st Half. Gass is a special player...Williams took a 1-0 lead over Wesleyan with a sick bike by Gass after a one hop off a free kick. Wesleyan should have dealt with it but Gass finished it poised and confident. Very even game as Wesleyan does have an upgrade in net this year and the Frosh Rubenstein is a skilled player. Wesleyan evened it up after Williams had given up a set piece and then was slow to react to Wesleyan's fast take. Alec Haas ended up with the ball at his feet turned his defender and hit it weakly but finished it off the hand of the Williams GK. Williams GK is a Frosh in his first game and it was not his best effort.

Colby gets 2 late Goals to pull away from Trinity 4-1. Colby's 2nd Goal in real time was the epitome of Trinity's woes...If there are lowlights anywhere check it out...

The_View_From_732

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 14, 2019, 03:45:30 PM
Williams and Wesleyan are knotted at 1-1 1st Half. Gass is a special player...Williams took a 1-0 lead over Wesleyan with a sick bike by Gass after a one hop off a free kick. Wesleyan should have dealt with it but Gass finished it poised and confident. Very even game as Wesleyan does have an upgrade in net this year and the Frosh Rubenstein is a skilled player. Wesleyan evened it up after Williams had given up a set piece and then was slow to react to Wesleyan's fast take. Alec Haas ended up with the ball at his feet turned his defender and hit it weakly but finished it off the hand of the Williams GK. Williams GK is a Frosh in his first game and it was not his best effort.

Colby gets 2 late Goals to pull away from Trinity 4-1. Colby's 2nd Goal in real time was the epitome of Trinity's woes...If there are lowlights anywhere check it out...

Might do a bit fuller write-up on this mostly evenly-matched Little Three match between Williams and Wesleyan later, but here are Williams' two relatively highlight-worthy goals to start:


PaulNewman

I know Conn won 1-0 but I like this Bates team -- good size, the way they're playing, and (could be wrong) what seems to be greater diversity than usual for NESCAC squads.  Assuming I'm on the right track, they are probably a year away but by the end of this season they may be a really tough out.  Colby made noise last year and it would be great to see Bates enjoy some success.

Ommadawn

Williams showed no ill-effects of yesterday's battle with Wesleyan this afternoon in dispatching Babson 3-0 in Babson Park.  It appears that the Ephs have righted the ship after a slow start to the season and found a new goalkeeper in the process.

Mr.Right

Nice bounce back weekend for Williams as they go 2-0-0 defeating Wesleyan in a gutsy fight in OT and dispatching Babson with a nice display of finishing. 5 Goals in 2 games is good news especially against 2 teams that are usually well organized defensively. Demian Gass is tearing it up in 5 games as he has 3 Goals and an Assist with 27 Shots and 13 SOG. He has started the year on a tear. My concern with him is he is usually injury prone but for now keep feeding the kid. With 5 Goals this weekend and 2 against Tufts last Saturday it seems to me that Williams is starting to find confidence at finding the back of the net.  More good news was they shutout Babson, while hardly an offensive juggernaut, a shutout is a shutout. Williams will leak goals this year a little more because not only did they lose CB Scatt Macdonald but it seems they look a little more willing to come out and go at opponents which in turn will leave them more exposed at times..This is the high risk high reward futbol I personally enjoy. Wesleyan deserved a Draw as they matched Williams well throughout the game and while Williams had more legit scoring opportunities, Wesleyan had a decent amount as well.

SlideTackle

Quote from: The_View_From_732 on September 14, 2019, 05:16:17 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 14, 2019, 03:45:30 PM
Williams and Wesleyan are knotted at 1-1 1st Half. Gass is a special player...Williams took a 1-0 lead over Wesleyan with a sick bike by Gass after a one hop off a free kick. Wesleyan should have dealt with it but Gass finished it poised and confident. Very even game as Wesleyan does have an upgrade in net this year and the Frosh Rubenstein is a skilled player. Wesleyan evened it up after Williams had given up a set piece and then was slow to react to Wesleyan's fast take. Alec Haas ended up with the ball at his feet turned his defender and hit it weakly but finished it off the hand of the Williams GK. Williams GK is a Frosh in his first game and it was not his best effort.

Colby gets 2 late Goals to pull away from Trinity 4-1. Colby's 2nd Goal in real time was the epitome of Trinity's woes...If there are lowlights anywhere check it out...

Might do a bit fuller write-up on this mostly evenly-matched Little Three match between Williams and Wesleyan later, but here are Williams' two relatively highlight-worthy goals to start:



Agree with the Williams/Wesleyan analysis.  Gass scored on a bicycle! I was mightily impressed. That was a professional looking goal. The game was not very pretty to watch and very aerial.  But Wesleyan didn't deserve that L.  The OT goal was flukey and unfortunate for Wesleyan. Though that first goal was really something.  Williams is a very athletic and as usual big team that uses it's height to its advantage.  Wesleyan frosh players looked much better than what I've seen in several years. Their RB Perchuck is a solid player. Didn't see him come off for a second.  LB Ranieri for Williams was very solid. Also didn't see him come off.