NESCAC 2013

Started by Giggs, January 11, 2013, 04:44:14 PM

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madzillagd

Watched a good chunk of the Williams game yesterday, wanted to see the new NSN webcast.  Overall the quality was pretty good.  I don't think you are ever going to have a fantastic feed at a soccer game but it was better than last year's (and of course better than the men's feed which never came up last week).  I didn't catch the beginning but based on the way it is set up this year I believe it was an NSN announcer and a student analyst.  The announcer was great, knew his stuff and did a good job throughout the broadcast.  The student on the other hand needs to do a little homework.  5-10 minutes would go by and they wouldn't say a word when they did there wasn't much value.  But, it's early and they will get better no doubt, it's a learning experience. 

Giggs

Regarding yesterday's games, I still  do not  understand why teams schedule games against clearly over-matched foes.  What is the point?

amh63

Giggs...seeing the score of the Middlebury-Norwich  game,  I almost posted a comment like yours.
Is there a "Mercy rule" in soccer?   In defense of the Panthers,  Norwich has/is a historic rival in Vt.

Giggs

ok, as a historic rival i guess I will give them a pass.  But at some point do the schools consider that the rivalry is no longer workable?

Ocean 1

Quote from: Giggs on September 18, 2013, 12:34:37 PM
ok, as a historic rival i guess I will give them a pass.  But at some point do the schools consider that the rivalry is no longer workable?

Couldn't agree more. When you see NESCAC schools playing the likes of Mt. Holyoke, Manhattanville, Norwich and the other Sisters of Charity teams...what's the point? Is it to improve the team via dynamic competition? To pad their winning %? To pad player stats? To give the other team's players an opportunity to play above their weight class? To feel good about themselves? All of the above?

I hear the 'rivals' argument. Then you realize that Norwich has lost to Mid the 21 consecutive years they've played them...and that there are only 2 Mid players from VT.

How do teams improve to move on to the NCAA tournament.

woacfan

#35
May I intrude on your board to offer a respectfully different opinion?

It is my understanding that the women's team soccer schedule is often married to the men's schedule. So, for example, in the OAC the John Carroll men want to play Thomas More, so the women's side gets matched up against Thomas More as well.

Selecting appropriate opponents goes much deeper than whether your programs should have to play so-called "Sisters of Charity" teams. For example, is it even fair that UAA schools, which are essentially D1 schools in size, compete with schools that have much smaller enrollments?

Should schools with large endowments that permit in-kind aid and grants (as opposed to sports scholarships) be limited in what they can award to level the playing field with poorer, weaker schools?

In the end, the coach or athletic director picked the schedule for any number of reasons and you should probably ask him or her.

May I add that one of the charms of Division 3 soccer for me has been watching young players of vastly different abilities compete against one another, and to witness the great sporting tradition of America's liberal arts colleges.Do we really want to turn Division 3 into Division 1 light?

Clearly,  some programs are traditionally weak, just as others are traditionally strong.  Most D3 programs are somewhere in the middle.  Schools pick their non-conference opponents for a whole host of reasons.  Of course, most NESAC programs will never become a "sisters of charity" school because they are heavily endowed, but if winning were the "only" criteria for selecting opponents then you probably are the exception in D3 sports.

"We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right" - Brian Clough

Becks

Quote from: Ocean 1 on September 18, 2013, 03:13:40 PM
Quote from: Giggs on September 18, 2013, 12:34:37 PM
ok, as a historic rival i guess I will give them a pass.  But at some point do the schools consider that the rivalry is no longer workable?

Couldn't agree more. When you see NESCAC schools playing the likes of Mt. Holyoke, Manhattanville, Norwich and the other Sisters of Charity teams...what's the point? Is it to improve the team via dynamic competition? To pad their winning %? To pad player stats? To give the other team's players an opportunity to play above their weight class? To feel good about themselves? All of the above?

I hear the 'rivals' argument. Then you realize that Norwich has lost to Mid the 21 consecutive years they've played them...and that there are only 2 Mid players from VT.

How do teams improve to move on to the NCAA tournament.
Sometimes it's just a lack of nearby good D3 opponents. The non-league games are usually the mid-week games where you don't want to have to travel more than an hour or two. Not a lot of good D3 soccer schools close by to some of the NESCAC schools - eg Middlebury and the Maine schools.

Jump4Joy

Like two heavy weights going the full 12 rounds yesterday between Jeffs and Ephs. Teams traded the advantage in different phases of the game. Williams used a long bench, which made the Jeffs' advantage in overtime somewhat surprising. Intense game. Classic rivalry match.

Giggs


Jump4Joy

Tufts nailed the game winner in yet another Amherst conference OT. Jeffs sure did have their chances, but Jumbos came up big.
Meanwhile, Polar Bears served up a NESCAC beat-down as they hammered the gavel down upon the UAA's Judges. Go 'CAC!

amh63

Amherst rebounds from its lost on Sat. , with a strong win at Bates 3-0.  Leave it  to someone who saw it live or the whole game...as announcers indicated that Amherst picked up the tempo after the half.

Giggs

Trinity jumps to #1 in the NSCAA Regional Ranking.  Are they for real this year?

Ocean 1

Quote from: Giggs on October 01, 2013, 03:04:30 PM
Trinity jumps to #1 in the NSCAA Regional Ranking.  Are they for real this year?

Still not sure about Trinity...their non-conference schedule is weak...although kudos to any team that is 7-0 at this juncture. Will be interesting to see how they handle the balance of the schedule and heading into the NESCAC Tournament.

Jump4Joy

Next two Saturdays vs. Bowdoin and Mid may tell more about Trinity. While they passed the test by beating a good Williams side (2-1-1 in conference) and a physically strong Tufts (3-2, including an OT win over Amherst), their other league wins are over three teams with a combined 2-9-1. The win over Williams came early in the season--maybe a good time to catch the Ephs before their long roster starts to gel, and they caught Tufts after a gutsy, sometimes end-to-end game the day before. For now, they get the bragging rights, for sure.

amh63

Amherst showing more offense in a win yesterday over neighbor Mt. Holyoke.  Glad to see the coach inserting new players in...hopefully to find a way to get more scoring.  There is talent sitting on the bench.