NESCAC 2014

Started by Becks, February 27, 2014, 08:56:22 PM

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Ocean 1

Quote from: nescac1 on December 01, 2014, 03:48:29 PM
Anyone have any thoughts on the Williams-JHU match-up?  JHU played a really tough non-conference schedule including Messiah and Lynchburg, so they are certainly battle-tested.  They also bring back all-American striker Kronick who scored the last-second game winner vs. the Ephs last year.  Hopefully Williams will have a plan to mark her tightly as elite strikers have caused some problems at times for the Eph backline this season.  On the plus side, Williams is clearly a much better team than the one who lost to Hopkins last year, especially offensively, as the Kirshe-Thomas duo were still learning at this point last year.  No one has been able to stop them so far this post season, and my hope is that two superstars up front is greater than one come Friday!

Well...if we believe the Massey Ratings, Williams has a win pobability of 53% v. 32% for JHU in a match-up. Williams defense/offense is rated #1 / #5 v. #15 / #7 respectively for JHU.

Goals/game and shot percentage are pretty even (Williams at 2.64/.124 and JHU at 2.65/.144) while both have outstanding scorers in Kirshe/Thomas (Williams) and Kroniker/Teng (JHU). GAA average is 0.44 (Williams) v. 0.64 (JHU).

I think in this game both teams can score. But with the #1 top-rated defense, a strength-of-schedule rating of #1 as a differentiator and the motivation to reverse last year's JHU result...I'll go with the old motto that 'defense wins championships' and align with the smart money and take Williams in a victory.

Ocean 1

First of the All-American Team announcements involving NESCAC players are out from Bennett Ranking

The BennettRank XI All-American Team includes William's Lilly Wellenbach, Kristi Kirshe and Audrey Thomas. Congratulations to all and good luck in the Tournament!

Ocean 1

NSCAA All-New England Awards are out:

- 4 Teams selected:

  - 1st Team: Wellenbach, Mitsuyama, Kirshe (Williams); McCarthy (Bowdoin); Kempainen (Conn)
  - 2nd Team: Thomas (Williams); Burwick (Amherst); Higgins (Conn); Hofstetter (Bowdoin)
  - 3rd Team: Stier (Amherst); Smith (Bowdoin)
  - 4th Team: Greer (Tufts); Kligler, Robinson (Midd)

Coach of Year: Riker (Conn)

Congratulations to everyone!

nescac1

I guess Williams can only get so many on the first team, but Thomas is a first team all-New England player for sure. 

A more glaring omission: Maya Jackson-Gibson from Amherst.  How is she not on any of those four teams?  And odd that Stier is third team when Jackson-Gibson is not represented at all (by way of comparison, Jackson-Gibson was first team all-NESCAC, Stier second-team). 

Good luck to the Ephs today!!

Ocean 1

Quote from: nescac1 on December 05, 2014, 08:07:07 AM
I guess Williams can only get so many on the first team, but Thomas is a first team all-New England player for sure. 

A more glaring omission: Maya Jackson-Gibson from Amherst.  How is she not on any of those four teams?  And odd that Stier is third team when Jackson-Gibson is not represented at all (by way of comparison, Jackson-Gibson was first team all-NESCAC, Stier second-team). 

Good luck to the Ephs today!!

Agree with a deserving Thomas belonging on the 1st team All-New England squad...all she did was score 16 goals and break the school record right behind Kirshe in one of the top leagues in the country.

Would also appear that there is an attempt to be inclusive in these selections. Here's how total selections by conference break down:

- NESCAC:     14 players
- NEWMAC:    10
- CCC:             9
- LEC:              4
- UAA:              3
- GNAC:            3
- MASCAC:        2
- NECC:            2
- NAC:              1
- Total:           48

So NESCAC, NEWMAC and CCC end-up with 69% of the picks. One could clearly argue about the distribution from a NESCAC point-of-view, but then again, would imagine fairness is in play here as well.

GO EPHS!

Ocean 1

Four (4) NESCAC players have been selected to the NSCAA All-American Team:

- 1st Team: Wellenbach (Williams) and Kempainen (Conn)
- 2nd Team: Kirshe (Williams) and McCarthy (Bowdoin)

Gongratulations to all!!!

Ocean 1

Congraulations to the Lady Ephs last evening...knocking-off JHU in dramatic fashion and advancing to the title game today. The stats weren't pretty but the defensive performance and result was!

Best of luck in bringing home the first Women's Soccer National Championship to both Williams and to New England later today!!

All NESCAC

Good luck LADY EPHS. GO NESCAC!

Jump4Joy

Yes: Go NESCAC!
Saw only the second half last night, when JH had the run of play for the most part, but Williams held on while asserting just enough attack to occupy some precious minutes. Ephs were under fire (how many CKs in that second half?!) but never looked flustered.

Ocean 1

Quote from: Jump4Joy on December 06, 2014, 11:14:48 AM
Yes: Go NESCAC!
Saw only the second half last night, when JH had the run of play for the most part, but Williams held on while asserting just enough attack to occupy some precious minutes. Ephs were under fire (how many CKs in that second half?!) but never looked flustered.

Agree. And don't forget, Williams appeared to be subbing liberally throughout the game, particularly in the second-half. When their first-team is on the pitch, they can attack quickly and relentlessly and suspect they will do so tonight...no need to save any gas in the tank for another game.

nescac1

Heartbreaking end to the season, especially to lose on the ever-cruelly-random PKs, but what an incredible year by Williams, and they played a juggernaut, veteran Lynchburg squad toe-to-toe wire to wire.  Congrats to the Ephs on completing the best season in their history, and they should remain strong next season.  The Ephs will miss a wonderful group of seniors, led by first-team all-American Wellenbach (who came back from a bad knee injury suffered two years ago) and underrated goalie Hannah Van Wetter, who came up huge in her last three games, not surrendering a single goald in any of those contests despite some good chances. 

Although there are big losses at defense and goalie to overcome, some talented players are waiting in the wing.  And with Kirshe, Thomas, Lewin, Mitsuyama, Swarr, Wardlaw, Kaeser, and Sim all back (and all but two of them back for two more seasons), the offense could be even more dynamic. Added to that group will be Natasha Albaneze, who posted four goals and four assists through nine games before a season-ending injury.  Williams will be incredibly deep in talent in both attacking midfielders and strikers; the only questions will be how quickly two new starting defenders and a new starting goalie can acclimate. 

Congrats to the Ephs on a spectacular Final Four effort.  Always tough when a team has to lose in PKs.  But at least Lynchburg was deserving and they were clearly the best team Williams faced all season. 

Ocean 1

Quote from: nescac1 on December 07, 2014, 09:59:23 AM
Heartbreaking end to the season, especially to lose on the ever-cruelly-random PKs, but what an incredible year by Williams, and they played a juggernaut, veteran Lynchburg squad toe-to-toe wire to wire.  Congrats to the Ephs on completing the best season in their history, and they should remain strong next season.  The Ephs will miss a wonderful group of seniors, led by first-team all-American Wellenbach (who came back from a bad knee injury suffered two years ago) and underrated goalie Hannah Van Wetter, who came up huge in her last three games, not surrendering a single goald in any of those contests despite some good chances. 

Although there are big losses at defense and goalie to overcome, some talented players are waiting in the wing.  And with Kirshe, Thomas, Lewin, Mitsuyama, Swarr, Wardlaw, Kaeser, and Sim all back (and all but two of them back for two more seasons), the offense could be even more dynamic. Added to that group will be Natasha Albaneze, who posted four goals and four assists through nine games before a season-ending injury.  Williams will be incredibly deep in talent in both attacking midfielders and strikers; the only questions will be how quickly two new starting defenders and a new starting goalie can acclimate. 

Congrats to the Ephs on a spectacular Final Four effort.  Always tough when a team has to lose in PKs.  But at least Lynchburg was deserving and they were clearly the best team Williams faced all season.

Terrific assessment Nescac 1...couldn't agree more.

Defense will certainly be a priority on the recruiting front. I think Trutner could command the middle (very cool under pressure) of the Ephs defense, Palcheck will make her mark in goal (she handled the PK's in the Final and did a nice job in a very tough assignment) and Amos-Grosser is a very capable, speedy outside back, but it's not as obvious as to who else steps-up from the current team to replace the combo of Wellenbach, Costa and McGruder plus add some depth along the back-line.

Then again, who would have thought their leading scorer from 2013 (McGruder) would convert to an outside back role in 2014 and do such a fantastic job in expanding the dimension of that role.

Think the Ephs have the talent and experience...another capable incoming class will simply help reload for another run at the titles next year.


nescac1

Ephs add a strong recruit from Vermont: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/02/05/feeney-named-gatorade-girls-soccer-player-year/22959107/

Hopefully she works out as well as the last two Eph state Gatorade players of the year (Kirshe and Thomas)!

The Ephs will be beyond loaded in the attacking midfield and striker positions next season, with basically everyone returning who was a major contributor offensively including two likely all-Americans, plus added talent in the new recruit and Albaneze returning from mid-season injury -- the Ephs will be two-deep with top-tier talent at every position up front.  Palchek should be very strong in goal, but she is the only returning goalie on the roster, so hopefully (and I'm assuming) the Ephs added or will add another strong GK in recruiting. 

As for the back, that is definitely the biggest question mark, but in addition to Amos-Grosser and Trutner, there are a few strong candidates for PT: Hannah Levin, who started eight games as sophomore, will, I believe, be back after missing the year due to injury, Suarez played a lot both in midfield and I believe some in back, and Gancedo could always move back from a holding midfield to a back role given how much midfield talent the Ephs have returning.  Incoming recruits Dawn Penso and Lauren Brown could also potentially make an impact in the back.  Between those five, I imagine they can find two or three very solid complements in the back, but obviously things will have to shake out in the pre-season. 

MENESCACFAN

Anyone know other info of recruiting classes in the league?  Seems pretty tight lipped.

All NESCAC

Quote from: MENESCACFAN on February 14, 2015, 10:29:20 AM
Anyone know other info of recruiting classes in the league?  Seems pretty tight lipped.

Word out of Conn is they have another stellar frosh class coming in to bolster a solid returning roster which is only losing 2 or 3 seniors....there will be major competition for playing time which could be good or bad....knowing Conn's coach he will turn the competition into a positive and they will be at or near the top of NESCAC again next fall....tremendous chemistry and leadership on that team.