New England Soccer Discussion

Started by Jim Matson, June 09, 2006, 12:25:06 AM

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Mr.Right

Babson might have a strong SOS but it will not matter in the end because IMO they will have 6-7 losses by the time November rolls around

Mr.Right

WPI is better than I thought when I saw them play this year but I still think Wheaton is just as good and can win that game if they work hard enough.

Expect by mid-October to start seeing the New England region dominated by 5 Nescac teams. Amherst, Tufts, Midd, and 2 of either Wesleyan, Williams, Bowdoin and Conn. Bowdoin's schedule really softens to their advantage after they play Midd on Saturday and they could roll until they play Conn and Tufts at the end of October.

Off Pitch

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 22, 2015, 02:33:49 PM
Babson might have a strong SOS but it will not matter in the end because IMO they will have 6-7 losses by the time November rolls around

You are correct that it won't matter if they lose 6-7 times (or more) which is very possible unless they figure out a way to score goals.  However, the way SOS has been rewarded in recent years' selections, it could make all the difference with even as many as 5 losses.


Off Pitch

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 22, 2015, 02:54:01 PM
WPI is better than I thought when I saw them play this year but I still think Wheaton is just as good and can win that game if they work hard enough.

Expect by mid-October to start seeing the New England region dominated by 5 Nescac teams. Amherst, Tufts, Midd, and 2 of either Wesleyan, Williams, Bowdoin and Conn. Bowdoin's schedule really softens to their advantage after they play Midd on Saturday and they could roll until they play Conn and Tufts at the end of October.

I think Wheaton fades with losses in at least 3 of their next five (at WPI, Brandeis, at Babson, Trinity, MIT).  With two losses already, they will have to avoid any other losses and still probably have to win the NEWMAC to make this year's NCAAs.  They have talent, but they are not the most disciplined/organized of teams and will give up goals they should not that will cost them against quality opponents.

PaulNewman

Wheaton could go 1-4 in the next five or 4-1.  Either seems very possible.

Mr.Right

Quote from: Off Pitch on September 22, 2015, 03:02:10 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 22, 2015, 02:33:49 PM
Babson might have a strong SOS but it will not matter in the end because IMO they will have 6-7 losses by the time November rolls around

You are correct that it won't matter if they lose 6-7 times (or more) which is very possible unless they figure out a way to score goals.  However, the way SOS has been rewarded in recent years' selections, it could make all the difference with even as many as 5 losses.


2013 Was one of few years that teams like Brandeis and Williams got in with 5 and even 6 losses because everyone was beating each other up. Teams were not budging much in the regional rankings and were only dropping or rising 1 or 2 spots in the New England region that year. Brandeis and Williams had a very favorable Record v ranked that year and that is what got them in. They both actually hosted in the 1st round. That was the year of the CCC garnering 3 bids and almost 4 which was getting under Nescac fans skin that year.

PaulNewman

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 22, 2015, 02:54:01 PM
WPI is better than I thought when I saw them play this year but I still think Wheaton is just as good and can win that game if they work hard enough.

Expect by mid-October to start seeing the New England region dominated by 5 Nescac teams. Amherst, Tufts, Midd, and 2 of either Wesleyan, Williams, Bowdoin and Conn. Bowdoin's schedule really softens to their advantage after they play Midd on Saturday and they could roll until they play Conn and Tufts at the end of October.

I tend to agree. The prevailing impression seems to be that NESCAC is very strong this year, and since there isn't some real surprise team like Coast Guard taking a spot from NESCAC, I could see them getting 4 teams in and arguing for 5.

Last year Tufts was too low in the last ranking at #6.  They should NOT have been in a position to be "on the bubble" even though those were the facts going into last year's tournament.  Should have been Brandeis, Amherst, and Wheaton (MA) and Tufts tied at #3.

Mr.Right

Quote from: Off Pitch on September 22, 2015, 03:14:32 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 22, 2015, 02:54:01 PM
WPI is better than I thought when I saw them play this year but I still think Wheaton is just as good and can win that game if they work hard enough.

Expect by mid-October to start seeing the New England region dominated by 5 Nescac teams. Amherst, Tufts, Midd, and 2 of either Wesleyan, Williams, Bowdoin and Conn. Bowdoin's schedule really softens to their advantage after they play Midd on Saturday and they could roll until they play Conn and Tufts at the end of October.

I think Wheaton fades with losses in at least 3 of their next five (at WPI, Brandeis, at Babson, Trinity, MIT).  With two losses already, they will have to avoid any other losses and still probably have to win the NEWMAC to make this year's NCAAs.  They have talent, but they are not the most disciplined/organized of teams and will give up goals they should not that will cost them against quality opponents.



I disagree as Cushing has Wheaton very organized and is a very good coach. They might look from a distance as dis-organized but they are not. Now undisciplined they can be but that is generally because of a few "problem" players that goods senior leadership like they had last year took care of.

ECSUalum

ECSU getting their asses handed to them this afternoon, 2-0 Gordon at halftime!!  Painful and embarrassing to watch!  Being completely out played, out shot, out hustled, I don't even recognize what they are doing.  Hopefully DeVito talks some sense into them otherwise your looking 4+-0 final!

Not anywhere close to a top 100 team today.

4231CenterBack

3-1 is actually kind to ECONN.  Could have been much worse.

ECSUalum

Quote from: 4231CenterBack on September 22, 2015, 06:17:16 PM
3-1 is actually kind to ECONN.  Could have been much worse.
Not really, Eastern had more chances as well in the second half, probably should have been tied 20 min in !!

blooter442

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 22, 2015, 03:23:53 PM
That was the year of the CCC garnering 3 bids and almost 4 which was getting under Nescac fans skin that year.

That boiled me. Seeing RWU, where I spent a year before transferring, completely derp its way into an at-large bid on the back of some veeeeery fortunate wins (Wheaton, Babson in 2OT, Gordon in the CCC game in which they scored on two defensive mistakes) and then winning in the first round against Rutgers-Newark in a game where they were dominated and scored three fluky goals was ridiculous. I will admit that Hoxsie was deserving of All-American, but his team absolutely did not deserve a bid and its victory over Rutgers-Newark has to go down as one of the great smash-and-grab raids. Thankfully Brandeis beat them in the NCAA second round at home and ended their season, which I found to be extra sweet. ;D

4231CenterBack

I was at the match.  Gordon 33 shots. ECONN keeper was fantastic....15 saves most of them point blank. Gordon played really well and Econn looked shell shocked.  It had to have be an off day for Econn.

ECSUalum

Quote from: 4231CenterBack on September 22, 2015, 07:18:09 PM
I was at the match.  Gordon 33 shots. ECONN keeper was fantastic....15 saves most of them point blank. Gordon played really well and Econn looked shell shocked.  It had to have be an off day for Econn.
I also watched the match, lots of pressure on the Gordon goalkeeper in the second half, ECSU could have easily tied the match irrespective of the total shots!

4231CenterBack

Yeah they definitely pumped a lot of long balls into the box and were a bit dangerous. Other than that there wasn't a lot of soccer going on from Eastern Connecticut. That being said, I have a lot of respect for Eastern Connecticut....the last two times we played them they were great matches. Again it had to be an off day. The coach was reduced to yelling at his players telling them what to do on every play and screaming at the officials.