NESCAC

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

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frank uible

#615
Your correspondent has seen in the very rough neighborhood of a dozen men's NESCAC soccer games in the last 13 years. He doesn't know soccer at all but does know speed - long sprint speed, quickness, change of direction and change of pace - and has never observed in any of those games anyone with close to 4.30/40 speed, much less sub 4.30/40 speed. He must have been watching the wrong games.

lastguyoffthebench


I tried to run a sub 4.3 40 at 2am a few weeks ago.   Turns out, you're not that fast when your drunk... and if pushed by a friend while running, you can smack your face on the concrete and fracture your skull.


nescac1

Good luck to the Ephs, who will hopefully represent NESCAC well vs. the Messiah juggernaut tonight!  Some nice videos, etc. from the Ephs' week in San Antonio here:

http://ephsports.williams.edu/sports/msoc/2013-14/releases/20131206h7bqpl

The future is bright for Williams assuming they can figure out a goalie situation for next year (neither back-up played much at all this year).  Only a few key players graduate and nearly all the offensive firepower returns, plus they will, presumably, get back three key injured players.  There is going to be a lot of depth and a lot of competition for playing time next year. Hopefully, though, they don't have to think about next year for a few more days!

Williams also has what looks to be a few strong offensive recruits already locked up:

Zach Morant:
http://www.lohud.com/article/20131129/SPORTS/311290070/
(says he is applying ED, but with a 2330 SAT and a 3.9 GPA, I'd say his odds are pretty good ...)

Also,

MF – Tom Young, Edgemont: The All-Section senior was the glue for the Panthers, leading the team with 15 goals and 11 assists. The Williams College-bound playmaker finished his career with 45 goals and 34 assists, and was also named MVP of League II-E.

(See http://boyssoccer.lohudblogs.com/2013/12/01/westchesterputnam-stars-nick-tunic-home-mamaroneck/)

lastguyoffthebench



Maybe Saints of Old is thinking of SLU 1995-2000 when they had all those Jamaicans.

frank uible

lastguy: Your correspondent doesn't require any alcohol and pushing friend to cause him to fall on the way to the refrigerator - he does it all by himself. As far as his aspiration to run a 4.30/40 is concerned, you've got to be kidding.

GarbageGoals33

#620
A sub 4.3 40-yard dash is pretty good.  It would make you one of the fastest players to run the 40-yard dash in NFL combine history. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40-yard_dash

Sub 4.5 40-yard dash is probably a little closer to what you're looking for Saint...

nescac1

Well, Ephs giving it their best but they are dramatically outclassed.  Messiah is better than anyone the Ephs have played this year, by a very wide margin.  Entertaining soccer as both teams play a very similar style, unfortunately for the Ephs, Messiah just plays it better.  The first goal was flukey, a ball that popped high off a defender's leg and caught the goalie off his line and floated in, but the second was a beautiful and really too-easy header off a long cross.  Messiah up 2-0 already and have had several other very good chances, could easily be 3-0.  Muralles had two rocket shots for the Ephs, both of which narrowly missed, early in the game, but since then the Ephs have had no opportunities at all.  Thompson is the best player I've seen Williams play against in some time.  And the Messiah defenders are extremely tough to beat one-on-one.  Ephs will continue to give it their all, but falling down 2-0, and with Messiah pretty much in control it will take a miracle.  NO big surprise, but was hoping the Ephs could hang in for a bit longer ...

nescac1

Well, Williams down 4-0, and Morrell made a few great saves so it could be worse.  Just nothing the Ephs can do, utterly dominatedth.  Messiah has three guys who all would easily be the best player in NESCAC, D Carter Robbins (simply incredible, Rashid could do nothing on at all vs. him, and he also added a nice goal off a set piece, he is on par with previous Williams defenders Kaufman and Leary, both of whom were national players of the year), and scheming MF's Jeremy Payne and Jack Thompson, who lived up to their all-American billings and who are just incredibly skilled and crafty offensive players, not to mention fast and athletic.  Ramirez had a strong game as well.  What is scary is that all four of those guys are Juniors.  As long as Messiah is around and makes it through early rounds, I don't see any NESCAC squad standing a chance.  Amherst might have matched up better simply because they play a different style rather than trying to beat Messiah at its own game, but the talent differential between Messiah and any NESCAC school is simply immense.  Still, a great tourney run for the underdog Ephs, who will be overall a stronger and deeper team next season. 

frank uible

All is right in the world - the Ten Commandments lords it over SAT scores.

All NESCAC

Congratulations to the Ephmen for getting to the Final Four in back to back seasons.  Obviously Messiah is another level up talent wise come tourney time which every other D3 team found out.  Looking out towards 2014 season Williams will have a large portion of their line up back in tact and should be set up for a nice 2014 season (injuries not withstanding) contending again in the NESCAC.  any thoughts to who else will be strongly in the mix?  Middlebury? Amherst?

nescac1

In light of the fact that the best thing about first-year is that they become sophomores, Middlebury should be poised to make the biggest leap forward, and should be a top-three team for sure, as their tremendous frosh class continues to mature.  Amherst I think will still be in the mix but won't dominate the league as they have the past few years.  The Jeffs have all of their offensive firepower returning plus Rico will presumably return from his season-long injury; he was a crucial loss.  Bull is also a monster in goal.  But Amherst loses a slew of really strong defenders and is unlikely to be as stingy in terms of limiting opponents' chances. 

Williams should be improved after the confidence and experience gained from the late-season run and with the return of Michael Madding (who missed all year due to injury), Ritter and Burbank-Crump.  With those three guys plus Pierce, Danilak, Conder, Grunman, Seitz and Dory, the Ephs are really big, deep (two deep at basically every spot), and experienced at the defense / defensive midfielder positions.  The offensive engine of Rashid, Mountenot and Muralles return and those guys if they stay healthy will create plenty of chances, all are skilled and crafty and should work together even better next season.  I imagine Westling will play more up top given how many guys the Ephs have returning in the backfield.  But Williams has two huge question marks -- goaltender, since no one returning has played meaningful minutes, and they need to find another striker or two to replace Kushaina and Kastner.  If one or more of the incoming first-year players can step in right away to finish more of the opportunities the team will surely generate (the team has lacked for two years now an elite finisher), or perhaps someone like Westling can be effective moving into that role, they will be a Final Four threat again. 

Wesleyan and Tufts seem like the other two teams who could potentially contend. 

nescac1

Congrats to the many NESCAC all-American players:

http://www.nscaa.com/2013-ncaa-division-iii-men-s-all-america-teams?utm_medium=short_url

Ben Brewster on the first team, Thomas Bull (who with only a senior ahead of him is well-positioned to be a two-time first-teamer) and Julien Aoyama on the second team, and Matt Muralles and Billy Hawkey on the third team.  Impressive showing. 

All NESCAC

Congratulations boys...well done and well deserved...Go NESCAC!

FourMoreYears

Roughly when does the NESCAC Men's Soccer schedule get released?

LaPaz

Most teams already kno their schedules now but officially it gets released June 1st......