I have been impressed with the 1st Half of Babson v ECSU. Babson really playing well and look much improved from 2015. They had 3-4 great chances to score and were really knocking the ball around well. 1-0 Halftime lead for Babson is a fair score so far. ECSU had maybe 2 or 3 decent chances to score but nothing to dangerous. As I am typing I missed ECSU scoring early 2nd Half to tie the match up 1-1. Anyone see it? Sounded like some sort of deflection. Good game so far
2-1 Babson defeats ECSU...Always tough to lose in the 88th minute but Babson deserved it and look much improved from 2015. The real test will be this week-end against the 2 Jersey teams especially Rutgers Newark. If they come out unscathed after the weekend they will be in good shape.
What is going on in Norton? Wheaton(MA) down 1-0 to Wentworth. Former Wheaton player and oft injured Connor Erickson really has started to turn Wentworth around starting in 2015. Let's see if they can hold on. Video quality much better this year for Wheaton but no audio
Wheaton trying to push forward and Wentworth snags another goal. 2-0 Wentworth with 10 minutes left. Cushing has his hands full with this group but I expect them to get better as the season progresses but cannot rack up to many losses early. Not sure if they took Wentworth lightly but I think Wheaton looks to have some athleticism and some speed but are lacking some midfield creativity. Let's see if they can rebound against the 2 Jersey teams coming in.
Watched Wheaton's game v RUN and was impressed with both teams. They both have holes in different spots. RUN has some attacking flair and speed and grit in midfield and up front. Wingbacks could not handle Wheaton's #9 Sesay as he burned them all day. He put Wheaton on his back yesterday and they need him all year.He is a massive talent and has improved from last year. Wheaton can bang a bit and looked ok in the back and in net. If teams shut down Sesay, which they will, who steps up? I have no answer for that. Still, a very good weekend for Wheaton after a disappointing loss to Wentworth. Also, not bad for RUN playing up in New England on 2 grass fields(well 1 grass field and 1 dirt field). They will be exciting on the turf and should finish top 4 in NJAC but looked a bit gassed 2nd Half and shore up the back line a bit and they will be fine.
Did Wellesley have a water ban this summer? Babson's field looks like a high school JV Football field. Wheaton's field looked fine and I know we have a had a massive drought in New England but Babson's field was bad. 0-2-0 against the NJAC at home and giving up 5 goals in those 2 games NOT GOOD.
Wellesley does have a voluntary water ban in place. Ironically as a "Green Campus", I'm sure Babson has limited the watering of its grounds and athletic fields.
Regarding Babson, it is sometimes hard to tell on video, but it looked like Babson has been playing with just 3 in the back line. It does not look like this early season experiment has been successful.
I think the NEWMAC is down a little this year and any of Babson, Wheaton, Springfield, WPI or MIT could win it. Babson, Wheaton and MIT are all down from last year. Springfield and WPI have perhaps maintained, although WPI will be hard pressed to score against quality opposition.
Quote from: Off Pitch on September 05, 2016, 01:22:57 PM
Regarding Babson, it is sometimes hard to tell on video, but it looked like Babson has been playing with just 3 in the back line. It does not look like this early season experiment has been successful.
I think the NEWMAC is down a little this year and any of Babson, Wheaton, Springfield, WPI or MIT could win it. Babson, Wheaton and MIT are all down from last year.
Interesting. I'd have thought that Babson would perhaps be better this year, but they have been very Jekyll and Hyde thus far. I saw Anderson and a couple of Babson kids at the Brandeis game and heard him pointing out after the final whistle that Brandeis likes to attack by swarming the midfield with runners. Certainly an accurate observation, but I suspect that it might be much more difficult to stop them from winning the midfield battle, especially if Babson has shown to be a little fragile defensively this year. They looked really good against ECSU and deserved the win, but going 0-2 at home and giving up 5 goals in 2 games is not how you want to finish your opening weekend.
With all that in mind, it's worth noting that Brandeis plays Anderson's team next weekend at Babson's field. And while Brandeis is 4-0 against Babson since 2012, including a 2-0 win at Babson in 2014, I suspect that Babson will be more defensive next weekend if in fact they have been playing 3 at the back. They will probably try to park the bus and hope they can nick a goal on the counter against Brandeis' back 4 who - even with 2 new starters - looked solid yesterday against Haverford and gave up 1 goal this weekend to Babson's 5. The Judges will no doubt be the favorites heading into the game based on ranking and form, but Babson is good on its home patch and will want to end the longest winless streak in this rivalry match in program history (last year's seniors was the first class in Brandeis history to never lose to Babson). I won't be able to make it, but should be a good match.
Quote from: Off Pitch on September 05, 2016, 01:22:57 PM
Wellesley does have a voluntary water ban in place. Ironically as a "Green Campus", I'm sure Babson has limited the watering of its grounds and athletic fields.
Regarding Babson, it is sometimes hard to tell on video, but it looked like Babson has been playing with just 3 in the back line. It does not look like this early season experiment has been successful.
I think the NEWMAC is down a little this year and any of Babson, Wheaton, Springfield, WPI or MIT could win it. Babson, Wheaton and MIT are all down from last year. Springfield and WPI have perhaps maintained, although WPI will be hard pressed to score against quality opposition.
Water ban or not if my kid is paying 50,000 and we show up to campus with a field like that I would not be happy. I have never seen Babson play with 3 in the back in Anderson;s 30 years. Always a 4-4-2 but hey maybe after last year he is switching.
NEWMAC week 1:
I've been on such a roll with my NESCAC and Premier League picks, I thought it would make sense to focus my crystal ball on another league.
Babson 1 - Coast Guard 0 - The Bears come into the weekend 4-0-1 and have yielded a single goal in those 5 games. However, their opponents are a combines 6-12-7 (0.380). Babson is not a prolific scoring team but will eke this one out behind an improving defense.
(#9) Springfield 3 - Wheaton 2 - Springfield is undefeated against opponents with a woeful record of 4-18 (0.182). Wheaton forgot to show up at Keene St in their only away game so far losing 6-1. The Pride prevail.
(#10) WPI 1 - (#7) Clark 0 - Two undeated teams. Clark is #7 in New England and a surprising 5-0 while WPI is 4-0-1 coming off a 0-0 draw with Brandeis. WPI's defense stymies the Cougars
MIT 3 - Emerson 0 - MIT is down a little from last year's squad, but Emerson is perpetually down. The Engineers ease pass the Lions.
The 2016 NEWMAC is wide open. With perennial powers Babson and Wheaton falling back into the pack, and Clark and Coast Guard improving, every team but Emerson must feel that they have a chance to finish in the top couple of positions. Parity makes this a good conference without any exceptional teams.
Babson (2-4-1) has now scored a grand total of one goal in their last five games. With MIT, Bowdoin, UMass-Boston and Wheaton all coming up in the next couple of weeks, this could be the worst season in memory for the Beavers.
Clark (6-0) is the surprise of the year in the NEWMAC. They have not finished better than 7th in the conference since 2010, when they were 6th. With a win at WPI, they now have to be taken seriously. With 7 freshmen in a rotation of about 16, Coach O'Toole may finally have this program on the rise.
Coast Guard (5-0-1) has only surrendered one goal to date. Their trademark is that the are extraordinarily fit and play very hard. It will be interesting to see how they fare Tuesday at Conn College. I would expect a 0-1 loss or something similar.
Emerson (2-3) is in their fourth season in the NEWMAC and has still not won a conference game (0-20-1). With the improvement at Clark, it is difficult to see that changing this year.
MIT (4-1) lost a ton of talent from last year's squad, but they have started the season admirably. However, with an upcoming stretch of games against Wentworth, Babson, Amherst, Coast Guard and Brandeis, they will most likely find their level at or a little above 0.500
Springfield (5-0-1) may have played one of the weakest schedules in the country so far. Their non-conference opponents are a combined 5-21-1 (0.204). The strongest out of conference opponent on their schedule is Keene St next Sunday.
Wheaton (5-2-1) has put together a respectable record, but they got absolutely crushed at Keene St 6-1 and were down 5-0 30 minutes in. That performance is hard to reconcile with a win over Rutgers-Newark. With games remaining at Brandeis, at Trinity and at Wesleyan, Coach Cushing will have to help this team find some consistency to be any kind of threat make the NCAAs.
WPI (4-1-1) is built on defense, so they have to be very disappointed to surrender two goals in a 2-1 loss at home to Clark after playing Brandeis to a 0-0 tie. They are likely destined to be a middle of the pack team given the parity in the conference this year.
Thank you for your thoughtful analysis and for shining light on what has to be one of the most academically eclectic athletic conferences in the country. Throw in the three women's colleges (Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and Wellesley) and the odd mix becomes even odder!
As expected, Coast Guard falls 0-1 at Conn College. Playing on the road, the Bears were most likely fatigued by their long trip.
Current NEWMAC standings:
1. Clark 2-0-0 (8-0-0) I guess we have to start taking Clark seriously with their wins over Coast Guard and WPI. Although neither of those teams was expected to win the conference, they are legitimate potential upper half of the conference contenders. Clark plays a lot of freshmen. In fact, 5 of their top 8 scorers are freshmen. With games the next two Saturdays with Springfield and at Babson, we will know if the Cougars are actual threats to win the conference.
2. Springfield 1-0-1 (7-0-1) The Pride tied Wheaton at home Saturday, but they remain difficult to evaluate having played such an abysmal schedule. Their non-conference opponents now have a combine record of 15-35-2 (0.308), and none of their remaining non-conference opponents currently has a winning record. Springfield will need to be an AQ to play in the NCAAs.
3. WPI 1-1-0 (6-1-1)
Coast Guard 1-1-0 (5-2-1)
MIT 1-1-0 (4-3-0)
Babson 1-1-0 (4-4-1)
At least one of these teams will likely not be one of the five that qualify for the conference tournament. I wouldn't bet against Babson. My pick for the team that falls out of this bunch is MIT who barely got by Emerson 1-0.
7. Wheaton 0-1-1 (5-4-1) The Lyons are 2-3-1 in their last 6 and have been blanked in their last 2. With Brandeis, Babson, Trinity, MIT and Wesleyan in the next two weeks, this season could quickly get away from them.
8. Emerson 0-2-0 (2-5-0) Outscored 27-4 in 7 conference games last season and 6-0 in 2 games this season, the Lions hope to finish their schedule.
Babson up 1-0 10 minutes us in Wheaton...This is a game I think Wheaton needs to win as they could be looking at a 0-1-2 Newmac start. Not good
Coast Guard up 1-0 on MIT with 10 minutes to go in the 2nd Half. The winner of this game puts themselves in position for a Top 4 seed in the Newmac tournament with the loser having to battle for most likely the #4/#5 seed. Coast Guard starting to really take their time but MIT is not pressing to get the ball back. As much as I was critical in 2014 for their NCAA tournament team and being overrated, they are fun to watch because while not every player is tremendously skilled they all work their asses off. If you come out not ready to go against them they will come at you hard.
Babson up 1-0 on Whearon at halftime. Wheaton has had some chances to score but could not finish.
Coast Guard defeats MIT 1-0. MIT had a great chance to tie the game with 30 seconds left after service from the flank got past 3 Coast Guard defenders to find a kid WIDE open with the ball at his feet. It was a tight angle but it was just him staring at the GK rand he proceeds to shoot a half shanked shot right at the GK..Coast Guard survives 1-0. I wonder if Amherst wore MIT down 3 days ago and maybe they were not fully ready to go.
Wheaton ties it up against Babson 1-1 in a must game for both teams in reality. Wheaton playing much better 2nd Half and have Babson on their heels for a good portion of the half.
Current NEWMAC standings (10/3/16):
1. Springfield 2-0-1 (9-0-1) The Pride has impressively outscored their opponents 42-5 this season, and they notched their best win of the season Saturday against previously unbeaten Clark. Despite having already played one of the weakest schedules in recent memory, only 3 of their remaining 8 opponents have a winning record (at WPI, Babson, at Coast Guard). Their opponents thus far now have a combined record of 38-55-5 (increased from 0.358 to 0.413 with the inclusion of Clark's 9-1 record). I think they will suffer their first loss of the season Saturday at WPI.
2. Clark 2-1-0 (9-1-0) The young Cougars continue to be the surprise team of the conference. Having lost to Springfield this past weekend and then traveling to Babson Saturday, they will likely have taken a couple of steps back to reality. With Babson, MIT, Emerson and Wheaton remaining, a win against Emerson and a win or tie against any of the other three puts Clark into the conference tournament for the first time since 2009.
3. WPI 2-1-0 (7-1-2) Defense keeps the Engineers in games. They have only yielded 5 goals on the season.
Coast Guard 2-1-0 (7-2-1) They play hard and don't beat themselves. So far this season, that has been enough.
Babson 2-1-0 (5-4-2) The Beavers have played the conference's most difficult schedule. They are a solid side, but a season total of 13 goals is a concern.
6. MIT 1-2-0 (4-5-0) As predicted, the Engineers have fallen back through the pack. With conference games remaining with Wheaton, Clark, Springfield and WPI, their descent should continue.
Add in games with Brandeis and Mass-Boston, and MIT is looking at a losing season and the likelihood of missing the conference tournament.
7. Wheaton 0-2-1 (6-5-1) The Lyons finish with MIT, Emerson, Coast Guard and Clark. They will probably have to win 3 of those games just to qualify for the conference tournament. They also have to travel to Trinity and Wesleyan in the midst of the final stretch.
8. Emerson 0-3-0 (2-7-0) They have now been outscored 35-4 in their last 10 conference games and are still seeking their first ever conference win.
Newmac could be a 2 bid league this year if Springfield wins the conference tournament. Clark and WPI, if they continue winning will be in the hunt for a Pool C as they have both played reasonable schedules and both should have SOS's of .560-.565. That is not great but it would be enough unless they rack up 3 more losses. Springfield's schedule is so weak that they will not get a Pool C even if they run the table IMO. First, I do not think they will run the table and second their SOS will be around .525 and that is generous and they will have a terribly weak OWP.
Current NEWMAC standings (10/9/16):
1. Springfield 3-0-1 (11-0-1) The Pride have scored at least 2 goals in every game this season, and have outscored their competition 48-7. They host Babson next Saturday in a battle for first place.
2. Babson 3-1-0 (6-4-3) The Beavers are unbeaten in their last 6 games against the likes of Mass-Boston, Clark, Wheaton, Bowdoin and MIT.
3. Clark 2-2-0 (10-2-0)
Coast Guard 2-2-0 (8-3-1)
WPI 2-2-0 (7-2-3)
Coast Guard's loss to Emerson puts them in danger of not finishing in the top 5 and making the conference tournament. With games left at WPI, Wheaton and Springfield, the WPI game becomes a must win.
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6. Wheaton 1-2-1 (7-6-1) The Lyons finish with Emerson, Coast Guard and Clark. They have been inconsistent but remain a dangerous side. Surprisingly, they have surrendered 22 goals on the season - the most in the conference.
7. MIT 1-3-0 (4-7-0)
Emerson 1-3-0 (3-7-0)
The Engineers have lost 6 in a row and finish with Clark, Springfield and WPI. They also have a non-conference game with Mass-Boston. The probability of a top 5 conference finish is remote. Congratulations to Emerson on their first ever NEWMAC win.
Current NEWMAC standings (10/15/16):
1 Babson 4-1-0 (7-4-3) The Beavers gave Springfield their first loss of the season to move into first. Babson faces NE #9 Endicott tomorrow and finishes the conference season with WPI at home and Emerson on the road. A regular season championship and conference tournament hosting look probable.
2. Springfield 3-1-1 (12-1-1) The Pride suffered their first loss today. Their attempt to play Amherst-style soccer worked very well against their weak non-conference slate but not so much against better quality. They finish at MIT and at Coast Guard - two very winnable games should Babson stumble.
3. Clark 3-2-0 (12-2-0) The Cougars, who face Brandeis Wednesday, finish their conference schedule at Emerson and at Wheaton. One more win should assure them of a conference tournament qualifying position.
4. Coast Guard 2-2-1 (8-3-2) Finishes with Wheaton and Springfield
WPI 2-2-1 (7-2-4) Still has Babson and MIT
Wheaton 2-2-1 (9-6-1) Closes with Coast guard and Clark.
One of these three teams will likely miss the conference tournament. Coast Guard is in the most perilous position.
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7. MIT 1-4-0 (4-8-1)
Emerson 1-4-0 (4-8-0)
Current NEWMAC standings (10/22/16):
1. Babson 5-1-0 (9-4-3) The Beavers are now unbeaten in their last 9 games having dispatched Endicott and regionally ranked WPI last week. A win or tie at Emerson clinches the NEWMAC regular season championship and hosting responsibilities for the conference tournament.
2. Springfield 4-1-1 (14-1-1) The Pride have racked up 59 goals in winning an impressive 14 games already this season. They were ranked 7th in New England in last week's NSCAA rankings, but they were nowhere to be found in the "real" NCAA regional rankings due to their abysmal sub .500 SOS. With road games remaining at Fitchburg St (4-10-1) and at Coast Guard (9-3-3), they may be able to being their SOS up to the .500 level. They must beat Coast Guard and have Babson lose to Emerson to win the regular season championship. Senior Luke Alvaro leads the conference in scoring with 18 goals.
3. Clark 4-2-0 (13-3-0) The Cougars have secured their first appearance in the conference tournament since 2009. They were a surprising 3rd in the NCAA regional rankings released last week, but they will likely slip a bit with their loss to Brandeis and narrow 1-0 win at Emerson.
4. Coast Guard 2-2-2 (9-3-3) Hosts Springfield
Wheaton 2-2-2 (9-6-2) Hosts Clark
6. WPI 2-3-1 (8-3-4) Hosts MIT
One of these three teams will not qualify for the conference tournament. Coast Guard (regionally ranked #11) must beat Springfield and Wheaton must beat Clark if WPI (regionally ranked #9) wins against MIT as expected. As Coast Guard and Wheaton tied 4-4 on Saturday, I believe Coast Guard would win the tiebreaker (win vs #1 Babson ) should both lose Saturday.
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7. MIT 1-5-0 (4-10-1) Winless in their last 10 games.
Emerson 1-5-0 (4-10-0) Have scored just 2 goals in 6 conference games.
Babson hosts the conference tournament by winning the regular season championship. WPI is on the outside looking in with a 6th place finish thanks to a loss to MIT.
#5 Coast Guard plays #4 Wheaton Wednesday
Babson, Springfield and Clark may still have some hope for a Pool C bid to the NCAA tournament if they are not the AQ. Springfield's (16-1-1) SOS will have improved by playing an away game vs. Coast Guard and will improve further when they play Clark.
1. Babson 11-4-3
2. Springfield 16-1-1
3. Clark 14-4-0
4. Wheaton 10-6-2
5. Coast Guard 9-5-3
I do not think Clark or Springfield would have any chance at a Pool C. I would even suggest Babson win/draw their Semi-Final or they will be on the bubble. The right side of the bubble but still on the bubble. Babson will get a Pool C if they were to lose in the Newmac Final.
NOTE: Watch out for Wheaton as they are playing some very good futbol of late especially in the league. Besides losing a 4-1 lead v Coast Guard in the 2nd Half and drawing the game 4-4 they have played very well. They can score goals against ANY of the other Newmac schools it's just can their defense and GK'ing hold up to win this tournament. I think it can and I will predict Wheaton winning the Newmac Tournament. It will be tough but Cushing will get his boys motivated.
Since the release of the Oct 28 data sheet which showed Springfield with a .480 SOS, they have had two away games against teams with a combined record of 14-16-4 (.471). With the away game multiplier of 1.25, this becomes approximately .589. Weighted as 1/9 of their total schedule, this yields an updated SOS still under .500 at about .495. Conclusion: Springfield will almost certainly still not be ranked in the 11/2 rankings.
Assuming that conference tournament games count in calculating final SOS, their number should rise to above .500 this week. The Clark game alone would bring them up to approximately .510.
Beat Clark on Saturday and Springfield sits at 17-1-1 with a .510 SOS and a RvR of 2-1. Would that be enough for them to get Pool C consideration?
Well, last year after wining their Landmark semifinal match, Elizabethtown sat at 17-1-1 (.921) with a 2-1-0 RvR and a SOS that was probably about .520 (it was .525 before the conference semifinal and Catholic's win pct. was .444 which reduces to .378 due to .85 home multiplier, but that's balanced out some with by Catholic's .582 SOS). E-town then lost in the Landmark final to dropping to 17-2-1 (.875), RvR still 2-1-0, and their SOS still approx. .520. And they were not given an at-large berth despite being ranked #4 in the Mid-Atlantic region in the 2nd and 3rd published rankings.
If Springfield won their semifinal they would be in a similar, but not as good, position as E-town last year going into the final: same record/win pct. (17-1-1), same RvR (2-1-0), but a lower SOS (0.510 versus .520), and unranked in weeks 1 and 2 (maybe 3 as well) while E-town was ranked reasonably high all three weeks (#3-#4-#4). If we are talking of at-large consideration, we are assuming a conference final tie or loss dropping Springfield into Pool C. And that final loss or tie will somewhat counter a semifinal win. If Springfield does not show up in tomorrow's rankings--and if you are right about their SOS, it doesn't look like it--then I don't see how they get into consideration. At best they might just crack into the regional rankings, but certainly not high enough to ever get into the conversation, IMO.
Absolutely...Springfield must win the AQ and if they do not then the blame for the schedule will all be on the coach as he will need a major upgrade. There is no reason they cannot play 2-3 Nescac teams like Trinity and Wesleyan which are 30 minutes away. They used to play Brandeis. In fact they used to play under former coach Peter Haley the Little 3 of Williams, Amherst and Wesleyan. With their conference they should be able to find an out of conference schedule that would get them to a .550-.560 SOS yearly. It would be a total waste if they do not make it because they are not a great side but a good side with 2-3 legit players.
I agree and would always err to the side of a team that played a more challenging schedule. This season Springfield played the following 11 non-conference opponents:
Lassell 1-17-0 (last in the GNAC)
W. Conn 6-10-1 (4th in the LEC)
Elms 5-13-1 (5th in the NECC
Westfield St 8-7-2 (7th in the MASCAC)
Anna Maria 2-13-1 (9th in the GNAC)
Keene St 8-8-2 (6th in the LEC)
S. Vermont 4-10-3 (7th in the NECC)
Framingham St 8-11-0 (3rd in the MASCAC)
W. New England 10-9-0 (4th in the CCC)
Suffolk 9-10-0 (4th in the GNAC)
Fitchburg St 6-11-1 (6th in the MASCAC)
Not a single team that contended for a conference championship and only 4 that finished in the top half of their respective conferences.
Quote from: Off Pitch on November 01, 2016, 07:15:01 PM
I agree and would always err to the side of a team that played a more challenging schedule. This season Springfield played the following 11 non-conference opponents:
Lassell 1-17-0 (last in the GNAC)
W. Conn 6-10-1 (4th in the LEC)
Elms 5-13-1 (5th in the NECC
Westfield St 8-7-2 (7th in the MASCAC)
Anna Maria 2-13-1 (9th in the GNAC)
Keene St 8-8-2 (6th in the LEC)
S. Vermont 4-10-3 (7th in the NECC)
Framingham St 8-11-0 (3rd in the MASCAC)
W. New England 10-9-0 (4th in the CCC)
Suffolk 9-10-0 (4th in the GNAC)
Fitchburg St 6-11-1 (6th in the MASCAC)
Not a single team that contended for a conference championship and only 4 that finished in the top half of their respective conferences.
Some of those teams could be kept on the schedule like Keens St, WNEC(rivalry game), Elms(good distance), Westfield St(good distance) and WCONN.
Teams THAT MUST be dropped and absolutely should NEVER be on Springfield's schedule are: Southern VT, Anna Maria, and Lasell. Those 3 teams and wins killed them