Also Gunn and Flagg have a redshirt year due to injury, so the champs are only guaranteed to lose Feinberg, Yanez, Perkins and Shultz

Quote from: Newenglander on December 08, 2025, 02:51:46 PMGreat run and resolve from Tufts on the way to the Championship.....

Made me look at the success of the NESCACS since COVID - pretty impressive:


Amherst
   NESCAC/NCAA
21 Quarters/Finals
22 Champ/Sweet 16
23 Champ/Finals
24 Quarters/Natty
25 Quarters/Rd of 64

Bowdoin
   NESCAC/NCAA
21 Quarters/NA
22 Quarters/Elite 8
23 Quarters/NA
24 Semi/Rd of 32
25 Quarters/Elite 8

Conn
   NESCAC/NCAA
21 Finals/Natty
22 Finals/NA
23 Semi/Elite 8
24 Champ/Finals
25 Final/Sweet 16

Middlebury
   NESCAC/NCAA
21 Semi/Elite 8
22 Semi/ Rd of 64
23 Semi/ Elite 8
24 Finals/Final Four
25 Semi/Rd of 32

Tufts
   NESCAC/NCAA
21 Champ/Elite 8
22 Quarters/Rd of 32
23 Finals/ Sweet 16
24 Quarters/Rd of 32
25 Champ/Natty

Williams
   NESCAC/NCAA
21 Quarters/NA
22 Semi/Finals
23 Quarters/NA
24 Semi/Sweet 16
25 Quarters/Sweet 16

It actually lasts further. The last title game without a NESCAC team in it was 2017. And in the last 11 seasons, there have been 3 title games with 2 NESCAC teams and only 1 without one.

Quote from: d3_fanatic on December 08, 2025, 07:06:10 AMHas Tufts just completed the greatest season in program history?

2014:
- 16-2-4
- National champs
- NESCAC regular season champs (1 seed)

2016:
- 15-5-2
- National champs
- 2nd place NESCAC regular season finish

2018:
- 18-0-3
- National champs
- NESCAC regular season champs (1 seed)

2019:
- 20-2-2
- National champs
- NESCAC champs
- 2nd place NESCAC regular season finish

2025:
- 20-1-3
- National champs
- NESCAC champs
- NESCAC regular season champs (1 seed)

Not only that, but the most dominant two year stretch. Their only loss in two years was their NESCAC opener against Williams where they were dominant until the game got stopped for two hours for lightning.

Quote from: D3Reporter on December 07, 2025, 07:04:46 PMPlease do yourself a favor and watch this incredibly special interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDwF57K2N04

I promise you won't regret it, no matter your affiliations.

As someone who knows this team very well, it actually shows things that almost no one knows

Quote from: CarefreeTX on December 07, 2025, 01:06:52 PMNot really sure how this Tufts team is in the final, the level of play couldn't be farther apart

This did not age well

Quote from: Sandon Mibut on December 05, 2025, 09:33:48 PM

Quote from: rdanie03 on December 05, 2025, 05:50:45 PM

Quote from: Bucket on December 05, 2025, 05:38:01 PM

Quote from: paclassic89 on December 05, 2025, 04:57:32 PM

Quote from: Sandon Mibut on December 05, 2025, 04:29:47 PMRef very heavy-handed against Tufts

Ref has been fine.

I didn't watch the entire game, so I can't reasonably comment on overall quality, but this astounds me:

7 cards on Tufts? They had 21 all season.

St Olaf's had 3 cards, so it's not like the official was card happy with all. Seems like Tufts partisans have a point.

As a Tufts partisan here's what I'll say. 5-6 of the cards were merited with one blatantly bad call. I think the bigger problem the jumbos had with the referee was a lack of consistency in what constituted a card. If both teams were held to the same standard, it probably would have finished with 5-6 cards each.

Inconsistency was the problem which I'm sure is why Dezotell got carded.

No. Dezotell did that as a matter of principle. He can't tell the team they haven't given their all if he isn't booked

Quote from: Sandon Mibut on December 05, 2025, 12:45:23 PM

Quote from: mngopher on December 05, 2025, 11:31:04 AMI'm the resident Ole here, but I think Tufts advances. I'll say 3-1 Tufts over the Oles. First half ends 1-1 after the Oles get another early one, but this time they can't hold in the 2nd half. Tufts gets a winner early in the 2nd and tacks on another with the Oles pressing late.

I'm not falling for the reverse psychology trick!

My gut says Trinity over Emory today, but the eventual winner I think will come from the Tufts-St. Olaf match.

Looking at NESCAC teams, I think Conn and Wesleyan (in particular) and Tufts all have a several of their studs back again next year. I  thought I had read/heard that Antic would take another year but IDK.

Bates had 2 freshmen and a Sophomore earn All-Conference honors. They could be a team to watch in the next year or two. Not sure what will happen in 2026 with Amherst, Midd or Williams.

I know that Antic has another year of eligibility, but I would imagine that if they win Sunday, he'll walk off a champion. With a loss, idk what he would do.

Quote from: Bucket on December 05, 2025, 05:38:01 PM

Quote from: paclassic89 on December 05, 2025, 04:57:32 PM

Quote from: Sandon Mibut on December 05, 2025, 04:29:47 PMRef very heavy-handed against Tufts

Ref has been fine.

I didn't watch the entire game, so I can't reasonably comment on overall quality, but this astounds me:

7 cards on Tufts? They had 21 all season.

St Olaf's had 3 cards, so it's not like the official was card happy with all. Seems like Tufts partisans have a point.

As a Tufts partisan here's what I'll say. 5-6 of the cards were merited with one blatantly bad call. I think the bigger problem the jumbos had with the referee was a lack of consistency in what constituted a card. If both teams were held to the same standard, it probably would have finished with 5-6 cards each.

On the question of returning players, the jumbos also will return a significant amount, as they will return all but 1 of their starting back line, 2 of their 3 attackers and a good portion of their midfield(especially if they can convince the 3 seniors who took redshirt years to come back). Their only major question is in net, with Antic graduating.

Quote from: el_jefe_90 on November 26, 2025, 04:57:34 PMSomething of note for Tufts last night, maybe a Jumbo fan has some info as to why. James Morakis wasn't in the starting lineup. He's gotten off to a bit of a slow start shooting, though he's scored 30 points over the last two games. He was also coming off a game where he turned it over 6 times. Perhaps this was coach Linton trying to switch things up and give the team a spark? We'll see if it's for one game or see it become the norm.

As a jumbos fan, I can hazard a guess. In the Yeshiva game at the weekend, while Morakis was sensational offensively, his defense was a liablity. Yeshiva was running back picks for backdoor cuts where he was a step late for 10 minutes straight at the end of the first half. At the end of the half, Linton switched to the zone, which worked, but can't be done with Morakis because he isn't tall enough to play down low or truly athletic enough to be in the 3 man press up top. This is where the jumbos are continuing to miss Liam Kennelly's defense, which was a difference maker in years past.

Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 24, 2025, 01:32:47 PMOnce again, the argument to give these lads a days rest rears its head. I think I'd be less annoyed with this set up if programs spent a couple of weekends in late September or October running a few Sat/Sun weekends to understand what it actually looks like in practice.

As it stands, some of the most important games of the year take place with at least one of the sides exhausted, usually both. I don't like attrition playing such an outsized role.

This is why the NESCAC has teams in the championship game every year. Each team has at least 3 of those weekends every year(plus another if they make it to the NESCAC final), so they are plenty used to it.

Quote from: flyingdutchman on November 19, 2025, 01:32:05 PMWhich quadrant is the group of death?

Top Left. You have the three best NESCAC teams and the 11-time national champ Messiah

Quote from: ChickenHoops on November 18, 2025, 01:24:30 PMWill Tufts win a game in the NESCAC this year?   

They will do what they have done each of the last couple years. Win 8-9 games and then get blown out by Trinity

Quote from: CentPA on November 16, 2025, 08:03:47 PMThe only two teams to beat Messiah this year played each other tonight and Penn State Harrisburg (NPI #71) upsets Rowan (NPI #21) 1-0 scoring the lone goal with less than two minutes left in the game.

What's crazy is that Harrisburg is probably going to be the host of that sectional. Tufts has the men hosting, and neither Mary Washington nor Middlebury can get teams there without 2 flights, while PSU can do it without any.

Good news for the 8 teams who will be going to Minnesota for sectionals. It's actually going to be relatively nice weather up there next weekend. Should be in the 50s in Boston and getting up to 60 in Lynchburg next weekend. I have a feeling Salem's gonna feel cold for the four teams that get there.