NEC 2020

[bam1972]

Today’s games and predictions

MSM vs Towson. Should be a good match up. I think MSM is a little underrated, and I don’t think Towson is as good as in past years. With that said, I think Towson wins a close one

Sacred heart vs Bucknell. I think this will be another close one, but will take Sacred Heart.

NJIT vs Delaware. Sorry NJIT, Delaware is building a really good program over there. This will not be close. Delaware big.

St Joe vs Penn State. Penn State will win, but this will be a good test for St Joe to see where they are really at. 17-12 Penn State.

Bryant vs Providence. I think Bryant is a little better than I thought they would be. But I also think Providence is a little better. Providence in OT.

Hobart vs Siena. Hobart is strong and Siena is still not. Hobart pretty easily.

LIU vs Wagner. An NEC matchup. This is one of the games I thought LIU should win. But after last week, I am less sure. LIU 12-11 with the win.

Merrimack vs Dartmouth. I will be at this game. I think Merrimack will win by a couple. I still think they have the returning players and new players to be competitive this year.

Robert Morris vs canisius. Robert Morris wins big in this one.

[Farfromgeneva]

I differ a bit, have LIU (can I still call it CW Post?) over Wags. The rest is see three wins, Bart, RoMo and either Merrimack or Bryant. Don’t see SHU beating Bucknell, honestly don’t think that one will even be that close unless you’re talking SHU putting up some ghosts ate vs Bucknell backups.

Not sure about Bryant. Played Bucknell close and Pressler is a GREAT coach, but they don’t have nearly as much talent as they did with guys like Danowski, Gunnar, Massa, those nights Athletic middies they used to have a a step slower and inch or two smaller than prior iterations. Not sure about Prov, they look good early last few years but don’t really step up season long and no idea how good HC actually is to handicap that result.

Merrimack is getting a lot of love but I’m not sure they aren’t being overrated. Even having Bertrand on the massive early season T list seems specious (along with him being preseason conf POY when every one this decade has come from a top 2 (maybe 3) finisher in conference which they won’t. Nadalen is a great coach and always want my boy and fellow alum Gravante to win but they and SHU graduates a lot of guys they simply can’t replace (the two transfers at Heart don’t come close to Saggese and Max) thoigh they always have a huge officiating advantage at home, hack away like 90s-2000s UMAss and the other team always has more penalties up there. Nobody in this conference is going to likely beat PSU though I like SJU this year. NJIT looks like they will be at the bottom of conference with Wags IMO.

All this said I like your optimism and hope we do pull a few of those out.

[bam1972]

Well, far from Geneva. I think your predictions were a little more accurate than mine.

I am a little surprised that Bryant lost as bad as they did. With that said, congrats to Providence. They have been doing a good job building a solid program and the school has put the money behind it.

Bucknell is better than I thought.

Congrats to MSM. That’s a good win for them.

Hobart destroys Siena. Hitch really doesn’t surprise me.

Merrimack I thought would win one of their first two games. I might be giving them a little too much credit.

LIU needs to find some offense. Coming into the year I had them beating Wagner by 5 or 6. Coach Wolfe better scrap what he was thinking and start over to get ready for next year and the year after.

Just Robert Morris left today. But I expect them to win handily.

ST Joe. Might need to do the same thing as LIU. Both have 1 or 2 freshman sitting the bench that should be starters.

I thought St Joe would do a little better than they did.

[10stone5]

Congrats to MSM. That’s a good win for them.

That was a big win.
And Mount Saint Mary’s hung with Delaware for much of that game last week.

[Farfromgeneva]

The Towson goalie had a 15.4% save rate 2/13 (Canto, wasn’t he a transfer from like UMass Lowell?). Towson might struggle to make the CAA tourney at this rate, likely 0-3 after Cornell next weekend

[Farfromgeneva]

Well, far from Geneva. I think your predictions were a little more accurate than mine.

I am a little surprised that Bryant lost as bad as they did. With that said, congrats to Providence. They have been doing a good job building a solid program and the school has put the money behind it.

Bucknell is better than I thought.

Congrats to MSM. That’s a good win for them.

Hobart destroys Siena. Hitch really doesn’t surprise me.

Merrimack I thought would win one of their first two games. I might be giving them a little too much credit.

LIU needs to find some offense. Coming into the year I had them beating Wagner by 5 or 6. Coach Wolfe better scrap what he was thinking and start over to get ready for next year and the year after.

Just Robert Morris left today. But I expect them to win handily.

ST Joe. Might need to do the same thing as LIU. Both have 1 or 2 freshman sitting the bench that should be starters.

I thought St Joe would do a little better than they did.

For the record, you got the biggest call correct. I’m not sure what can be ascertained from Bryant’s first two games against 17-30 area opponents.

St Joes Will bounce back, tough game against an elite squad but they have a stud Fogo. And had some good young players play a lot last year so it’s building there I think.

Thought LIU would win but no shame and frankly probably better for the league that Wagner, in its 5th or 6th ye in the league isn’t going 0-fer. Admittedly I’m skeptical McCutcheon can build them up too much, but maybe pick off some decent St Johns type recruits and improve.

RoMo whacked a weak mid level MaAC team w no D. Nothing to see there. Feel like they might be slightly below last year but still very good.

I don’t know what to do w Merrimack. I mean it’s not Bryant coming up w Pressler and I have a strong urge to push back on all the Bertrand press. Dartmouth is improving but if they’re 5-11 or worse including a win vs Pace, does it matter what stats Bertrand will put up? And he can be shut down if others can’t prove to be a threat. It would be egregious for him to actually win NEC POY this year unless he’s 30-40pts ahead of everyone and wins at least 2-3 conference games including at least one against someone not named LIU/NJIT/Wagner. This year should be about building depth and learning the differences. It’s not like Hobart dominated moving up to D1 after 13/14 titles.

MSM and SHU both have UMBC coming up which will be interesting and both have tough road games ahead.

[bam1972]

All really good points. Will be fun at the end as I think there are a handful of teams that can win the NEC tourney.

I will also continue t follow Merrimack and LIU, as I am always interested on how teams do going from one division to another.

[Farfromgeneva]

I want them both to do well except against Hobart. But it’s very hard as Hobarts own experience will show.

[10stone5]

22. Hobart — Trout Tossers can score bushels of goals and are the team to beat in the NEC.

Quint says ‘Bart are the “trout tossers”

[kmartin]

Let’s be clear. Lake trout tossers.

[Farfromgeneva]

Ideally frozen lake trout

[WoodStick]

22. Hobart — Trout Tossers can score bushels of goals and are the team to beat in the NEC.

Quint says ‘Bart are the “trout tossers”

Geneva, NY, the "Lake Trout Capital of the World". Back in the day it was not uncommon for students to pull a few trout from Seneca Lake and toss them at the opposing team as they came onto the field. Richie Moran was a very popular target

[oldbartman]

22. Hobart — Trout Tossers can score bushels of goals and are the team to beat in the NEC.

Quint says ‘Bart are the “trout tossers”

Geneva, NY, the "Lake Trout Capital of the World". Back in the day it was not uncommon for students to pull a few trout from Seneca Lake and toss them at the opposing team as they came onto the field. Richie Moran was a very popular target

So ??? We never hit him.. They are slippery suckers to toss.

[catchnshoot]

Let’s not forget Merrimack has Hobart alum Christopher Willman on staff, look forward to seeing him back on the Boz

[manyhats]

After 3 Brown 12 Sacred Heart 5

[manyhats]

The Bears score 8 in the 4th to win, Brown 20 SHU 7

[manyhats]

Halftime Bryant 5 BU 3

[manyhats]

Final Bryant 15 BU 10

Final Fairfield 14 Merrimack 11

3 Qt Delaware 7 St Joes 5

[manyhats]

St Joes comes from behind to win SJU 11 Delaware 8

NEC goes 2 - 2 today

[10stone5]

Congrats Merrimack on first D1 win.

But ‘Bart.
Just lighting it up.