NESCAC

[RhinoEph]

Big win for the Ephs today at home for Senior Day over Wes. Early lead, lost it in the third and then pulled away at the end. Lots of physical play, often costing the Ephs man downs. Matt Freitas was stellar in net for Williams.

[Tigerlax70]

As sometimes happens, a powerful conference like NESCAC beat each other up because of their quality top to bottom. Unfortunately, this will eliminate some quality programs come NCAA tournament time. That’s more reflective of the NCAA’s attempt to include more emerging programs in the tournament mix. Are we at a point where we would admit that 5 loss Amherst, 7 loss Middlebury, 4 loss Wesleyan and 7 loss Williams are toast unless they win the NESCAC tournament? I say this with the full recognition that the aforementioned four teams would easily beat the emerging programs that gain entrance to the tournament simply for inclusion. The NCAA tournament should reward excellence. Clearly the NESCAC has demonstrated over the years that they are a top, if not THE TOP Conference in Division 3. Liberty League is trying to grab that mantle, but we’re not there yet. Other D3 conferences are all in pursuit. Please give me your takes without the hyperbole. Submitted with respect from an old “wooden stick” grey beard.

[InsiderRoll]

As sometimes happens, a powerful conference like NESCAC beat each other up because of their quality top to bottom. Unfortunately, this will eliminate some quality programs come NCAA tournament time. That’s more reflective of the NCAA’s attempt to include more emerging programs in the tournament mix. Are we at a point where we would admit that 5 loss Amherst, 7 loss Middlebury, 4 loss Wesleyan and 7 loss Williams are toast unless they win the NESCAC tournament? I say this with the full recognition that the aforementioned four teams would easily beat the emerging programs that gain entrance to the tournament simply for inclusion. The NCAA tournament should reward excellence. Clearly the NESCAC has demonstrated over the years that they are a top, if not THE TOP Conference in Division 3. Liberty League is trying to grab that mantle, but we’re not there yet. Other D3 conferences are all in pursuit. Please give me your takes without the hyperbole. Submitted with respect from an old “wooden stick” grey beard.

Pool B is only 1 team this year. That will go to CNU. Whose only bout with a NESCAC team this year was a 15-2 thrashing of Williams. All of the “emerging teams” that did not receive an AQ will be in the Pool C field with schools you mentioned. Below are the likely Pool Cs at this point.

1. RIT/Union
2. Salisbury
3. Tufts/Bowdoin
4. St. Lawrence
5. Franklin & Marshall/Dickinson
6. RPI
7. Wesleyan
8. Stevenson
9. Lynchburg/W&L
10. Amherst

Last 4 Out: Gettysburg, John Carroll, Ursinus, Albion

I’ll post an in-depth update again later this week when I run the numbers. But the centennial and Liberty league are also beating each other up like the Nescac and slowly making Stevenson and the ODAC runner up look stronger.

[ah23]

Are we at a point where we would admit that 5 loss Amherst, 7 loss Middlebury, 4 loss Wesleyan and 7 loss Williams are toast unless they win the NESCAC tournament?

Middlebury and Williams are 100% burnt toast at this point. Zero chance they get in without the autobid. I think Amherst and Wesleyan still control their own destiny. If they go belly up in the first round of the NESCAC tournament, they're both done. If they make it to at least the semis I think one gets in, though probably at the expense of the other. Their losses are mostly (not always) close games against top ten opponents, and they each have solid win depth. Amherst in particular has the OOC Gettysburg win (though to be fair they immediately soiled that win by losing to Springfield four days later). The bottom half of the conference definitely is making life difficult for the non-Tufts/Bowdoin tournament hopefuls.

[Dave]

Trinity beat Hamilton 11-2 , after Hamilton took down Williams on the weekend??? Anyone have the skinny on that one?

[ColonelFastBreak]

Tomorrow night lost a bit of intrigue with Hamilton dropping their game with Trinity last night. Obviously, it was tough situation for the Continentals, with it being the 3rd game in 5 days, but a win would have guaranteed them the 6th seed and kept them away from a first round match-up with Bowdoin/Tufts. An Amherst loss tomorrow night would create some confusion, with the end result likely to be Wesleyan gaining the 3 seed with a win. Amherst is guaranteed the 3 seed by way of a win or a Wesleyan loss. Williams and Midd will likely determine where Wesleyan finishes, as Wesleyan has a tiebreaker over Middlebury, but not over Williams. If Amherst, Middlebury and Wesleyan win, then its Amherst 3, Wesleyan 4, Middlebury 5. If you slot in Williams for Midd then it goes Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan. Wesleyan can drop all the way to 6th with a loss to Conn College and a Middlebury win over Williams.

As for the main event, no predictions, but I think it’s quite certain this Tufts team will be the most talented Bowdoin has seen all year. How that translates onto the field is another question. Bowdoin has been excellent all year in transition and the addition of Pat White to their lineup of longpoles in late March has added even more athleticism. He has been a game changer all of April. If Bowdoin takes care of business it’s not only an impressive feat this year, but its quite scary for the rest of the league that such a young team proved capable of handling the pressure of expectations.

Here's a stab at an All NESCAC team.

A

Mullane – Bowdoin
Boyden – Tufts
Bredahl – Tufts
Gonzalez – Amherst

Others: Hazard, Gill, Byrne, Haase, Curtis

M

Kelleher – Tufts
Robbins – Wesleyan
Sheehan – Middlebury
Chandler – Bowdoin

Others: DeMallie, Alf, Sommer, Giancola, Tate

FO & SSDM

Barnard – Bowdoin
Mirkovic – Hamilton

Others: Kopp, Merrill, Rayment, Murtha

D&LSM

Johnson – Hamilton
Bravo – Bowdoin
McHugh – Amherst
Burdick – Williams
Kenerson – Bowdoin (LSM)

Others: White, Adelamann, Simpson, Wilde (LSM)

G

Fagan – Hamilton

Others: Hobbes, Freitas

POY: Mullane. He has been better than Bredahl, Boyden and Kellher despite missing a few games. Fagan may have actually played at the highest level of anyone all year, but it’s hard to give it to the goalie from the 7th seeded team.

COY: Mason. Interestingly, Middlebury is also a very young, talented team that did not play in 2021. Unlike Bowdoin, the Panthers looked like it, as they suffered from extreme inconsistencies. Coach Mason, in his first year in Brunswick, has had the Polar Bears well prepared from the outset.

ROY: Hobbes. The starting goalie for one of the two elite teams in the conference is a worthy candidate, particularly when he finishes near the top of the league in save percentage. Billy Curtis from Middlebury is also worthy of recognition, as he’s been Middlebury’s top option at attack all year. There are so many excellent freshmen playing significant minutes. Kopp, Thorndike, Silver, Ayers, Fitzgerald, Lach, Ford, McAvoy. It should be interesting to watch.

[pcowlax]

Great stuff Colonel! Appreciate your wading through the morass of tournament scenarios. Obviously excited for the big one tomorrow. Bowdoin can score and Tufts has struggled at D all year. Conversely however, Bowdoin has given up a lot of goals in some of their wins (some admittedly after game was in hand) and they haven't seen an offense with the pace. This is not going to be a 9-6 game, that is for sure. I will take Tufts at home in a great learning experience for the young Polar Bears, 17-14.

[nelaxman]

The monster SSDM #41 from Wesleyan is absolutely the best in NESCAC.

[Bystanders]

Great wrap up. For what it’s worth, my kid covered all the number one attack in the NESCAC this year (and 2019), and he thinks Brehdal was the hardest cover and most complete since Chlastawa in 2019.

Mullane was very, very good but he found him to just be a finisher on transition (from a great fogo) and a good high volume shooter, but not as good at dodging.

Brehdal and Chlastawa dodged, shot and passed with equal strength and efficiency. Very hard to know what was coming.

One game vs all three is not a sample size, but that was his view.

[Matnum PI]

Tufts vs. Bowdoin at 7 PM EST: Stats, Video

[Matnum PI]

Kyle Devitte @TheKyleDevitte
The biggest men's #lacrosse game in the @NESCAC is TONIGHT. @TuftsLacrosse hosts @BowdoinLacrosse and the winner gets the regular-season title + No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Do NOT miss it. You can watch it for free on YouTube at 7:00 p.m. EST

[ah23]

Lines from fake Vegas:
Tufts -2.5
O/U 34.5

[pcowlax]

Let’s get it on! Those are actually pretty accurate lines from where I stand. I’ll take Tufts -2.5 (17-14) and the under

[pcowlax]

And…..technical difficulties

[Muleski]

And at the other end of the standings, in Waterville:
Colby wins 22-8 over Bates.

[pcowlax]

3-1 Tufts midway through 1, Hobbes is remarkable, already with at least 4 doorstep saves, keeping them in this. As has been said many times this year, Tufts is just so careless with the ball, they really don’t seem to care if they turn it over. Vs teams who can hold the O at least somewhat in check, this is their downfall.

[pcowlax]

5-2 at end of 1, not sure how there was a call in the last second there when Tufts guy near had his head popped off.

Ok, it was called. Immediate goal to start 2nd EMO by Swank, from my home base of Madison, who has the fastest shot I have ever seen in person in high school and now has the fastest shot on Tufts. I would be surprised if anyone shoots harder in D3. That was an absolute laser.

9-3 midway through 2

[ah23]

Co-sign that, that could have been a ten goal quarter for Tufts if not for Hobbs going full Tillman Johnson in the first fifteen minutes. Tufts got whatever they wanted, Bowdoin had their moments but they need to figure it out before Hobbs returns to earth. Mullane is a problem out there, but a) they just haven’t had much possession and b) Tufts coming out in a zone has slowed them down a lot.

[pcowlax]

11-3, this is out of hand, Bowdoin with very little effective possession. Though the sound has gone in and out, impressed with the Tufts announcers. I believe they are students but they clearly know lacrosse, are keeping the homer to a minimum and are not beclowning themselves with lax bro antics. Well done.

[pcowlax]

13-5 with under a minute. Bowdoin with skip pass to wide open guy in the crease for slam dunk and while the ball was in the air their coach had called a TO. Brutal

Alright, now we have a game. Polar Bears with 4 quick ones in last 2 minutes, 1 with 4 sec left. 13-7 at half

Hobbes had to have had 20 saves in the half