The Jumbos ran away with it on Saturday against Bowdoin (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics).
Aside from Clemson beating BC on Friday, the biggest college football upset of the weekend happened in Vermont, where Middlebury was able to topple Amherst in an absolute thriller on Saturday. Obviously, Middlebury wasn’t considered a weak team, but the fact remained that the Panthers were up against an Amherst team that had won 21 straight games and was allowing 5.0 PPG coming into this tilt. Well, Jared Lebowitz ‘18 and his comrades showed no fear on Saturday, and they fended off the Purple and White for a 27-26 win.
The rest of the league action consisted of a number of blowout wins by Trinity, Tufts and Wesleyan, and a solid win for Bates against Williams. It feels like there really haven’t been a ton of close games this year so far as 2016 is really highlighting the talent gap between the two tiers in the NESCAC. Through 15 game, only 4 have been decided by single digits, and 10 games have ended with score differentials of 20 or more points. I expect these large margins of victory will become fewer and far between as we continue through the season, but you never know. In any event, your Tuesday morning stock report can be found below.
Stock Up
Wide Receiver Devon Carrillo ‘17 (Wesleyan)
Carillo had 3 touchdowns, but surprisingly not one came on a reception. Displaying his athleticism, Carrillo lined up in the wildcat formation and rushed for 26 yards and 2 touchdowns. Then, in a flash of versatility, he threw a 48 yard touchdown pass to Mike Breuler ‘18. Maybe we just found ourselves a NESCAC version of Terrelle Pryor?
Wide Receiver Darrien Myers ‘17 (Trinity)
Myers led the Bantams in receiving on Saturday, hauling in 8 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. The senior wideout has time and again proven that he is Sonny Puzzo’s favorite target, especially as Trinity approaches the end zone. Through the first three weeks, Myers leads the league with 7 receiving touchdowns, and he will continue to be a prime option for Puzzo in the red zone against Tufts this weekend.
Quarterback Sandy Plashkes ‘19 (Bates)
Sandy must have been clicking around on the NESCAC website last week and noticed that Bates ranked last in most passing categories because he absolutely torched Williams this weekend. The Bobcats are still last in passing yards, but they have moved into a tie for 3rd in passing touchdowns after Plashkes threw for 4 of them on Saturday including this beautiful throw and catch:
Shout out to Marcus Ross ’19 for coming down with that one as he got his Antonio Brown on. Heck of a weekend for Plashkes and the Bobcats as they grabbed their first win against the Ephs.
Stock Down
Mascot-less Teams in the NESCAC
Losing to Middlebury definitely doesn’t crush Amherst’s stock – the Panthers are definitely a title contender this year. However, this weekend proved that Amherst isn’t indestructible and that is something that will give other teams hope as they face off with the ex-LJs. Even though Amherst was right in it until the final whistle, the interception at the end was a very bad turnover, and in an 8-game season, it is plays like that that can decide the season for NESCAC teams. Amherst is by no means out of the hunt, but they now have to rely on Middlebury faltering against someone else, something that the Panthers just proved you cannot count on.
Quarterback Consistency at Tufts
We’re three weeks in and it’s just impossible to tell who is going to start under center for the Jumbos. Against Wesleyan in Week 1, Alex Snyder ‘17 started, got pulled, and then came back in to help lead the Jumbos to victory. In Week 2, Ryan McDonald ‘19 got more action as the Blue and Brown struggled to move the ball through the air and relied more on McDonald’s feet from the quarterback spot. Now in Week 3, McDonald goes 9-9 for 92 yards and a TD as well as 2 rushing TDs, but Snyder goes 3-6 including a 77-yard touchdown bomb to Mike Miller ‘18. Your guess is as good as mine, but I’d say the Jumbos will just take the hot hand approach moving forward.
Williams
You’re not taking advantage of your opportunities guys!! Two of the first three games Williams has played have been against bottom half teams (Colby, Bates), and they have come out 0-3. Now, Williams’ schedule consists of the following 5 opponents in order: Middlebury, Tufts, Hamilton, Wesleyan, and Amherst. Take into account that the Ephs are traveling to Tufts, Hamilton and Amherst and things are not looking great for Coach Raymond’s squad. If the Ephs are going to turn things around, they’re going to need to make improvements across the board, because they do not have a very favorable remaining schedule.
Dario Highsmith ’20 looks to run through Colby this weekend on the way to a 2-1 record for the Cardinals (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics).
Hear ye, hear ye, Week 3 NESCAC action is in order! What’s almost as good as watching NESCAC football on Saturdays? National polls suggest that NBN’s Weekend Previews come in a close second place. Quite a weekend we’ve got in store: Williams and Bates will battle it out to see who can avoid an 0-3 start, Tufts tries to prove that their close game against the Bobcats was a fluke, Trinity will attempt to put up 38 points for the third week in a row, and Colby will try to upset Wesleyan in a battle between two 1-1 squads. Oh and ho-hum, Amherst and Middlebury will battle for the top spot in the conference. Pete and I tag-teamed this weekend’s preview, so if you are looking to skip through Pete’s overly poetic analysis, I wrote the Trinity-Hamilton and Tufts-Bowdoin previews. Check it out below:
Amherst @ Middlebury, 1:30 PM, Middlebury, VT
For a more expansive preview of this one, check out Colby Morris’ excellent piece that went up yesterday. This game is on the short list for the most important game of the year, with Middlebury and Amherst both coming in undefeated after impressive blowouts in each of their respective games. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that this game may well decide the league championship, although Trinity, Tufts and Wesleyan certainly have something to say in that regard.
The Panthers are led by quarterback Jared Lebowitz ‘18, who has 11 total touchdowns (10 passing, 1 rushing) and just one interception thus far this season. However, Amherst’s staunch defense will pose a very tough test to the first year starter. In contrast to the Panthers, Amherst comes in with quarterback uncertainty, with starter Alex Berluti ‘17 suffering a knee injury last week, forcing third-stringer Nick Morales ‘18 into action. Berluti may very well play, but either way, Amherst’s strong defense and powerful running game led by Jack Hickey ‘19 should mitigate any issues under center. This game may well come down to which offense can break through first, or it could be a shootout that comes down to one crucial stop. In any event, it’s shaping up to be a classic.
PS: Look how unbiased that was, Rory! I did it!
PPS: Go Panthers
Rory Ziomek (5-0): Amherst – 24, Middlebury – 21
Pete Lindholm (5-0): Amherst – 28, Middlebury – 31
Liam O’Neil (5-0):Amherst – 24, Middlebury – 17
Colin Tiernan (5-0): Amherst – 24, Middlebury – 20
Nick DiBenedetto (5-0): Amherst – 30, Middlebury – 31
Williams @ Bates, 1:00 PM, Lewiston, ME
Look, every game can’t be Amherst vs. Middlebury. This is maybe the least sexy match-up of the weekend, with both teams struggling mightily so far. However, the game offers a golden opportunity for either of these teams to pick up a win, so it’s still an intriguing matchup to check the score of while you’re waiting in line for the bathroom at the Middlebury-Amherst game.
Bates put up a very good fight against Tufts last week, losing 12-7 and throwing a shutout for the entire second half. They showed a very strong defense, limiting explosive Jumbos running back Chance Brady ‘17 to 140 yards and no touchdowns. Unfortunately, they had some pretty severe offensive struggles of their own, totaling only 220 total yards of offense. Williams is coming off a shellacking at home against Trinity, in which they gave up 517 total yards of offense and only gained 201. This should be a tight one, with Bates getting the edge because they’re at home and my younger sister goes to college there.
RZ: Williams – 13, Bates – 20
PL: Williams – 10, Bates – 13
LO: Williams – 7, Bates – 16
CT: Williams – 10, Bates – 17
CM: Williams – 7, Bates – 14
SW: Williams – 17, Bates 21
ND: Williams – 14, Bates – 10
Wesleyan @ Colby, 1:00 PM, Waterville, ME
If you ask me, this game has serious upset potential. Colby is a long trip for Wesleyan, and the Mules already have a road win under their belt in Williamstown. Wesleyan, on the other hand, lost a tough early season game to Tufts in which they blew a double digit lead in the second half. Throwing history and reputation aside, both these teams are 1-1 right now, and numbers never lie (except when they do).
At their best, Wesleyan uses an explosive running attack led by electric freshman Dario Highsmith to march down the field. They punctuate those runs with safe, cagey passes from quarterback Mark Piccirillo ‘19. However, as Tufts showed in Week One, the Wesleyan offense can be stalled by the same kind of stout defense that Colby showed at Williams. It would be surprising if Colby pulled this one off, but the possibility is there.
RZ: Wesleyan – 24, Colby – 17
PL: Wesleyan – 20, Colby – 10
LO: Wesleyan – 31, Colby – 7
CT: Wesleyan – 30, Colby – 10
CM: Wesleyan – 24, Colby – 10
SW: Wesleyan – 35, Colby – 14
ND: Wesleyan – 35, Colby – 7
Trinity @ Hamilton, 1:00 PM, Clinton, NY
It took me three clicks on the NESCAC website to find the most glaring disparity between the Bantams and the Continentals: their offensive outputs. While Trinity has absolutely annihilated teams so far, putting up 38 points in each of their games thus far, the Continentals are averaging a mere 3 PPG. I don’t think anybody expected Hamilton to make it through their opening stretch unscathed, but frankly, they have been obliterated by Amherst and Wesleyan in consecutive games. Liam mentioned this in his Top 10 Games of 2016 article a few weeks ago, but the scheduling gods certainly didn’t spare Hamilton this year, and Week 3 looks to be another opportunity for a powerhouse to dismember the Continentals’ defense.
Chipouras looks to continue his insane pace against Hamilton tomorrow (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).
Hamilton is tied with Williams for the second-worst clip of rushing YPG allowed in the league, giving up 221.5 YPG on the ground to their opponents. Meanwhile, Trinity just runs, runs, and runs more, and is averaging 305 YPG on the ground through the first two weeks! Max Chipouras ‘19 was one of my early picks for player of the year for a reason; he has shown flashes of Boobie Miles with his 154.5 rush YPG rate that has placed him atop the conference. I’d be surprised if Trinity doesn’t run away with this one.
RZ: Trinity – 38, Hamilton – 10
PL: Trinity – 45, Hamilton – 6
LO: Trinity – 36, Hamilton – 10
CT: Trinity – 40, Hamilton – 0
CM: Trinity – 34, Hamilton 7
SW: Trinity – 42, Hamilton – 9
ND: Trinity – 40, Hamilton – 6
Tufts @ Bowdoin, 2:00 PM, Brunswick, ME
Speaking of dominant running backs, Smash Williams, aka Chance Brady, is heading up to Bowdoin this weekend to try to dethrone Chipouras as the NESCAC’s leading rusher. Brady trails Chipouras, but just barely, accumulating 145.5 YPG on the ground so far. The issue for the Jumbos at this point is that they can’t decide who they want to throw the ball. Is it going to be JD McCoy or Matt Saracen? Alex Snyder ‘17 and Ryan McDonald ‘19 have both seen plenty of snaps thus far, but neither has excelled, and Coach Civetti has had to lean on Brady to shoulder the load offensively. If Tufts wants to compete for the title this year, it’s crucial that they demonstrate the ability to attack through the air effectively. The Jumbos only rank ahead of Bates in passing yards…the Bobcats run the option…see what I’m getting at?
Bowdoin hopes to get on the phone with Matt Patricia before Saturday’s game to talk defensive strategy.
“So, Rory, when are you going to start talking about the game?” Here’s how my tangent becomes relevant: if Bowdoin can stop the run, they have a pretty good chance to win this game. Because of how reliant Tufts is on their ground game, the Polar Bears may be tempted to stack the box and force the Jumbos to throw. This strategy worked decently well for Bates, right? I mean, there was a minor tsunami in Somerville last Saturday, but still, the Bobcats played a “bend don’t break” style of defense à la Matt Patricia and the New England Patriots, and they found themselves right in it until the end of the game. However, aside from stopping the run, Bowdoin needs to score, which is arguably their biggest challenge of the weekend. Coming off of games against Middlebury and Amherst, it’s not surprising that Bowdoin has struggled offensively to begin the 2016 season, but if their defense can keep them in the game, Bowdoin may only need a couple good drives to find themselves victorious. That being said, I don’t think anything will slow down Brady tomorrow (insert Pete’s comment about me being biased here).
“The crickets still sing in October. And lilly, she’s trying to bloom. Tho she’s resting her head on the shoulder of death, she still shines by the light of the moon.”
― Kevin Dalton
This typically describes NESCAC football this time of year. Its week three and every game is crucial at this point. You’re either undefeated, 1-1, or a goose egg, and you don’t want a goose egg. The undefeated will be the likely candidates of becoming NESCAC Champions. Two undefeated teams face off this week in Amherst and Middlebury, arguably the two best teams in the NESCAC, and one will walk away with the upper edge to being Champions. Remember, both of these teams still have to pass through the Coop, and that’ll be tough considering Trinity’s ability and depth this year. It’s a long season fellas, put the shorts and tank tops away, pull out your sweaters and gear up for the haul of the season. Whether you’re playing for the CBB Title or the NESCAC Title, remember its gonna be cold, so lets enjoy these last few weeks of good weather and tailgating. With that being said, theres really nothing like a super chilly November game with the Title on the line, maybe some hot cocoa in hand… anyways I’m just dreaming ahead, it’s gonna be some kind of season.
1. Amherst (2-0)
Alex Berluti ’17 has stepped up in place of injured Amherst starting quarterback, and seemingly excelled in Garoppolo-esque ways. The win over Bowdoin is nothing to get hot and heavy over as the Polar Bears are now 0-2 being outscored 71 to 13 in their first two games, but Amherst still looks pretty damn good. At this point, however, Amherst still has a lot to prove, and a better testament to their overall ability will be made Saturday against Middlebury. Berluti will need to continue to play mistake-free football as he will face off against Jared Lebowitz ’18 and the Panthers this week in what will decide the top spot in Week Three’s Power Rankings. Amherst has kept it real clean on defense allowing just 10 points and 150 yd/g, so they deserve to carry the torch again this week.
2. Middlebury (2-0)
The Panthers have been led this season by the horse from Burlington, Jared Lebowitz ’18, who has tossed the most touchdowns in the ‘CAC so far with 10. With that being said, the Panthers are a pass heavy team this year, and on any given Saturday it may take grinding through the trenches, something that Middlebury may not have in their repertoire. They have done nothing to disprove their 2 spot on the list thus far, but this week’s jostle with the Lord Jeffs looks promising as Amherst’s defense is a run-stopping defense. We will get to see how Amherst’s secondary handles a real marksman in Lebowitz. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers’ ability to pressure the quarterback (9 sacks) may be too much for the inexperienced Berluti to handle. Middlebury could easily “take the candy from the baby” Saturday, but Amherst could also easily show Leibowitz why they have been the best for the past three years. This could be an all-time classic this weekend, folks.
3. Trinity (2-0)
Trinity always seems to be creeping behind Amherst and Middlebury at this point in the season. We all know its not about how you start, but rather how you finish. Another Bantams slaughter vs Hamilton Saturday will likely keep them in the 3 spot, with potential to move up to number 2. It comes down to Trinity not capitalizing on all of their opportunities so far. The competition has been weak, as the defense held Williams to -10 rushing yards this week. It’s men amongst boys in these games. They could have easily put up another 20 points on Bates in week 1, but that is neither here nor there. The Bantams need to continue to play quality football behind the veteran, Sonny Puzzo ’18, who has demonstrated some flawless connections with wide-out Darrien Myers ’17 so far resulting in 5 touchdowns. Safety/linebacker Spencer Donahue ’17 picked up his 2nd interception of the season and Archi Jerome ’17 got his hands wet with a pick as well. Coach Devanney’s team has a bright future this season.
4. Wesleyan (1-1)
The Cardinals take the 4 spot right from the Jumbos trunk as Tufts just scathed by Bates. Wesleyan did enough to move up a spot this week by putting up 511 total offensive yards on Hamilton. Wesleyan did a fine job controlling the game with possession over 37 minutes, and Mark Piccirillo ’19 had a nice weekend with a few touchdowns, running one in. The cardinals have an interesting test ahead of them as they travel to Waterville, ME and take on the Colby Mules, a team that has shown some grit.
5. Tufts (2-0)
Ryan McDonald, son of Ronald McDonald (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics).
The Jumbos are sitting in cool water right now after their win against Bates. Sheriff Willie Holmquist ’17 laid down the law hitting two field goals, one being 48 yards, before the half to put his team up 6-0. He played a big role as the punter as well. It was really a sloppy game where they ran the ball a lot and Ryan McDonald ’19 scored the lone Jumbo touchdown. Happy to get by Bates with a 12-7 win, they take on Bowdoin this week, in a game they should win. Still undefeated, Tufts’ season is in the stars. Assuming they get by Bowdoin as they should, the Jumbos will face their toughest test yet when they head to the Coop to take on Trinity.
6. Colby (1-1)
The Mules have done enough to be 1-1 after the first two weeks, but they’re still last of the winners in the power rankings. While they were way overmatched by Middlebury. they showed some heart putting up 14 points in the 4th quarter to escape the shutout. Colby has a grand opportunity this weekend to host a beatable team in Wesleyan, but they will definitely need to play four quarters of quality football to do so. Look for Colby to ride Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 this weekend, as Wesleyan allowed Chance Brady ’17 to run for 151 yards in week one. For the Mules, the moon still shines bright.
7. Williams (0-2)
Williams has the upper hand in their game against Bates as they have proved they can put a few points on the board (10.0 PPG). However, they also allow the 2nd most rushing yards per game (221.5). The good news? Bates is the only team that allows more, giving up 250 YPG. Williams is tied for the most forced turnovers in the league, having intercepted 2 passes and recovered 4 fumbles. If Williams can get their offense going a little bit, they should remain in the 7 spot come next week’s power rankings.
8. Bates (0-2)
Bates has some serious trouble on offense. They will need to figure out a way to incorporate some passing into their game strategy after only passing the ball 10 times, for just a single completion this past weekend. I know they run the triple option, but their game plan is just a bit too predictable at this point. Sandy Plashkes ’19 is their QB1 and could definitely help open up their running game by mixing in a few completions. Will he come through for the Bobcats in this big game to put a W on the board?
9. Bowdoin (0-2)
The Polar Bears put up a very respectable performance against top ranked Amherst this weekend, losing by just 21 points. Bowdoin will not be lifting the NESCAC Title in 2016, but they are ferociously hunting for the CBB Title. The Polar Bears have a winnable game at home this week against Tufts, and it’s only a matter of time before they find the win column. I would never bet on Bowdoin winning, but any given Saturday could be a win in the CAC, especially when you’re playing at home. Week 4 will feature the bottom of the barrel Continentals against the Polar Bears, which should cause some serious stir if both teams are still winless.
10. Hamilton (0-2)
Winning football games isn’t easy folks. Heck, Hamilton suffered two goose egg seasons in 2013 and 2014. Unfortunately for the Continentals, they likely have another beating ahead of them this week as they welcome Trinity to Clinton, NY. It will be good preparation as they take on Bowdoin, Colby, and Williams weeks 4,5, and 6. Any decent game on Saturday will give high hopes to the Continental faithfuls. For Hamilton, the title they are working towards is purely a victory.
Hannah Guzzi ’18 lit up the scoreboard three times this weekend for Amherst (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics).
Editor’s Note: The NESCAC Women’s Soccer Week In Review is a new feature that we are rolling out this fall. We feel strongly that women’s sports in the NESCAC should also be covered, but unfortunately due to our current resources, we can’t cover them to the extent that we wish we could. We are going to be putting out a weekly article with updates on NESCAC Women’s Soccer action, however staff size is going to limit us to just one article each week for now. That being said, if you have ANY interest in writing (about Women’s Soccer or any of the other sports we cover) or contributing in another way, please send us an email at nothingbutnescac@gmail.com so that we can expand our coverage! For now, enjoy this week’s women’s soccer update!
Hey we’re back! another exciting weekend of NESCAC women’s soccer including one nationally ranked team being upset! So exciting! So many exclamation points! So little time!!
Tuesday, September 27th
U. of New England @ Bowdoin,Final Score: 1-0 Bowdoin
Keene State @ Middlebury,Final Score: 0-1 Middlebury
Friday, September 30th
Bowdoin @ MIT,Final Score: 0-1 MIT
Saturday, October 1st
Bates @ Trinity,Final Score: 0-4 Trinity
Trinity scored twice in both halves to soundly defeat the visiting Bobcats 4-0. Four different Bantams recorded goals as they thoroughly dominated the overmatched Bates team. Bates’ goalkeeper Sarah McCarthy ’18 did the best she could, saving 9 of Trinity’s 24 shots but her back line did little to protect her. Sarah Connors ’18, Taylor Kirchgessner ’19, Nicole Stauffer ’17 and Tori Dunn ’18 each netted a goal for Trinity, who scored once off a corner and three times from open play. The Trinity defense performed admirably, only conceding two shots on goal and completely stifling Bates for much of the game.
Hamilton @ Wesleyan, Final Score: 0-0 Tie
Neither team found the back of the net in this closely contested defensive affair resulting in a 0-0 draw after double overtime. The Continentals consistently peppered Wesleyan goalkeeper Zoe Cassels-Brown ’20, but could not beat her with any of their 17 shots. Wesleyan played with their backs against the wall for most of the second half as Hamilton took the offensive, but the Cardinals’ defense held firm refusing to break during the onslaught.
Middlebury @ Colby, Final Score: 3-0 Middlebury
The visiting Panthers dominated the Mules to secure a comfortable 3-0 win on Saturday. Katherine Hobbs ’17 scored in under five minutes to give Middlebury the only lead they needed as goalkeeper Kate Reinmuth ‘17 posted a clean sheet. Adrianna Gildner ‘17 scored later in the first half to extend the lead to two goals. Colby struggled to get anything going on offense, only tallying 3 shots and failing to test the Middlebury back line. Amanda Dafonte ’19 added the Panthers’ third and final goal off a rebound to seal Colby’s fate.
Tufts @ Amherst,Final Score: 3-1 Amherst
Amherst jumped out to an early two goal lead and held on for the remaining 75 minutes of action to secure a 3-1 victory over the visiting Jumbos. Amherst’s Maeve McNamara ’19 scored the first goal of the game within ten minutes, and her teammate Hannah Guzzi ’18 added to the Amherst lead heading in a corner kick. Guzzi scored again in the second half with a clinical finish off a pass from McNamara that pushed their team’s lead to 3-0. Tufts’ Taylor Koscho (’20) scored on a free kick from roughly 25 yards away to help the Jumbos avoid a shutout, but by that point, Amherst had a firm grip on the game and held on for the last 20 minutes.
Williams @ Conn College,Final Score: 1-0 Williams
In one of the most anticipated games of the week, two nationally ranked teams clashed in New London. The #2 Ephs defeated #20 Conn College 1-0 to secure their current position atop the NESCAC standings. The Camels seemed to be on the offensive for most of the game, testing Williams keeper Olivia Barnhill ’19 11 times, but they couldn’t find the back of the net. Williams’ Kristi Kershe ‘17 scored the only goal of the match when she beat a defender while collecting a pass from Alison Lu ’20 before beating Conn College goalie Bryanna Montalvo ’18 with a brilliant finish.
Sunday, October 2nd
Hamilton @ Tufts,Final Score: 1-3 Tufts
Tufts rebounded from their difficult loss to Amherst on Saturday to beat the visiting Continentals 3-1. Margaret Zarah ’18 scored first for the Jumbos, finishing off of a corner late in the first half. Hamilton tied the game early in the second when Morgan Fletcher ’17 scored off a rebound, but Tufts wasted little time though in retaking the lead. Mariah Harvey-Brown ’18 scored for the Jumbos less than two minutes later, and Jess Capone ’17 extended the lead to 3-1 later in the second half to seal the deal.
Bates @ Amherst,Final Score: 0-3 Amherst
Amherst notched their second blowout victory of the weekend, defeating the visiting Bobcats at home. Amherst scored in under a minute when Emily Hester ’17 finished a perfect cross from Delancey King ’18. The L*** J**** scored again in the 10th minute when Hannah Guzzi ’18 found the back of the net for her third goal of the weekend. Rubii Tamen ’19 scored Amherst’s third and final goal, knocking in a rebound after Guzzi again tested the Bates keeper Sarah McCarthy ’18. Amherst thoroughly dominated the game, constantly attacking Bates’ backline and firing 15 shots on goal, 10 more than the Bobcats could muster up during the match.
Williams @ Castleton,Final Score: 8-0 Williams
Player of the Week: Olivia Barnhill ‘19 (Williams)
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics).
To prove I’m not some soccer plebeian who only gets excited for goals and Garreth Bale’s hair I’m awarding this week’s player of the week award to a player who literally never scores (well maybe she does, but it’s definitely unusual). The player of the week this week in Williams goal keeper Olivia Barnhill ’19. The sophomore keeper racked up 11 saves helping to preserve Williams’ undefeated conference record and knock off the nationally ranked Conn College Camels. Barnhill, and the entire Williams defense, shined in the game, bending but refusing to break as Conn College attacked again and again. This is an especially noteworthy feat considering Conn College racked up 6 goals just a week ago in two victories. This is the type of defensive intensity and skill that wins championships, but I won’t jinx Williams yet by picking them as my title favorite.
Well, this weekend really didn’t prove much in terms of standings. Predictable yet relatively boring games ruled the league on Saturday, with the Bates-Tufts game being the only standout. By standout, I mean that the outcome ended up in single-digits, but even then, this game wasn’t too fun to watch either. The Bobcats and Jumbos combined for a whopping 74 yards through the air on a dirty, ground-game oriented tilt that ended in a 12-7 Tufts victory featuring a plethora of gritty action.
The rest of the games proved victorious for the favorites: Wesleyan beat up on Hamilton 34-6; Middlebury dominated Colby 35-14; Amherst dummied Bowdoin 31-10; and Trinity walloped Williams 38-13. Let’s just leave it at this – the favorites did what they were supposed to do. Without further adieu, let’s get to the stock report.
Stock Up
Quarterback Jared Lebowitz ’18 (Middlebury)
Lebowitz’s stock continues to rise as he was named NESCAC offensive player of the week once again this week. He threw for 320 yards and 5 touchdowns in only the first 3 quarters against Colby. His one interception that he threw was a tipped ball that happened to fall in the hands of Ian Dickey ’18. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s 10 touchdown passes in the first two weeks of the season for Lebowitz. As of now he’s on pace to break McCallum Foote’s record of 31 touchdown passes set in 2012, but this rate will likely slow down once the Panthers begin to face tougher opponents. Nonetheless, keep an eye on this kid as the season progresses. Matt Milano, who?
Place Kicker Willie Holmquist ‘17 (Tufts)
In a pretty ugly game, Holmquist was a standout for the Jumbos. In a 5-point win for Tufts, the senior kicker hit both of his two field goal attempts, including a 48 yarder! That’s an absolute boot at any level, not to mention the fact that it was raining cats and dogs in Somerville. There is a reason that Holmquist was a first team All-NESCAC selection last season, and if he keeps bangin’ home 3-pointers like he has been, he could very well repeat on the all-conference team.
Running Back Max Chipouras ‘19 (Trinity)
It’s not that I overlooked Chipouras in last week’s stock report, but given last year I almost expected him to run for 144 yards. But to follow that up with a 165 yard/2 touchdown performance on the ground? I hear ya, Max, I hear ya. After some quick mental math (no big deal) I calculated that the sophomore Bantam is averaging 154.5 YPG. To put that in perspective, the leading rusher last season was Tufts’ Chance Brady ‘17 who ran for 121.9 YPG. Chipouras came in third with 81.1 YPG in 2015. This pace is unsustainable, and like Lebowitz, Chipouras will soon meet his match when he faces a upper tier defense, but for now let’s just enjoy watching the show that this kid is putting on.
Stock Down
Colby’s QB situation
Colby’s QB situation feels like the New England Patriots – nobody knows who is going to be taking snaps on Sunday (Saturday). Unfortunately, Bill Belichick isn’t the head coach of the Mules. Last week, Gabe Harrington ’17 went down with a knee injury and didn’t suit up against Middlebury. Gabe was replaced by Jack O’Brien ‘20 last week, who led the Mules down the field for a game winning field goal in the Williams game. O’Brien started the game against Middlebury but was pulled in the second quarter for Christian Sparacio ’18. Sparacio was 10-23 for 109 yards with 1 TD and 2 Ints. He also ran for 30 yards and a touchdown. Stats can be somewhat misleading, however, as Sparacio really only found success in the fourth quarter when Middlebury had their second team defense out there. Colby really needs Harrington back in order to regain some consistency in their offense.
Homefield Advantage in Williamstown
After a devastating Week 1 loss to Colby on a last second field goal, the Ephs hosted Trinity this weekend, hoping to build off their valiant comeback and show the league that they can hang in there with anyone. Unfortunately, Trinity denied these hopes, and for the second week in a row, trounced their opponent. Williams has just two home games left in 2016, in which they play host to Middlebury and Wesleyan…not exactly an easy home schedule. The hometown crowd has got to come out in full force or the Ephs could find themselves on the wrong end of an 0-4 home sweep this season. Maybe the Ephs are just road warriors? I guess we’ll see this coming weekend up in Lewiston.
Amherst Doubters
On one hand, the doubters can still hang their hats on the fact that Amherst has beaten two relatively unimpressive teams in Hamilton and Bowdoin. On the other hand, Amherst has outscored their opponents 65-10 through two weeks and show no signs of relinquishing the title belt in 2016. Week 3 will be the first real test for the Purple and White when they travel to Middlebury in a battle of the two biggest offensive titans in the league. Middlebury does average about 15 more YPG than Amherst, but Amherst is the only defense that is allowing under 10 PPG, which I think will be an issue for the Panthers on Saturday. Our preseason prediction of 6-2 for Amherst is hanging in the balance at this point…
After a thrilling first weekend of games a week ago, everyone is pumped for Week 2 of NESCAC football. We saw some big blowouts and some thrilling finishes — will we see more great action tomorrow? Fingers crossed. Colby Morris has provided some insight into the first four games below, while Sid Warrenbrand has previewed this week’s game of the week: Hamilton @ Wesleyan. Read below so you know what to keep an eye out for this weekend!
Additionally, below each game preview, we have included a new feature that we will become an integral piece of the game previews this season. Seven of our writers have provided their predictions for this weekend’s games. We will be keeping a tally of correct and incorrect predictions for the remaining 7 games of the season, and whoever has the most correct predictions at the end wins eternal bragging rights. We’ve all included our score predictions, so if someone nails the score on any of the games we’ll make a note of that as well. If you want to matchup against the NBN staff, tweet your predictions to us @CACSportsBlog !
Now, for the preview…enjoy!
Middlebury (1-0) vs. Colby (1-0), 1:00 PM, Waterville, ME
Colby is coming off of a thrilling end result, but only found themselves in the win column after an ugly game against a weak Williams team. Jabari Hurdle-Price ’19 was perhaps the lone bright spot for the Mules’ offense, and will likely be the only way that the home squad can take the ball to the house against the Panthers. Their defense held up well last weekend, and will surely be put to the test against what looks to be a title contending Middlebury team. Middlebury looks to be one of the top dogs in the NESCAC after first year starter Jared Lebowitz ’18 led the team with 6 total touchdowns last week, spreading the love to his receivers Ryan Rizzo ’17 (who was hampered by a knee injury last year, but is a dynamic playmaker) and the speedy Conrado Banky ’19 (who is on my personal 2016 breakout player watch list). After allowing only 3 points last weekend, it’s easy to say the Panthers’ only potential weakness is their special teams with a relative lack of a kicking game – this is likely the only facet of the game that Colby will have the advantage in. Kicking shouldn’t be an issue, however, so long as the Panthers keep getting into the end zone.
Look for Middlebury to roll to 2-0.
Rory Ziomek: Middlebury – 38, Colby – 7
Pete Lindholm: Middlebury – 26, Colby – 10
Liam O’Neil: Middlebury – 35, Colby – 7
Colby Morris: Middlebury – 33, Colby – 10
Colin Tiernan: Middlebury – 30, Colby – 10
Sid Warrenbrand: Middlebury – 37, Colby – 6
Nick DiBenedetto: Middlebury – 13, Colby – 7
Bowdoin (0-1) vs. Amherst (1-0), 1:00 PM, Amherst, MA
This game might end up being Amherst’s 2nd stringers vs. Bowdoin in the second half, considering the walloping that the Polar Bears took last weekend. The only real bright spot for the Bears was a solid showing from their special teams with three blocked kicks and a field goal of their own, considering their offense and defense didn’t do much else. Amherst isn’t likely to throw Bowdoin any bones, and they will come out firing, shooting for their 21st straight win after posting a shutout against Hamilton last week. QB Alex Berluti ’17 showed that he was more than an average backup and is at least a competitive signal caller in the NESCAC, comparable to Brock Osweiler circa 2015. Berluti may well end up receiving several D1 offers after this game, and maybe even an invitation to play for the Texans if all goes as planned. Berluti and goal line back Jack Hickey ’19 will find themselves racking up the touchdowns this Saturday.
Amherst wins their 21st in a row.
RZ: Amherst – 31, Bowdoin – 3
PL: Amherst – 45, Bowdoin – 0
LO: Amherst – 54, Bowdoin – 10
CM: Amherst – 31, Bowdoin – 6
CT: Amherst – 21, Bowdoin – 16
SW: Amherst – 31, Bowdoin – 0
ND: Amherst – 40, Bowdoin – 7
Bates (0-1) vs. Tufts (1-0), 1:00 PM, Somerville, MA
Tufts played pretty evenly with the visiting Cardinals last weekend, giving up 84 yards rushing and a TD to QB Mark Piccirillo of Wesleyan before staging a dramatic fourth quarter comeback. Alex Snyder ’18 had a weak passing game for the Jumbos, but Chance Brady ’17 picked up the slack with a huge day on the ground, rushing for the final two scores of the day. In Connecticut, Bates started surprisingly strongly against powerhouse Trinity, but faded quickly after their short lived 7-3 lead through the first quarter. Bates seems to be a pretty one-dimensional rushing team as Sandy Plashkes ’19 managed only 36 yards in the air. However, if they can manage to mix up their game plan, and break off some big rushes, Tufts’ defense could find themselves guessing and end up in trouble. Plashkes could (but probably won’t given the difficulty in maintaining that pace) continue to break off huge 57 yard runs every week, channelling his inner LaDainian Tomlinson from under center.
This has the makings of a potential trap game for the Jumbos if they sleep on the lurking Bobcats, but Tufts is still heavily favored.
RZ: Bates – 10, Tufts – 31
PL: Bates – 13, Tufts – 27
LO: Bates – 7, Tufts – 31
CM: Bates – 21, Tufts – 20
CT: Bates – 14, Tufts – 27
SW: Bates – 9, Tufts – 28
ND: Bates – 20, Tufts – 21
Williams (0-1) vs. Trinity (1-0), 1:30 PM, Hartford, CT
Williams put forth a close game last weekend, but a dismal effort. Their offense combined for just 308 yards of total offense, but included a solid rushing game with 188 yards at an average of 3.9 yards/carry. The Ephs’ secondary was the highlight of their game as Ben Anthony ’20 picked Colby off in his first game and Amyhr Barber ’19 added one of his own. We are speculating that Jansen Durham ’20 will get the starting nod after his efforts in the fourth quarter against Colby, and if he can start off strong this weekend then Williams could make strides in the right direction. Unfortunately for the Ephs, they won’t be able to work out their problems so easily as they take on Trinity, who absolutely demolished Bates to a tune of 38-7. Unsurprisingly, Max Chipouras ’19 continued his dominance with 144 yards rushing, but Lucas Golon ’19 also emerged out of the backfield with a huge day of his own in the backfield, rushing for 126 yards and two scores. Sonny Puzzo ’18 also shined, flashing maturity demonstrated by his efficiency (17-26 passing), finding Darrien Myers ’16 three times in the end zone. Trinity’s secondary is sure to intimidate Durham in his first game in Hartford, as Spencer Donahue ’16 will be lurking, hungry to find the end zone this game after his 88 yard interception return against Bates.
Williams might not be as bad as they seemed in week one, but Trinity is just as good as they appear. Bantams roll.
RZ: Trinity – 35, Williams – 10
PL: Trinity – 30, Williams – 3
LO: Trinity – 30, Williams – 0
CM: Trinity – 35, Williams – 13
CT: Trinity – 45, Williams – 0
SW: Trinity – 24, Williams – 10
ND: Trinity – 31, Williams – 14
Game of the Week:
Hamilton (0-1) at Wesleyan (0-1), 12:00 PM, Middletown, CT
Normally, there wouldn’t be two winless teams chosen as the game of the week, but this game has a lot of meaning for both programs. First, there is Wesleyan, who dominated the first three quarters against Tufts in a hostile Somerville atmosphere. The Cardinals collapsed in the 4th quarter and Tufts pulled off a stunning victory. The pressure is now on Wesleyan, who in the last three seasons have a record of 19-5. Everyone expects them to be a top dog in the NESCAC and this week’s game against Hamilton will let the whole league know how good they really are. Hamilton, on the other hand has not recorded a winning season since 1996 and looks to flush their 34-0 beatdown by Amherst by actually showing up against Wesleyan. If Wesleyan has a slow start against Hamilton, there is potential for a good ball game, but that seems highly unlikely in this matchup.
Wesleyan X-Factor: Quarterback Mark Piccirillo ’19
Marky football had himself a ballgame against Tufts as he was 20-32 with 187 yards in the air and ran for 84 yards on 18 carries on the ground. Although Wesleyan did not end up on top, this was an encouraging effort by Piccirillo as he did not record a single turnover against one of the better defenses in the NESCAC. His dual-threat abilities will be a nightmare for the Hamilton defense this upcoming Saturday. Expect Piccirillo to find the end zone multiple times in Wesleyan’s home opener.
Hamilton X-Factor: Running Back Trevor Pinkham ’19
Another sophomore, Pinkham had a tough first college start at running back as he was limited to just 16 yards on 8 carries against Amherst. Given that he was going up against arguably the best team in the NESCAC, week 2 will dictate the type of player he is. Tufts Senior running back Chance Brady was able to rush for over 100 yards in the 4th quarter alone against the Cardinals. Pinkham, like Brady, is a powerful running back, and given the opportunities he may just wear down the Cardinals defense like Brady did in the 4th quarter of last weekend’s game.
Everything Else
Hamilton would love nothing more than to shock the Cardinals in the Wesleyan home opener on Saturday. Everyone expects Wesleyan to win big, but Hamilton is still playing for something bigger than themselves. They are on the verge of not having had a winning season in 20 years and are working to turn things around. Think about that, most of the guys on this Hamilton team were not even alive for their last winning season. This game means a lot to them. Not to mention, Hamilton hosts Trinity next weekend, and if they can pull off one win in their first three games against these tough opponents, then they are in a good place.
On the other hand, Wesleyan needs this victory more than anything right now. They are coming off a devastating loss to Tufts and want to reestablish themselves towards the top of the NESCAC power rankings. The Cardinals are aware of their missed opportunity last weekend and will look to win big against Hamilton. Like I said earlier, I believe that Piccirillo will have a monster game both in the air and on the ground. He will be a huge reason why Wesleyan’s offense is going to have success. On defense I expect Shane Kaminski ’18 to establish himself as one of the league’s best linebackers. He is coming off a 50-tackle sophomore campaign and is fully capable of putting up even better numbers this season.
This matchup will come down to whether or not Wesleyan dominates Hamilton from the opening kickoff. They are far more talented on both offense and defense, but also have the ability to lose their rhythm as we saw in the 4th quarter of their opener against Tufts. Wesleyan is at home which gives them an even bigger reason to want to win. The last time they lost to Hamilton was in 2011 when they lost in a 7-6 shootout which happened to be their only loss in their first four games of that season. Hamilton has what it takes to steal a victory like this and even spoil a season, but I think that is doubtful. I believe that Wesleyan will win big in front of their Cardinal faithful.
Here it is, your fun blog of the week. While the rest of the NBN crew is busy writing about actual football news, my weekly blog is here to lighten the mood a bit. So, in honor of several team busting out new unis for week 1, I decided to rank the best uniforms in the league. This has been by far the most difficult list to compile because there aren’t any terrible uniforms in today’s NESCAC. The list takes into account a team’s home/away jersey, pants, helmet, and any alternate jerseys that they may sport.
10.) WILLIAMS
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Not a whole lot to hate about the Williams unis, just not a lot to love either. The home purple jerseys are a much better look than the road whites, but the off-color shoulders are just brutal. I feel like the Ephs have had these for a while too…it’s definitely time for a change.
9.) MIDDLEBURY
(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
Midd is beginning to feel like JaMarcus Russell. They’re a team with so much potential, but I fear that just like JaMarcus Russell, they’re never gonna live up to the hype. Let’s start with the helmets, guys. When people see your headgear, they don’t think “Oh yeah that’s Middlebury!” they think, “Hmm, pretty cool alternates that Michigan is rocking today.” (I’d love to see the Panthers go with a navy helmet, white center stripe, and white “block M”). The jerseys themselves are ok (I actually like the traditional look), but they’re from an off-brand company. I think Middlebury could do wonders as the first Under Armour team in the league. But then again, all it will take is one endorsement deal with Ben & Jerry’s and their problems will be solved.
8.) COLBY
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
Colby’s uniforms are alright. I’m a big fan of the striped silver pants and how they complement the silver helmet. The C on their helmets resembles that of the Cincinnati Reds, and is just crisp enough to work. Besides that, they’re pretty plain. Colby is another team that has had these same uniforms for what feels like an eternity. Just like Williams, I think the Mules deserve an upgrade.
7.) BATES
(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
I sneaky love Bates’ uniforms. For starters, they make a huge statement as the only Adidas sponsored team in the league. With the high cut of the shoulders, the Bates players all give off that gritty blue collar vibe that football players in Maine strive for. The Bobcats have had this same look for years, but unlike Williams and Colby, I think they should roll with it. Bates is truly a smash-mouth team and I think these uniforms fit their persona perfectly.
6.) HAMILTON
(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Hamilton got a much needed facelift last season when they upgraded their uniform look. The Continentals new digs really play up the blue and white… and I mean REALLY play them up. It’s almost as if whoever designed these completely forgot that gold is also one of Hamilton’s colors. Regardless, I’m a big fan of the all-white road combination. What hurts Hamilton in the rankings is that at the end of the day, their uniforms are just a little too one-dimensional.
5.) BOWDOIN
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Bowdoin was another team that unveiled a brand new set of uniforms last season. The Polar Bears have three jerseys in their arsenal: home black, road white, and a gorgeous looking gray alternate. While the gray is my favorite of their jerseys, it’s only right to acknowledge that the team is making strides in the right direction. The thing that kills Bowdoin is their helmets. I appreciate the fact that they’re no longer trying to be Alabama…
but their big play could be a black helmet with this logo of Patrick the Polar Bear on it.*
*I have no idea what the Bowdoin Polar Bear is named, but Patrick seemed fitting
4.) WESLEYAN
(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
I always thought to myself, If Wesleyan spent a little less time trying to abolish their fraternities and a little more time on their football uniforms, they could make some things happen.
Well, it looks like someone else had that brilliant idea because Wes just unveiled new unis for the 2016 season. While they’re a near carbon copy of their old uniforms, the Cardinals upgraded from an off-brand sponsor to Nike. Wesleyan is also one of the few teams in the league that goes with a matte helmet, a factor that really boosts their stock.
3.) TUFTS
(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)(Courtesy of Zach Thomas)
After last Saturday, the ‘Bos are sporting three different jerseys: home brown, away white, and an absolute fire steel gray alternate. In my opinion, Tufts has the best helmet (love the matte gray and enormous elephant), and best road (white) combination in the league. It’s tough to put the Jumbos at #3 because Tufts is quickly becoming the “Oregon” of the NESCAC, but their fatal flaw is the brown on gray combo that they wear at home. Not an ideal look, fellas.
2.) AMHERST
If we were ranking individual uniforms, this would be a unanimous #1 pick (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
In 2012, Amherst was looking to move away from their apparel sponsorship with Adidas.
The early frontrunner? Polo Ralph Lauren.
I gotta hand it to Amherst – they stayed true to who they are in their search for a new sponsor, but things just don’t always work out like they’re supposed to – school officials unfortunately4 learned that Ralph Lauren did not make football uniforms.
As a result, Amherst was forced to settle for a deal with Nike. While they weren’t the initial choice, Nike has done a tremendous job with the Amherst uniforms. The team has an endless array of options when they take the field including a black alternate, my pick for the leagues best individual jersey. You can’t go wrong with the Globo Gym-esque color scheme either. All in all, the Amherst unies are tremendous.
1.) TRINITY
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Trinity…. It was a close race but for the second week in a row, the bantams finish at the top of my list. This is due in large part to the awesome three jersey combinations they go with and the fact that trinity dons last names on the backs of their jerseys. To top it off, the bantams opened the 2016 season with a banana-land move by adding a second helmet into their repertoire, a sleek white alternate helmet. Trinity has really been throwing down the gauntlet lately in terms of style and I’m eager to see what the uniform arms race has in store for the near future.
If you put money on “Amherst, Middlebury and Trinity all looking the best after Week One,” then your gambling problem should be considerably more exciting this week. You think Tony Soprano was putting money on sure things like that? Get sexier with your addiction.. Form held true for the NESCAC in Week One, with the usual suspects staying on top and any surprises coming from the bottom tier of the league. If you think that doesn’t make for a thrilling weekend of football, you’d be right. The games this weekend were what my grandpa used to call “beat-the-traffic” games, with the highly notable exception of Wesleyan-Tufts. However, they were still NESCAC football games, which make them beautiful. Here’s where the teams stand after Week One.
1: Amherst
Winning your 20th game in a row 34-0 is a pretty good recipe for topping the power rankings. If the Foy injury and graduation of several senior leaders was going to limit the Artists Formerly Known as the Lord Jeffs, it didn’t show on Saturday against Hamilton. Interim QB Alex Berluti ’17 played his Peyton Manning-esque “Just Don’t Screw Up” role perfectly, throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. The rest of the offense was taken care of by Jack Hickey, who did the impossible and made Rory Ziomak look smart, despite Rory leaving him out of the POY race a couple weeks ago. The preseason POY candidate had three touchdowns on 67 yards, a number that would have been higher had the game been closer. The defense pitched a shutout, and the trend of the last few years held true: Amherst is the top dog.
2: Middlebury
“Screw you Pete, you’re biased because Middlebury football players babysat you until you were 10!” There, you guys got that out of your system? Good, because the Panthers had the most impressive performance of the week, just destroying Bowdoin at home 40-3. They also had the most impressive individual performance of the week, with quarterback Jared Lebowitz putting up a cool 369 yards and 6 touchdowns (5 passing, one rushing.) The progression from McKillop to Foote to Milano has proven that when the Panthers have a star quarterback, their offense is deadly, and it sure looks like they’ve got another one. It should be mentioned, however, that Middlebury’s kicking position looks to be up for grabs (three blocked kicks!) so if any readers are looking to get their Mark Wahlburg in Invincible on, there’s your shot.
Open tryouts for the Panthers kicking duties will be held outside the student center at 4:40
3: Trinity
As well as Lebowitz and the Panthers did through the air, Trinity may have done better on the ground. The Bantams put up 294 rushing yards, with the dynamic sophomore duo of Max Chipouras ’19 and Lucas Golon ’19 putting up 270 on their own. Quarterback (and tertiary character in Goodfellas) Sonny Puzzo ’18 was also excellent, picking up three touchdowns and 182 passing yards. Trinity’s domination of Bates solidifies the top three of NESCAC, with the same teams that have been duking it out for so long staying on track. Parity has never been NESCAC football’s strong suit, and as of now, 2016 is no different.
4: Tufts
Tufts and Wesleyan have the unenviable distinction of being the only two teams that are in contention for league honors to open the season by playing a contending team. However, they also had the noble distinction of being the best game of the weekend. The Jumbos looked dead in the water at halftime, trailing 14-3. But Chance Brady put the team on his back a la Greg Jennings in the second half, tallying 151 yards on 22 carries, including the game winning 31 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Tufts lost the possession battle and the total yardage battle, but the ability to gut out a gritty win against a good team is a crucial skill in NESCAC play.
Brady was able to overcome once having to wear these awful uniforms to carry his team to victory…with a BROKEN LEG THOUGH.
5: Wesleyan
The Cardinals suffered a very disappointing loss to open the season. I’m sure many Wesleyan fans, players, parents and significant others feel like they should have won that game. However, it was a good game in which the Cardinals played very well at times, and had some predictable early season lapses, which Tufts capitalized on. And Chance Brady is a force of nature, so all told there is still hope for the Cardinals this season, once other contenders play more competitive opponents.
6: Colby
The Mules pulled out an ugly road win in Williamstown on Saturday, beating the Ephs 9-7 on a game-winning field goal with :4 seconds left. This game arguably shows more about how far Williams has fallen than how much Colby has risen, but they showcased a tough defense, an excellent running back in Jabari Hurdle-Price, and excellent special teams (despite a missed PAT), something even the top teams in NESCAC often lack.
7: Hamilton
When a lamb gets eaten by a wolf, we don’t put the lamb lower in the lamb power rankings, we raise the wolf higher. That’s what happened to Hamilton this weekend; they stumbled into a den of wolves and couldn’t escape. However, of all the teams that got blown out this weekend, Hamilton has the most positive outlook going forward, due to their strong finish in 2015.
8: Bates
While Trinity obviously finished the game on a dominant run, the score at the end of the first quarter in Hartford was 7-3 Bobcats. Quarterback Sandy Plashkes ’19 flashed some serious wheels with a 57-yard run and a rushing touchdown. This is not to say that Bates played well in this game, but it is to say that they played better than Bowdoin, and sometimes it is those moral victories that count.
9: Williams
We knew it would be a rebuilding year for Williams in head coach Mark Raymond’s first season. However, we didn’t know quite how much rebuilding they’d have to do. Well, we know now. Williams’ offense struggled mightily against Colby (1-7 last season, for perspective), committing four turnovers that undid a fairly dangerous rushing attack led by the combo of Noah Sorrento and Connor Harris. The Ephs had some bright spots on Saturday, but they were few and far between.
10: Bowdoin
2-6 last season, Bowdoin lost several starters to graduation and several others to a plagiarism scandal. That is not exactly a winning combination, and Bowdoin started 2016 by getting demolished by the Panthers, who were something of an unknown themselves coming in. Bowdoin could still turn it around, however. We’ve seen it in Major League, The Longest Yard, and The Bad New Bears. They’ll need a lot more chemistry, and definitely a really cool lead like Charlie Sheen or Burt Reynolds, but stranger things have happened.
If Joyce Byers can stay strong while her son is kidnapped in a shadow realm, Bowdoin can get a win or two this season.
Caroline Kelleher ’18 had a hat tricker against Hamilton this weekend to help extend the #22 Camels’ win streak to 7 games (Courtesy of Conn College Athletics).
Editor’s Note: The NESCAC Women’s Soccer Week In Review is a new feature that we are going to be rolling out this fall. We feel strongly that women’s sports in the NESCAC should also be covered, but unfortunately due to our current resources, we can’t cover them to the extent that we wish we could. We are going to be putting out a weekly article with updates on NESCAC Women’s Soccer action, however staff size is going to limit us to just one article each week for now. That being said, if you have ANY interest in writing (about Women’s Soccer or any of the other sports we cover) or contributing in some way, please send us an email at nothingbutnescac@gmail.com so that we can expand our coverage! For now, enjoy this week’s women’s soccer update!
Hey guess what! Nothing but NESCAC is expanding! Starting with this article, we’ll begin providing weekly updates on all the goings on in NESCAC women’s soccer. I’m Liam Naughton, an accomplished FIFA player and 3rd grade travel soccer MVP, but enough about me. Let’s dive into this past week. Wednesday, September 21st
Wesleyan @ Tufts, Final Score: 0-0 tie
A mid-week matchup between the Jumbos and the Cardinals ended in a grueling 0-0 draw after two overtimes. Tufts held a decisive shot advantage testing the Wesleyan defense 17 times, while the visitors only managed to spray 8 shots towards Tufts’ net. Of course, the best opportunity of the game came in the 99th minute for Wesleyan when Tufts’ goal keeper Emily Bowers ’19 was forced to make a diving save off a shot from Sarah Sylla ’17 of Wesleyan. After a slow first half in which the Jumbos were stifled by Wesleyan’s intense pressure, Tufts took control more in the second half, but just weren’t able to convert any of their chances into goals. Tufts, who so far have not lost in NESCAC competition will look to build off this game in the coming weeks.
Castleton @ Middlebury, Final Score: 3-1 Middlebury
Conn College @ Coast Guard, Final Score: 2-0 Conn College
Thursday, September 22nd
Emerson @ Trinity, Final Score: 0-3 Trinity
Saturday, September 24th
Bowdoin @ Middlebury, Final Score: 1-0 Bowdoin The Bowdoin Polar Bears visited the Middlebury Panthers this past weekend and escaped with a hard fought 1-0 win. Middlebury’s aggressive and potent offense (averaging over 2 goals a game this season) was unable to beat Bowdoin goalie Rachel Stout ’18. Adrianna Gildner ’17 provided two of Middlebury’s best opportunities, attempting a bicycle kick early in the first half that flew by the post, and testing Stout on a free kick late in the first half. Despite Gildner’s efforts, it was Bowdoin’s Anna Mellman ’17 who slotted home the game’s only goal, beating Panther goalie Ursula Alwang ’20 with a cracking shot from nearly 35 yards away. Connecticut College @ Hamilton, Final Score: 3-0 Conn College
Conn College ran over Hamilton in this early season match, besting the host Continentals by a score of 3-0. The Camels (ranked 22nd nationally) relied on the foot of junior midfielder Caroline Kelleher ’18 who scored 3 goals in the match. Conn College began attacking early, Kelleher notching her first goal 5 minutes into the match and her second 13 minutes later. Kelleher then scored her third goal 5 minutes into the second half, demonstrating her dominance. Hamilton forward Amanda Becker ’18 tested Conn College goalie Bryanna Montalvo ’17 twice, but neither she nor any of her teammates were able to best the senior goalie. Wesleyan @ Bates, Final Score: 2-2 tie
The Bobcats scored two goals in quick succession in the second half to force a draw between themselves and the visiting Wesleyan Cardinals. Wesleyan had jumped out to an early lead behind a penalty kick from Nicole Brodkowitz ’20 after only 11 minutes of action. Wesleyan further extended their lead after Sarah Sylla ’17 scored 10 minutes into the second half. Bates scored consecutive goals in the 83rd and 84th minutes. First, Olivia Amdur ’19 rifled a shot by Wesleyan keeper Zoe Cassels-Brown ’20. Amdur was assisted on her goal Hannah Behringer ’18 who scored herself a minute later off a well worked set piece. Colby @ Trinity, Final Score: 1-3 Trinity
Trinity scored early and often and cruised past the visiting Colby Mules 3-1. The Bantams flashed a balanced scoring attack, getting goals from Taylor Kirchgessner ’19, Laura Nee ’17, and Sarah Connors ’18 in the 13th, 27th, and 33rd minutes respectively. Colby seemed to be on their backfoot for most of the game, mustering only 5 total shots on target. Only one shot managed to find the back of the net for the Mules as Emily Martin ’18 scored off of an assist from Laura Arnold ’18 two minutes into the second half. Williams @ Amherst, 1-1 tie
In the 2nd double overtime game of the weekend, Williams and Amherst drew 1-1. Williams, who has not lost yet this season, fell behind early after Amherst scored on a beautiful run and finish by Hannah Guzzi ’18. Williams refused to go down easily, constantly pressuring Amherst’s defense to the tune of 22 shots and sheer domination in terms of possession. Only one shot managed to beat Amherst keeper Chelsea Cutler ’19 though, which came via the foot of Williams’ Kristina Alvarado ’18. Alvarado managed to score on a quality finish after an errant clearance by the Amherst backline. After a scoreless two periods of overtime, the match ended in a draw.
Brandeis @ Tufts, Final Score: 1-1 tie Sunday, September 25th
Middlebury @ Hamilton, Final Score: 1-0 Middlebury
Middlebury rebounded from their difficult defeat Saturday to beat Hamilton 1-0. Middlebury was on the attack for most of the game, attempting 14 shots and winning 6 corner kicks. But Hamilton’s back line would bend but refused to break, until less than 10 minutes remained in regulation. Katherine Hobbs ’17 continued her season of great form scoring her fourth goal of the season. After winning possession off a corner kick, Hobbs quickly finished the shot and secured Middlebury’s second win in the conference this season. Colby @ Connecticut College, 0-3 Conn College
Conn College continued their weekend of domination, defeating the Colby mules by a score of 3-0. Colby remained winless in the conference falling to 0-4 and played on their back foot for most of the game. The low point of the game certainly came when Colby scored an own goal after a well placed cross from Alex Baltazar ’19. Conn College has yet to lose in the conference this season and looked utterly dominant throughout the weekend, scoring 6 goals and allowing 0. Michelle Medina ’18 and Livi Block ’18 scored the remaining goals for the Camels, beating Colby keeper Samantha Rizzo ’19, who put up a valiant fight in a losing effort, saving 7 shots. Williams @ Bates, 2-0 Williams
Williams bounced back from their draw with Amherst to defeat the hosting Bates Bobcats 2-0. Alison Lu ’20 scored her 5th goal of the season, using her head to control a pass from Kristin Kirshe ’17 and then driving the shot past the keeper. Kirshe added her own goal in the second half, beating Bobcats’ goalie Sarah McCarthy ’18 off a pass from Lu. Williams remains undefeated in the conference improving to 4-0-1, while Bates remained winless at 0-4-1. All eyes will be on Williams next weekend when they meet fellow unbeaten Conn College in New London, Connecticut.
Farmingdale State @ Amherst, Final Score: 1-3 Amherst Player of the Week
This weeks player of the week goes to Conn College’s Caroline Kelleher ’18. The junior from Holden, Massachusetts scored all three of her teams goals against Hamilton and led the Camels to their 3-0 victory. These were Kelleher’s first three goals of the season, but her coaches surely hope that this is a sign of things to come, as another threat would do nothing but elevate Conn College’s already deadly attacking play.
Amherst dominated this weekend, proving why their win streak has run to 20 games (Courtesy of Bates Athletics/Phyllis Graber Jensen)
Week 1 of 2016 was exactly what we’ve all been waiting for since the NESCAC football season ended last November. We had a couple blowouts in favor of familiar faces (Amherst, Middlebury, Trinity), and a couple of games that went right down to the wire. The Colby-Williams game was crazy, but not in a pretty way. This was a low-scoring, offensive battle…AKA, it was a battle to see who could have a worse day offensively. Luckily, it ended on a high note, as Colby needed their final drive to take the lead with under a minute left (read below for more details on the ending). Over in Somerville, MA, on the other hand, fans witnessed a battle between two great teams. It involved some terrific defensive plays, a 4th quarter comeback, and a whole lot of excitement as the Jumbos stormed back to win in front of their fans at the first home night game in Tufts football history. Below is our first stock report of the year – check it out to see whose stock rose and whose plummeted over the first weekend of the season.
Stock Up
Running Back Jack Hickey ‘19 (Amherst): If it wasn’t already certain, Hickey solidified himself as the goal line back for Coach Mills’ offense this weekend, punching in 3 touchdowns in Amherst’s absolute (yet unsurprising) domination of Hamilton this weekend. The 6’1” 218 pound sophomore fits the bill perfectly for short yardage situations, and he will certainly continue to get touches as Amherst nears the goal line. Hickey ended up with 67 yards on 18 rushes, but if it wasn’t a blowout these numbers might have been MUCH higher.
Linebacker Greg Holt ‘20 (Tufts): Holt surged onto the scene in the Saturday nightcap with a game-high 14 tackles. The freshman showed us that he is not going to gradually get his feet wet in college ball, he is going to dive headfirst into the action. It seemed like Holt was everywhere on Saturday, and if he keeps up that level of play along with fellow Jumbo linebacker Steve DiCienzo ‘18 (another Tufts linebacker who had 11 tackles of his own), the Powder Blue and Brown defense will be a nightmare for their opponents.
Quarterback Jared Lebowitz ‘18 (Middlebury): In the biggest blowout of the weekend, Lebowitz threw 5 touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown to go along with them, accounting for all 6 of Middlebury’s touchdowns against the Polar Bears. There were some questions about whether the Middlebury aerial attack could be maintained after the departure of Matt Milano ‘16, but Lebowitz has silenced the doubters. Bowdoin is obviously in the lower tier of the conference, but still a strong showing from Coach Ritter’s gunslinger, who tallied 369 yards on the day.
Kicker John Baron ’18 (Colby): The Mules needed Baron to come up clutch on Saturday as he lined up for the game-deciding field goal with just seconds left against Williams. After a failed 2-point conversation earlier in the game, Colby was down one during the final possession. If Baron makes the kick they win, if he misses they lose. Last year Baron missed an extra point against Bates which ended up being the difference in the game (10-9), but this week’s NESCAC Special Teams player of the week has clearly wiped that from his memory. Two words: cash money.
Stock Down
Hamilton Offense: It goes without saying that the Amherst defense played a heck of a game on Saturday, but seriously, Hamilton, 168 yards of total offense? 6 rushing yards on 18 attempts?? You can’t combine these numbers with a -3 turnover differential and expect to win football games. Film, film, and more film is in store for the Continentals.
NESCAC Ball Boys: There were five fumbles in each of the Bates-Trinity, Colby-Williams, and Wesleyan-Trinity games on Saturday. FIVE. Interestingly enough, Trinity had more fumbles than Bates (Trinity-3, Bates-2), but it didn’t hurt them as the Bantams won handily, 38-7. However, both Wesleyan and Williams had more fumbles than their opponents, likely leading to each of their downfalls. Either the teams were a bit too accustomed to no-contact practices or the PSI was far too high in the game balls…you be the judge. All I know is that these coaching staffs are going to be extra hard on their ball carriers in practice this week.
Wesleyan’s Killer Instinct: The Jumbos looked pretty horrible for three quarters, but they hung around because Wesleyan just couldn’t put them away. After a touchdown with 6:50 to go in the 2nd quarter, Wesleyan seemed to hold a pretty commanding 14-3 lead. Things just looked and felt like a blowout waiting to happen. But the Tufts defense kept them in the game until the 4th quarter rolled around, and boom, a Cardinals missed field goal was followed up by a 33 yard run by Chance Brady ‘17, which set the stage for a 39 yard pass to Mike Rando ‘17 a couple plays later. From that point on, the Jumbos had the momentum, and it felt like Wesleyan was just trying to hold them off as opposed to continuing their attack.
