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All Chalk? Women’s Soccer Semifinal/Final Preview

All Chalk? Women’s Soccer Semifinal/Final Preview

Last weekend’s quarterfinal matchups saw each of the top four seeds secure berths to the next round, setting up what should be yet another entertaining weekend of postseason fútbol. I feel pretty confident predicting Williams, Middlebury, Amherst and Tufts will earn NCAA Tournament spots; the first three teams are ranked #2, #6 and #15 (respectively) in the Top 25 rankings, and Tufts checks in as the #5 team in the New England Regional Rankings. A NESCAC Championship certainly wouldn’t hurt to add to any of these team’s respective résumés come seeding time, and it’s fair to say all four of the contenders will fancy their chances to snag the coveted trophy. Without further ado, let’s give our final four a proper introduction.

Saturday, November 3rd (Semifinal #1 @ Williamstown, Mass): #1 Williams vs. #4 Tufts

How did they get here:

#1 Williams secured their fifth straight regular season title with a 1-0 win against Middlebury. There was no letdown with these ladies, as they dispatched #8 Colby in the quarterfinals relatively easily by a tune of 3-1. The Ephs outshot the Mules 27-4, as three different players found the net. Georgia Lord ‘21 got things started early in the 9th minute, and Sarah Scire ‘20 doubled Williams’ lead shortly afterwards. Nkem Iregbulem’s ‘20 long range missile all but sealed the deal, ensuring the Ephs would advance to the semifinals.

I’ll admit, I had the Jumbos pegged for a potential upset given how they finished the regular season. Back-to-back losses, including the most recent one to Bowdoin, indicated that maybe this Tufts team could be headed for an early exit. A matchup with Wesleyan proved to be the perfect remedy for a squad who needed to iron out their kinks, and fast. Sunday’s 2-0 win was essentially a carbon copy of their regular season meeting; the Jumbos scored a goal in each half (this time thanks to Liz Reed ‘21), and limited Wesleyan to a mere three shot attempts. That’s the kind of dominating performance a mid-seeded team needs in order to gain confidence heading into a matchup with arguably the best team in the entire country.

Williams X-Factor: F Sydney Jones ‘21

Jones started the season on a tear, scoring six goals in Williams’s first six games; however, she’s gone on a cold streak since then, tallying just three goals in her last twelve matches.

Jones did score the lone goal in Williams’s 1-0 victory in Medford a few weeks prior and will look to break through once again against a defense that just stifled Wesleyan, who finished fourth in the ‘CAC in goals scored.

Tufts X-Factor(s): F Sophie Lloyd ‘21 and F Liz Reed ‘21

Both of these ladies deserve praise for the work they’ve done this season. Tufts’s offense would struggle mightily if it wasn’t for them, as the two have combined to score nearly half of the Jumbo’s conference goals. In this instance, one of them playing well will not be suffice enough to defeat Williams. Lloyd and Reed will both have to create multiple scoring chances in order for Tufts to spring the upset.

Preview and Prediction

2006. That’s the last time the Jumbos defeated the Ephs. Since then, Williams has won every single matchup sans a 0-0 tie in 2010. Throw in a few postseason encounters, and you get thirteen losses in fourteen games. Last season, the Jumbos were oh-so-close to getting the monkey of their backs, but fell in a heartbreaker to Williams in the NESCAC Championship, conceding the game-tying goal in the 81st minute and the winner in the 94th.

Both teams employ a defense-first style, frustrating opposing coaches with suffocating ball pressure; however, the offense, at times, can disappear. This is especially true for Tufts, who scored a mere eleven goals in their ten conference games and had the third-worst shooting percentage during the regular season. One glimmer for hope, however, is that when Tufts does score, it’s a collective effort. Although Lloyd and Reed are usually the main contributors, the Jumbos have generated a second-best 10 assists on conference goals season, and this type of ball movement will be crucial in order to break down the best defense in the NESCAC.

Usually I like revenge spots, but there’s just no way I can go against the Ephs. Talent-wise, they’re head and shoulders above the Jumbos, and William’s impenetrable back line has given up just four goals in conference play. Sure Colby found the net this past weekend, but the Ephs already had that game well in hand. Olivia Barnhill ‘19 is the best goalkeeper in the league, and I’m banking on the senior having yet another superb game. With home-field advantage for the regular season champions, I like Williams to win convincingly. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, the streak lives on.

Prediction: Williams 2-0 Tufts

Saturday, November 3rd (Semifinal #2 @ Williamstown, Mass): #2 Middlebury vs. #3 Amherst

How did they get here:

On Saturday’s lone fixture, 2nd-seeded Middlebury defeated the 7th-seeded Polar Bears 1-0. They say the final score is all that matters, but the stats indicate some concerns for this Panther squad. After Eliza Robertson ‘21 scored the game’s lone goal in the 19th minute, the Polar Bears proceeded to dominate the ball, desperately looking for an equalizer. Eva Shaw ‘20 recorded a career high 10 saves, bailing out the Panther defense time and time again. Bowdoin ended up outshooting the Panthers 19-10; maybe the Panthers were looking ahead, but if they replicate this performance on Saturday, the team will board their bus back to Vermont earlier than previously anticipated.

The Mammoths also endured a tight contest with 6th-seeded Hamilton, holding on for a 1-0 victory. Goal-scoring machine Rubii Tamen ‘19 scored for the fourth consecutive game, and Antonia Tammaro ‘21 made a spectacular save in the second half to preserve the shutout. The Mammoth defense has bounced back nicely since allowing a season-high three goals to Wesleyan, producing back-to-back shutouts. Granted, Trinity and Hamilton don’t even come close to Middlebury in terms of offensive productivity, but it’s surely a positive sign as we trek deeper into postseason play.

Middlebury X-Factor: F Eliza Van Voorhis ‘21

On a team loaded with offensive talent, Van Voorhis might be the best of the bunch. She leads the Panthers in goals and SOG, and Middlebury is undefeated this season when Van Voorhis finds the back of the net. She disappeared in last weekend’s quarterfinal against Bowdoin (0 SOG), and the Panthers will need Van Voorhis to, at the very least, be more involved in the flow of the game in order to move past Amherst. I expect a bounce back performance from the rising star.

Amherst X-Factor: GK Antonia Tammaro ‘21

Tammaro took over the starting keeper role after Amherst’s 3-1 loss to Middlebury, and she hasn’t looked back. Tammaro is just behind Barnhill in both save percentage and goals allowed per game. She had one hiccup in a 3-2 loss to Wesleyan, but has since responded well, making a combined 10 saves in their past two victories. It’s a tall task for any goalkeeper to keep the Panthers from finding the back of the net more than once, but if Tammaro can limit the Panthers to, at worst, a single goal, then she’ll give her offense a very good chance of springing the mini upset.

Preview and Prediction:

When these two met back in September, the score (3-1 Middlebury) did not indicate how close the game really was. The Mammoths actually held a slight shot advantage of 19-18, parlayed with a significant edge in corners (7-2). Moreover, Amherst was in the middle of a goalie conundrum as the former starter, Erica Sanders ‘20, conceded all three goals in 70 minutes of play. Amherst is a tough matchup for the Panthers; Tamen and the rest of the offense certainly have the capability to trade offensive blows with Middlebury. On the flip side, Amherst has proven it can irritate opposing offenses with a solid back line.

I’ve made it a point to make the Middlebury offense a focal point of the article, and for good reason: they’re the only NESCAC team averaging over two goals per game, and have assisted on 18 of their 25 conference goals. It’s a well-oiled machine that, when functioning up to their capability, is nearly impossible to play catch-up with. The Panthers didn’t earn the #2 seed based solely on their offensive skills, however; they sneakily have the second-best defense in the ‘CAC. Ursula Alwang ‘20 is an extremely talented goalkeeper in her own right, and had a spectacular performance against Amherst in their prior matchup, recording eight saves. However, she has not played in the past four games, with Eva Shaw stepping up in her absence.

The Panther offense has been quiet in their past two games, and they’re due for an explosion. Amherst will make some noise early, but Middlebury will tighten up when they need to. Then, that potent offense will take over and propel this team to victory, setting up a date with Williams.

Prediction: Middlebury 3-2 Amherst

We’re not done yet folks!

There’s still a championship game to be played following the completion of the semifinal matches. Thus, we’re giving readers a two-for-one special and providing a brief championship prediction. Hopefully I correctly predicted the two finalists or else this will blow up in my face.

Sunday, November 4th (@ Williamstown, Mass): #1 Williams vs. #2 Middlebury

This is the rematch NESCAC followers want; a titanic battle between the top two heavyweights of the league. A few weeks prior, Williams and Middlebury faced off in the regular season finale to decide who would claim the regular season title. It was Williams who prevailed on their home soil, stymying the Middlebury attack en route to a 1-0 victory. The Panthers outplayed the Ephs, holding an edge in shots (9-4). The lone goal was scored off a beautiful free kick from Aspen Pierson ‘21, bending the ball around the wall and past Shaw.

Having the best defense in the league certainly helps when you’re trying to contain the NESCAC’s best offense. The great Bear Bryant once said “defense wins championships”; I beg to differ for the sake of this article. The Panthers know they’re the better team, and once they skate by Amherst, they’ll be licking their chops at the opportunity to dethrone Williams on their own soil.

Moreover, Williams lost in the NESCAC tournament in 2014, won it all in 2015, lost in 2016, and won it again in 2017. This pattern of results is screaming for me to pick Middlebury, so I can’t just buck the trend now.

Prediction: Middlebury 2-1 Williams

Trap City: Week 8 Weekend Preview

Week 8 Preview:

Middlebury (4-3) @ Hamilton (2-5)

Midd wasn’t expected to roll into Hartford and beat Trinity, but losing 48-0 was not a good showing for the program. Only 73 yards of offense? How does that even happen? I know Trinity is a really good team but an over .500 team like MIddlebury should have at least put up some sort of fight. Along with their non-existent offense the Panthers also surrendered over 500 yards of offense to Trinity, showing that they didn’t have it together on either front. Midd needs to be careful this weekend against a Hamilton team that has shown that they can steal a win against a better opponent. A 5-3 record looks much better than 4-4 heading into the final week of the season so Midd will need to have a short memory and bring their A game, or even their B game honestly, in order to take down this Continental squad.

The Panthers need their offensive weapons to put up some numbers this weekend.

Hamilton had a pretty decent showing against a very good Williams team last weekend in their 27-17 loss. QB Kenny Gray continued to be a consistent piece for the Continentals, racking up 2 TDs and 256 yards of total offense. What I forgot to mention about Gray though is that he got picked off 4 times. When you give the ball away as freely as he did last weekend, it’s essentially an automatic loss. It is more than obvious at this point in the season that Hamilton relies heavily, and perhaps too heavily, on Gray’s arm for their offense. Their running game is lackluster and it more often than not is Gray leading the team in rushes with less than 50 yards. This one dimensional offense can cause problems for Hamilton as other teams are well aware that their is not much of a threat on the ground and can therefore focus on pass defense. The defense has a solid game, picking off QB Bobby Mamarion once and recovering a fumble, but it wasn’t quite enough to keep their offence in the game. One thing that the Continentals should keep in mind is after being thrashed last weekend Midd’s spirits may be low and Hamilton could try and take advantage of this out of the gate and come guns blazing at them. This is a winnable game for Hamilton but certainly not guaranteed.

Score Prediction: Midd 27 Hamilton 21

Colby (2-5) @ Tufts (5-2)

The Colby Mules have won two games in a row since who knows when. Coach Cosgrove really seems to be doing the best with what was given to him in his first year in charge and is oh so close to capturing the CBB title that hasn’t been in Waterville for quite a few years. The Mules were able to beat Bates last weekend with ease, jumping out to a 21-6 halftime lead and maintaining that score until the end of the 4th quarter. Against Bates they didn’t have an offense, they had Jake Schwern. Schwern ran for 226 yards and all 3 of Colby’s TDs, earning his NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. On a cold, slippery, snowy day it was tough for freshman QB Matt Hersch to get anything going in the air so they elected to force feed Schwern the ball and it payed off. Defensively they clearly overmatched Bates, one Brendan Costa TD run being their only blemish. While they were easily able to the down the Bobcats, the Jumbos are a completely different ballgame. Schwern has proved much less effective against better NESCAC teams so I would be surprised to see him get anywhere near his numbers last weekend. The best chance the Mules have is to hope for nicer weather and hope that QB Matt Hersch can solidify his name in Rookie of the Year talks by orchestrating the upset of the season.

Tufts had their chance last weekend to remain in title contention in their game against Amherst but nearly missed out in their 19-13 loss. Amherst seemed to be a step ahead all game, just has they’ve been a step ahead of the league this entire season. QB Ryan McDonald’s 2 interceptions played a crucial part in how the Jumbos were quite able to keep up with Amherst. When you’re playing an undefeated team with unmatched confidence, giving away the ball will kill you. Tufts relied heavily on McDonald but he was only able to throw for 137 yards on 34 attempts. It was going to be a tough matchup for the Jumbos no matter what, nobody has dethroned Amherst yet and Tufts just didn’t have what it takes to effectively break down Amherst’s defense. Defensively Tufts fared pretty well, allowing Amherst less than 300 yards of total offense. It’s a harsh reality for Jumbo fans but Amherst was simply a better team than Tufts and deserved to take home the win last weekend. What matters now is going forwards and trying to become the best of the rest. After playing the Mammoths last weekend Colby will be a welcomed foe in Medford. This should be a fairly easy win for the Jumbos barring some serious mental errors and lack of concentration.

Score Prediction: Tufts 30 Colby 13

Wesleyan (4-3) @ Williams (5-2)

Wesleyan didn’t even break a sweat last weekend, taking down the still winless Bowdoin 24-0. It should’ve been an easy victory for the Cardinals and it was. QB Mark Piccirillo threw for 2 of Wesleyan’s TDs while RB Glen Smith has a day of it, going for over 100 yards and snagging a TD of his own. This game was another example of one opponent out classing the other out of the gate. It seemed as if Bowdoin never had a shot a winning from the kickoff. The Cardinal defense held the Polar Bears to exactly 100 yards of total offense, making getting into Wesleyan territory an accomplishment. Although Wesleyan was able to take care of Bowdoin with ease, Williams will almost certainly be a much more interesting contest. Wesleyan has a chance to surpass Williams in the standing this weekend if they play their cards (pun intended) right.

Time for Piccirillo to show us what he’s made of.

Williams took the long trek to Clinton last weekend and came back home with a dub. QB Bobby Mamarion had a solid overall game, tossing 2 much needed TDs for the Mammoths. RB Cartel Begel piled on with over 100 yards and a TD of his own to put an exclamation point on the game. This was a game that Williams should have, could have and did win. Their defense managed to pick off Hamilton QB Kenny Gray not once, not twice, not three times but four times! Luke Apuzzi was able to snag 2 of those interceptions which swung the momentum very favorable for the Ephs. K Andrew Schreibs was knocking down his extra point attempts as well as his 2 field goals with ease, which actually managed to make a solid difference in the contest. It was a huge team effort overall by the Ephs and the will need that again this weekend as the face a potentially underrated Wesleyan team.

Score Prediction: Williams 24 Wesleyan 21

Bates (0-7) @ Bowdoin (0-7)

The Bobcats may have been hyped for their snowy home game (https://twitter.com/Bates_Football/status/1056228141037948928) but they are yet to find the win column.

It’s CBB time once again. You have to love the CBB, it’s the only contest where you can lose almost 80% of your games and still have the chance to take home a trophy. That is what the Bobcats will do this weekend as they head into Brunswick to face Bowdoin. The biggest story of the game last weekend for Bates was the exit of their QB, Alex Costa, due to injury. Costa has been the biggest piece, arguably the only piece, of offense that Bates has had this season. With Costa I would say that Bates should have no business losing to Bowdoin but now it is anyone’s ballgame. QB Jack Bryant took over for Costa after he left but was a non-factor as both teams were just running the ball up the gut the entire game. If the weather favors a little better this weekend and the passing game comes more into play, Bryant will need to show that he is an equally effective distributor to Costa and keep Bate’s CBB hopes alive for another week.

Bowdoin’s season had been bad. Their offense and defense both rank last in many major categories and they have not showed signs of improvement throughout the year. Golden arm QB Austin McCrum has done essentially nothing since joining the Polar Bears and had another lackluster game last weekend, racking up only 80 yards and a pick. That being said, this is Bowdoin’s opportunity to right the ship. A win against Bates will be all the momentum they need to carry into the next weekend against Colby to potentially steal a CBB ‘ship out of absolutely nowhere. Now do I think that they can actually do this or is this just a description of die hard Polar Bear fans’ dreams, you tell me. It all starts and could potentially end this weekend for the Polar Bears so why not throw it all out on the line and try some new things. I’m not, and never will be, a football coach but I can tell you that business as usual has not and will not work for Bowdoin.

Score Prediction: Bates 17 Bowdoin 6

Bold Prediction, Cotton; Week 8 Game of the Week

Week 8 Game of the Week Preview: Amherst @ Trinity—This is It

For the second year in a row, Trinity and Amherst will meet in the penultimate game of the week to determine the league champion. Amherst, with a win, will clinch the NESCAC championship with one game to play, while a Trinity win will put them in the driver’s seat and means they just need to beat Wesleyan in Week 9. In a league with very crowded standings and unbalanced scheduling, this is as close as it gets.

And from a football standpoint, this game is also going to be as close as it gets. Amherst and its league-leading defense (8.6 points allowed per game) will be tasked with stopping Trinity and its league-leading offense (41.1 points scored per game). Trinity might just be the underdog this game, and who can remember the last time they were underdogs in Hartford? The crowd is going to be rowdy and this game should be a thriller. Let’s get into it.

Keys for Amherst: Rushing Attack

Jack Hickey has had a solid season to this point but needs to jump start the Amherst offense in Hartford.

It’s no secret that Amherst’s 7-0 record have been built on its defense. Their defense has allowed them to keep the risks to a minimum on a conservative offensive gameplan. QB Ollie Eberth ’20 is only 8^th in the league amongst all QBs who have started every game with 22.5 passing attempts a game, and the only QB who is yet to a throw an interception. They need to keep up with Trinity and their offense to let Eberth continue to play his style and the way they’ll do that will be through the RB tandem of Biafra Okoronkwo ’21 and Jack Hickey ’19. The duo are 4^th and 8^th in the league in rushing, and the biggest reason why the Mammoths as a team rank 2^nd in ground game. A large reason this has been a tandem effort, however, is because Hickey missed 3 games in the middle of the season that allowed Okoronkwo to breakout. He returned last week against Tufts and carried the ball 20 times for 89 yards and a score, while Okoronkwo only logged nine, but this coaching staff clearly has faith in both. Whatever combination they use is going to need to get it done.

Keys for Trinity: Aggression and Playing Ahead

For the Bantams, this needs to be just another game from an offensive standpoint. Yes this Amherst defense is the talk of the town, but they should be just as worried about Trinity’s offense. Trinity’s only loss came in Week 3 at Williams, when the Ephs held them to a season-low 16 points and season-low 436 yards of offense (not a typo). In that game, the Bants fell down 21-9 halfway through the 3^rd quarter and didn’t score again until a defensive breakdown with 1:31 left for a Koby Schofer ’20 63 yard touchdown catch. The reason for this drought is that Trinity abandoned the passing game in favor of throwing up prayers to their deep threat duo of Schofer and WR Jonathan Girard ’21, completing neglecting All-League RB Max Chipouras ’19. Yes they have changed quarterbacks since that game and yes they’ve been outstanding since, but they need to strike the right balance in their run-pass play calling, and they’d be better off scoring early (duh).

Amherst X-Factor:

LB/DE Andrew Yamin ‘19

No need to get cute here. Biggest game of the season, maybe the biggest game of your career? Need your best players to show up, and for Amherst that is LB/DE Andrew Yamin ’19. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year looks determined to repeat, leading the league in both sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (13.5). He’s going to have his hands full with this offense, most specifically QB Seamus Lambert ’22 and RB Max Chipouras ’19. The best way to stop a passing attack is to not let them throw the ball, and the best way for Amherst to do that is for Yamin to add on to his 7.5 sacks in this game. He’s going to be called upon in a lot of different ways to stop this offense on all fronts, but if anyone can do it, it’s going to be Yamin. If he’s not all over the box score, it’s not a good sign.

Trinity X-Factor:

QB Seamus Lambert ‘22

I know Lambert played in plenty of big games at his high school alma mater, Brooks, chasing ISL conference and NEPSAC titles, but this is a different challenge altogether. Picking the QB as X-Factor is super lame, I get it, and my apologies to all of the talented Trinity guys who will no doubt contribute on Saturday, but every single eye in the league will be on the rookie signal caller in Hartford. Lambert has appeared out of nowhere essentially—I can’t remember anyone making such a splash in their freshman year, especially not in the middle of the season. Despite his predecessor QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 leading them to a 4-1 start with plenty of firepower, Lambert was thrown into the starting lineup following the biggest win of their season against Tufts, presumably for accuracy issues. All Lambert has done in his two games as starter is go a combined 31-40, 459 yards, 7 touchdowns and 1 interception, while also adding 131 yards with his feet, leading his team to 98 combined points in 2 games. Now you may say the 48 points against Bowdoin isn’t too impressive, but the 48 against Middlebury certainly is. The bottom line is, we’re about to find out what Seamus Lambert is made of. If he comes out throwing flames again? Well it might be back-to-back-to-back for Trinity.

Everything Else:

The unstoppable force vs. the immovable object. Trinity’s offense vs. Amherst’s defense. But did you know that Trinity’s defense actually leads the league in yards allowed with just 204.9 yards a game, against a slightly stronger schedule? Because they do. This insane Trinity offense has completely overshadowed just how great their defense has been, a defense that has only allowed 10.6 points a game, just 3 more than this vaunted Amherst D. But that for all we hear about this Amherst defense, and that QB Ollie Eberth is just a game manager, Amherst is third in the league with 26.9 points a game, third in the league, more than Williams and Tufts, and second in the league in yards with 391.1 a game? There’s a lot that we don’t realize about these teams. This game doesn’t have to be played in the teens for Amherst to win or played in the 30s for Trinity to win. There are so many different outcomes here and that is what makes it so compelling.

This should make you think that the Bantams are in control, even when they’re not.

But with that being said, it’s hard to overlook what the numbers are telling us. Trinity is outscoring its opponents by 30 points a game. In a league where we really only get to base opinions and rankings of the top teams off of style, no stat speaks louder than that. Their defense is essentially as good as Amherst’s, and their offense is on a different level. Between Lambert, Chipouras, Schofer, and Girard, you have the league’s top rusher, the two top receivers, and the QB who would probably be the top passer if he had started since day 1—and they might both have been 7-0 if that was the case. Amherst is really good, but I think Trinity just has too much talent. And the game is at Trinity, where the last two NESCAC championships reside? It’s looking like a three peat.

Final Score: Trinity 28, Amherst 13

Why Throw the Ball? Week 7 Power Rankings

Week 7 Power Rankings

Week 7 wasn’t the most exciting of weeks, but it helped set up an unofficial league championship game in Week 8 between undefeated Amherst and one-loss Trinity. If Amherst wins, then their final game against Williams is solely for Little Three purposes, as the Mammoths will have already clinched the NESCAC championship. If Trinity wins, they’ll also have to secure a win in their final game against Wesleyan in order to remain at one loss and keep the tiebreaker over Amherst. A lot is at stake at the top of the league, but we’re also getting some excitement at the bottom, too, as Hamilton and the Maine schools are finally getting to play each other to decided which team is the best of the rest. Take a look at where each team falls as we head into the deciding weeks:

(1) 1. Amherst (7-0)

At this point LB Andrew Yamin ’19 is looking like a shoe-in for defensive player of the year

Defense led the way on Saturday, as the Mammoths were able to secure their biggest win of the year. Andrew Yamin & company did a great job keeping the Jumbos offense off the field for the majority of the game. In fact, Tufts possessed the ball for just 21 minutes the entire game. 21 minutes!! No wonder they only scored 13 points…they only had the ball for a third of the game. QB Ollie Eberth ’20 barely even had to do anything (14-26, 150 yards) because the defense did such an outstanding job,including leading tackler John Callahan and Andrew Sommer. There really wasn’t a ton of offense in this game on either side, but Amherst’s rushing attack kept the clock moving and provided just enough scoring to win the game. This sets up what will essentially be the league championship game at Trinity in Week 8. Keep an eye out for our game of the week preview for this matchup later in the week.

(2) 2. Trinity (6-1)

Trinity put on about as dominant a performance you’ll see with a 48-0 annihilation of Middlebury. They sent out freshman QB Seamus Lambert ’22 for his second consecutive start and he was an incredibly efficient 9-11 for 179 yards and 4 touchdowns. In an effort to follow his predecessor’s model, he completed 8 of his 9 passes to either Koby Schofer ’20 or Jonathan Girard ’21 and they each had two TD catches. The primary offensive attack in this one was actually on the ground for the Bantams, where RB Max Chipouras ’19 and RB Spencer Lockwood ’22 combined for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns on 48 total carries. I’m not sure what the game plan was for the Panthers, but the Bantam secondary held them to 36 passing yards on just 4 completions. What an effort by the defense. Trinity has been on fire lately, and we’ll find out just how good they are when they host the league’s top team on Saturday with a chance to step back into first place.

(3) 3. Tufts (5-2)

The Jumbos had a chance to make things really interesting at the top of the standings, but they fell just short. They battled, though, and actually held Amherst to their lowest point total of the season (19 – tied with Week 1 at Bates). The defense did an excellent job keeping dual-threat QB Ollie Eberth in check both through the air and on the ground, but the offense could only muster 13 points. QB Ryan McDonald threw for just 137 yards while adding 2 interceptions, and 25 of his 33 rushing yards came on one touchdown run. I guess this is our way of finding out just how good the Amherst defense really is. It’s been an exciting year for this Tufts team that I would argue has already exceeded expectations, and they’re left playing for pride in their last two matchups with Colby and Middlebury in the final weeks.

(4) 4. Williams (5-2)

A 27-17 win over Hamilton wasn’t their most impressive performance of the season, but a win is a win. The offense has had better games, but they did just enough to win behind an 11 for 24, 2-touchdown effort from QB Bobby Maimaron ’21. LB TJ Rothmann ’21 led the team in tackles despite playing with a sprained jaw, making a bid for NESCAC’s gutsiest player in 2018. Defense led the way as the Ephs picked off Hamilton QB Kenny Gray 4 times and allowed him to complete just 13 of his 37 pass attempts. Freshman RB Carter Begel ’22 did a decent enough job in the absence of RB TJ Dozier ’21, averaging 3.2 yards per carry and running for 108 yards and a touchdown. Despite being out of title contention, the Ephs still have a great chance to take home their first Little Three championship since 2010. It starts this weekend when they host Wesleyan.

(6) 5. Wesleyan (4-3)

RB Glenn Smith ’21 did a terrific job out of the backfield against Bowdoin

Wesleyan continued their streaky 2018 season with a 24-0 rout of Bowdoin. Due to the poor weather there wasn’t much offense around the league this weekend, but a special note should be made for the Cardinals’ defensive performance. They held the Polar Bears to 100 yards of total offense (80 passing, 20 rushing) and only 6 first downs the entire game. In fact, Bowdoin didn’t get the ball over midfield until less than 4 minutes were left to play in the 4^thquarter, then proceeded to turn it over on downs four plays later. RB Glenn Smith ’21 had his best game of the season, carrying 20 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 just had to serve as the Ollie Eberth-type game facilitator, mostly handing the ball off to keep the clock moving and only throwing when he needed it. This was a dominant performance by Wesleyan (albeit against a very weak team) and they will look to replicate it in their matchup with Williams in Week 8.

(5) 6. Middlebury (4-3)

It’s never fun to be on the wrong side of a 48-0 blowout, but when looking at the box score you have to wonder what happened to the Panthers. They were by no means the favorite on the road against one of the league’s elite, but 48-0?? Two weeks after they took down a Williams team who had been playing some of their best football? I don’t know exactly what’s going on over there, but something isn’t right. This is a team that usually has their sights set on a league championship, and they couldn’t muster up more than 73 yards of offense in a game where their opponent put up more than 500? The Panthers have Hamilton and Tufts left on the schedule, and they’ve got to get it together or they’re in danger of finishing below .500 for the first time since 2005.

(8) 7. Colby (2-5)

The Mules rattled off their second consecutive victory in convincing fashion over Bates in Week 7. Colby (the writer, not the school) touched on this last week, but the Mules have a strong case for being the second best team in the league after beating Hamilton who beat Wesleyan who beat Middlebury who beat Williams who beat Trinity. If that’s not enough of a reason, I don’t know what is. All jokes aside, Colby (the school, not the writer) looked seriously impressive against the Bobcats this past weekend and it didn’t take a multi-faceted offense to beat them. RB Jake Schwern ’19 carried the ball 40 times for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns, accounting for over 70% of Colby’s total offense. The defense did their part and the Mules took home their first CBB victory and their first over Bates in 5 years. They’ll travel to Tufts this weekend before they host Bowdoin in their final game of the season.

(7) 8. Hamilton (2-5)

Hamilton didn’t play a terrible game against Williams, but the way this game ended up they could’ve had a real shot at winning. QB Kenny Gray ’20 threw interceptions in 4 of the team’s last 5 possessions sealing the win for the Ephs. Prior to this string of consecutive interceptions, the game was still very much within reach. The Continentals simply weren’t able to put together a few strong drives when they needed it, and they were handed the loss. A noteworthy performance came from DB Colby Jones ’19 who had 13 tackles including one for a loss, and added the team’s lone interception. Hamilton hosts Middlebury this weekend, and given how streaky these teams have been anything could happen so keep an eye on the score from upstate New York on Saturday.

(9) 9. Bates (0-7)

RB Liam Spillane ’21 accounted for nearly half of the Bobcats’ total yards

Things went from bad to worse for the Bobcats as they not only lost to Colby 21-6, but starting QB Brendan Costa ’21 left the game in the 2^ndquarter with an injury. The severity of this injury is unclear, but this would be a huge blow for Bates given that Costa has been responsible for nearly all of the team’s offense this season. Playing in the snow doesn’t lend itself to throwing the ball very much, so it’s a bit disappointing that the Bobcats weren’t able to stop or even slow down the one-man rushing attack of the Mules given that they pretty much knew it would be a run play every time. You’d think they’d know what was coming since 45 of Colby’s 62 offensive plays were run plays, but what do I know? Bates takes on a Bowdoin team next week that just lost their 24^thstraight game, so the Bobcats need to get their act together quickly to avoid ending up on the wrong side of history.

(10) 10. Bowdoin (0-7)

There really isn’t much left to say about Bowdoin at this point. Every week they go out there against teams that are better than them and, predictably, they lose. QB Austin McCrum ’21 has been a disappointment this year and the defense is last in about every category. The Polar Bears haven’t won a game since November 14^th, 2015 and at this point you have to wonder if the streak is somewhat flukey. I mean, how long can this go on? I don’t know what the longest losing streak in NESCAC history is, but I have to imagine they’re getting close. Coach Wells and his squad have their best chances at taking home a win against Bates and Colby in the final two weeks, but if not then the streak will live on another year.

Two Teams Left: Week 7 Stock Report

Stock Up:

NESCAC Championship Game: With the incoming game this weekend featuring Amherst and Trinity, we have just about as close to a league championship game that we will ever get. While the Bantams do have one loss, incurred at the hands of the streaky Williams team, with a win over the Mammoths, they would jump up into first place and would have control of their own fate, while Amherst would remain undefeated with a win and would clinch the NESCAC championship.

Coach Cosgrove and the Mules: The Colby Mules just keep doing it. They knocked off Bates easily this past weekend, reaching two wins and capturing an early lead in the CBB race. Freshman QB Matt Hersch has had flashes of potential throughout the season, but RB Jake Schwern really had himself a day this past weekend. He rushed for an absurd 226 yards and three touchdowns, accounting for all of the Colby points and nearly all of their yards. The secondary also shut the Bobcats passing game down stone cold and denied any attempt to make an impact from their talented QB who had his stock rated upwards last week. Costa threw for just eight yards before being lifted from the contest and Colby racked up over 100 more offensive yards than their opponent. Patrick Yale and the secondary are going to put up their best fight against the Jumbos this weekend, although I’m not going so far as to say they will win in Medford. They might keep it close, but their eye should really be on week nine’s game against Bowdoin to capture the CBB crown.

Ben Weisel ’21 and the rest of the Mules have to by hyped by their two consecutive wins. One more and its a streak.

The Power of the Undefeated: Amherst football is alone at the top and the favorite to win the crown, regardless of Trinity’s convincing win over Middlebury. Their defense is nearly unstoppable and their 13 points allowed this past weekend are a season high if you can believe that. Andrew Sommer and Andrew Yamin are a terrifying duo for any offense to stare down, and whichever QB Trinity uses this weekend will be in for a rude welcoming into their first game against the Mammoths.

Sock Down:

Panther Pride: There isn’t a whole lot of good to say here, Midd fans. Nobody could get any offense going. QB Will Jernigan may have a thumb injury, the offense couldn’t get the ball to their playmaker Conrado Banky who didn’t have a catch for the first time basically ever, and nobody averaged more than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. The Midd team had about half of the snaps on offense that they usually do and didn’t even make it to 100 total yards of offense compared to over 500 from Trinity. While they were an underdog in this game, it’s safe to say that they didn’t come close to covering the spread on this 48 point loss.

For the love of god, please, somebody, get the ball to Conrad Banky.

The Race for the Crown: Although we have an awesome matchup between Trinity and Amherst on the way this weekend, the other games in the conference mean little else other than for pride. After Tufts and Middlebury fell to Amherst and Trinity, respectively, it basically narrowed the race to two teams. Williams gave us all hope for a multiple horse race in the beginning of the year when they knocked off the Bantams, but injuries and inconsistent play have dragged them down throughout the season in their losses to Midd and Tufts—both upsets. Tufts has over performed but just didn’t quite have the depth on defense to hold off Amherst. It would be amazing if the NESCAC had playoffs like a normal conference to eliminate the drastic effect of one outlier performance, but I digress.

Best Offense is a Good Defense: Game of the Week 10/27/18

Game of the Week: Amherst vs Tufts

Overview: This game of the week features two high profile NESCAC teams going head to head. Both Tufts and Amherst are title contenders and their changes may hinge on their performance this weekend. Amherst has absolutely rolled through their opponents this season, winning each of their contests by double digits. Tufts has also fared well, their only blemish being a loss to an extremely talented Trinity team. This game will decide whether Amherst maintains their control of the conference or whether there will be a 3 team tie for first heading into week 8. All eyes should be on this game this weekend.

Keys for Tufts: Tufts’ Rush Defense

In their last two games the Jumbos have given up a combined 7 touchdowns on the ground, which is an unlikely statistic for a 5-1 team. While their defense has been able to keep the lesser teams in the conference at bay with ease, against Williams and Trinity it was made clear that Tufts does have a few flaws. Amherst is second in the league with 15 rushing touchdowns so this is not an error the Jumbos can overlook. Amherst QB Ollie Eberth has been fantastic not just in the air but on the ground as well so the Tufts secondary will need to be on high alert at all times. This game is make or break for Tufts so they need their defense to lock it down and keep their chances to win and their chances for a title alive.

Yamin and Holt are going to be making their case for defensive POY this weekend.

Keys for Amherst: All They Need is Consistency

While Amherst’s undefeated record is a feat in and of itself, their strength of schedule has been one of the weaker ones in the conference to this point. Their opponents combined record is 10-26 and they have only faced 2 opponents with winning records. While they have clearly proved that they are more than capable of getting a dominant victory over the lower tier teams in the conference, Tufts will be one of the first true tests that the Mammoths will face this season. Amherst needs to prove to the rest of the league, and to themselves, that they not only can hang with the top teams in the league but that they are the top team in the league. A win against Tufts will not only silence any doubters, but also put them in an almost sure-fire position to take the crown at the end of the year. If the Mammoths are able to play consistent to how they have thus far this year, they should have no problem notching their 7th straight victory.

Tufts X-Factor:

LB Greg Holt

Holt has been the heart and soul of the Tufts defense. He leads the team in tackles per game (8.7) by a significant margin, leads the team in forced fumbles (1) and tackles for loss (7) as well as being second on the team in sacks (2.5). Holt terrorizes quarterbacks and linemen alike, always seeming to find a gap in the line. Holt and the rest of the Jumbo defense will need to be on top of their game in order to stop a red hot team like Amherst. If Holt is able to keep up his impressive performance then it will not be an easy day for the Amherst offense.

Amherst X-Factor:

TB Biafra Okoronkwo

Okoronkwo has been an extremely consistent piece of the Amherst offense. With Tufts’ aforementioned rush defense struggles, Amherst will need Okoronkwo to be on top of his game to exploit that weakness. The Junior has run for 83.5 yards per game, which is good for best on the team as well as second best in the NESCAC. He has also tacked on 4 touchdown in Amherst’s 6 games and if he is able to find the back of the endzone against Tufts it will help Amherst’s chances to win exponentially. Nobody has been able to slow down Okoronkwo this year and I would not expect Tufts to be able to shut him down. Okoronkwo is a dominating presence is the backfield and the Tufts defense will need to be on high alert every time that he touches the ball.

Everything else:

In essence, this is it for Tufts. Win and they have an opportunity to overtake Amherst for the league lead but a loss will have them chasing silver (but nothin’s wrong with silver). The Jumbos will need to throw everything that they have at Amherst in order to take down a team that up until now seems to be completely overpowering all of their opponents. Everything is on the line for Tufts so don’t rule anything out on Saturday. For Amherst, this weekend is a chance for them to prove that a double digit win is just another day at the office. There is nothing to prove that anyone in the NESCAC can beat them but there is also nothing to prove that they are significantly better than Trinity or Tufts. They will have the opportunity to disprove that narrative and on their home field nonetheless. Amherst students should get wild and rowdy Saturday afternoon because this is by far their biggest game to date. That is until the Bantams roll into town next weekend.

Score Prediction: Amherst 23 Tufts 14

Scrapping to Stay Alive: Week 7 Weekend Preview

Weekend Preview

With each passing week the conference standings are getting clearer and clearer. With only 3 games remaining, 3 true contenders remain. Our other 6 are left to fight for the scraps—some for regional pride, some for the sake of nothing but wins and losses, and a few in hopes of a Week 9 Miracle. This week doesn’t appear to have huge implications outside of Amherst and Tufts, but it has implications nonetheless.

Bowdoin @ Wesleyan

Neither of these teams is going to come into this game feeling very good about themselves. Bowdoin, besides the 23 obvious reasons, was served a 48-6 pasting by Trinity, while Wesleyan was downright embarrassed by their Little Three rival Amherst 33-3, on their own turf. Wesleyan obviously hasn’t had the year it was hoping for, unable to account for WR Mike Breuler ‘18’s departure, but I don’t think they’ve dipped to ‘lose to Bowdoin’ levels of bad. Their defense is strong but for Bowdoin it continues to be all about quarterback play. Austin McCrum ’21 just hasn’t been able to get anything going, most notably in last week’s 17-38, 99 yards, and 4 INT performance. You could make an argument to go back to Griff Stalcup ’21, but he’s been their best WR since switching positions. It’s a lose-lose for Bowdoin and as long as these struggles continue, their chances of winning outside of the state of Maine will be stagnant. Wesleyan shouldn’t feel confident enough in themselves to focus all of their energy on their Week 8 visit to Williams, but they can channel that energy into running up the score on Bowdoin in hopes of building some momentum. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 will look like a better version of himself this week, and the Cardinals will roll.

Final Score: Wesleyan 38, Bowdoin 9

Colby @ Bates

The Bobcats are going to come in hot looking to lay the hammer like Mac Jackson used to, but Colby is the only team with a win in this matchup!

Finally some CBB! Love me some CBB. Two of the three rivals in Maine square off this week as they open up the annual battle for bragging rights and an extra edge in in-state recruiting. Bates is still winless, and Colby grabbed their first win last week behind the increasingly emerging arm of QB Matt Hersch ’22, who is ever so quietly beginning to pop up in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Hersch threw for 288 yards and 1 TD and 1 INT on 27-39 in their 23-21 win over Hamilton, his third straight week of 200+ yards and a score. Colby’s offensive line continues to be porous, allowing another 5 sacks last week. They need to protect Hersch to win this game. It would be easy to take the hot hand and the team that finally won a game, but despite this I’m taking Bates. The Bobcats have owned this rivalry and the CBB as a whole, as last year they became the first team since Colby in 1988-1992 to win it four years in a row. It’s a home game, and these seniors are not going to be the class that ends this streak. I’m not really sure how, but they’re going to find a way to win this game.

Final Score: Bates 27, Colby 20

Middlebury @ Trinity

Midd will look to bring pressure to whatever QB suits up for Trinity this weekend.

This could be a fun one. Middlebury has really turned it around the last few weeks, although a one point win against Bates might not show it. The Will Jernigan ’21 train has left the station, and their spread offense has clicked. Jernigan had his best collegiate game as a passer last week, going 17-26 for 266 yards 3 TDs and 1 INT. But opposing them in Hartford is Trinity and the home of the best offense in the league so far. Trinity switched it up under center last week, opting for QB Seamus Lambert instead of Jordan Vazzano ’21, and it worked as well as they could have hoped, with Lambert going 22-29 for 280 yards and 3 TDs. WRs Koby Schofer and Jonathan Girard reeled in a combined 14 of those balls for over 200 of those yards, announcing that they clearly don’t care who’s throwing it to them. I would imagine Lambert’s accuracy is what got him the starting job and it’s going to keep him there. It’s going to be tough to pick a team that allowed 34 points to Bates, and while Midd has turned things around, they’re not going to beat the Bantams in a shootout.

Final Score: Trinity 42, Middlebury 24

Williams @ Hamilton

Hamilton has been wildly inconsistent in 2018, so can they peak this weekend against Williams?

Is this a trap game for the Ephs? It’s hard to imagine losing two games in a row and still overlooking your next opponent, but after their trip to Clinton, Williams will only have arch rivals Wesleyan and Amherst remaining on the schedule, and their first Little 3 title in almost a decade is all they have left to play for, barring a miracle (I went through all the outcomes in my head and it doesn’t look good). What’s left of this defense is a far cry from the group that held Trinity to 16 points, a feat that is looking more and more impressive by the week. Star LB TJ Rothmann ’21 continues to be on the injury report with a sprained jaw, and they’ve lost DE/LB Austin Thomas ’19 for the season with a concussion. They need some pieces to come together if they want to beat Wesleyan and shock Amherst, but they still have too much talent not to take care of Hamilton, who can’t be feeling great coming off a loss to Colby. Until we know which Kenny Gray ’20 is going to show up for the Continentals, I won’t feel comfortable picking them.

Final Score: Williams 35, Hamilton 10

Changes to Tradition: Week 6 Stock Report

Stock Report 10/22/17

Stock Up

Tufts’ Title Chances

Obviously this isn’t a slight to Amherst, they are still the favorite and will be at the top of tomorrow’s power rankings, but Tufts is making serious moves. After handing Williams their second consecutive loss by a score of 28-21, Tufts now sits at 5-1 and is just one game back from first place. Since they play Amherst this weekend, they control their own destiny if they win out. Now, I still don’t think that the Jumbos would be the favorite this weekend as the game is in Mammoth territory, but Ryan McDonald and the strong Tufts receivers are looking ready to take us all to upset central this weekend.

Tufts is playing as a team like Chance Brady ’17 did as an individual.

Colby’s CBB Chances

Although Hamilton has been consistently inconsistent, they are far more talented than some of the other Maine teams, and Colby’s win last weekend (23-21) was a turning point in their program history. This was their first win over a non-Maine team since October 22nd, 2016, and shows that perhaps Coach Jack Cosgrove has something in the works for this team. Matt Hersch ’22 threw for nearly 300 yards and connected with ten different receivers to lead them to a win against the Continentals who were fresh off of a win against Wesleyan, who beat Midd, who beat Williams. Does that mean Colby beat all those teams by the transitive property? Not quite, but it was a big win, and the first one of the Cosgrove era.

Bates QB Brendan Costa ‘21

I had never seen Costa play in person until last weekend, and after looking at the box scores in his career, I had assumed he was just a run first player. I thought that last year, his stats were the product of the system Bates ran, and although they tried to switch to more of a pass first system this year, I thought their lack of pass success was due to Costa’s inability to throw. Although he hasn’t thrown for over 177 yards, reaching that season high this weekend, his arm is big and once he gets more on the same page with his receivers Bates could have a dangerous offense. He had several impressive touchdown passes, leading his receivers well and throwing an incomplete downfield bomb showing his arm strength. He also clearly has speed and is super shifty, so once the Bobcat blocking improves, they could be dangerous.

Stock Down

Wesleyan’s…everything

The Cardinals have lost a lot of credibility in recent weeks.

It’s been all downhill for Wesleyan since their week one win against Middlebury. They are 2-3 for the last five weeks and have only beaten teams from Maine. The previously beastly Mark Piccirillo has looked not only human but even weak at some points, throwing for just 104 yards against Amherst last weekend. Yes, Amherst has the best defense in the NESCAC (yes, I said it, Amherst parents) but he really dropped the ball, ensuring their elimination. He didn’t account for a touchdown and neither did anybody else on the Cardinals, and the entire team rushed for just 3 yards. Wait, no, they rushed for -3 yards. Yikes.

Williams’ Grit

I’d like to exclude TJ Rothmann from this stock down on the disappointment of how Williams has played in recent weeks. They have looked young, undisciplined, and overmatched against teams they are simply more talented than. Reports said Rothmann was only questionable last week rather than designated as out after suffering a broken jaw…so he is definitely not soft. Bobby Maimaron threw for just 107 against Tufts and no receivers tallied up over 44 yards. Yes, Maimaron ran for 135 yards on the ground, but that’s the point—they have the talent to win every game they play, but unless they figure it out and put a whole game together, especially on defense in the secondary with their linebackers, they will be just a team with potential.

Week 6 Game of the Week: Williams @ Tufts

Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves: Williams @ Tufts Game of the Week Preview

Overview:

When Tufts beat Wesleyan in Week 2 and Williams beat Trinity in Week 3, the collective eyes of the league circled this game on their calendar. It appeared that this game would be the biggest game of the season, a potential matchup of 5-0 teams beginning their championship sprint to the finish. Not to say that Tufts was expected to cruise through Trinity, but there was still a decent chance this would be a battle for 1^st place. But after Week 5 everything has dramatically changed. Tufts dropped their first contest of the year in Hartford to Trinity, and Middlebury shocked Williams on their own field, and both teams dropped to 4-1. Now both one loss teams, this game is an elimination game. The winner of this game will continue their pursuit of a NESCAC championship, and the loser will compete to be the best of the rest. Needless to say, there’s a lot on the line.

Key for Tufts: Front 7

Tufts’ defense has been anchored on their ability to get to the quarterback. With 15 sacks on the year, they lead the league. They have 3 out of the 10 players in the league with 2+ sacks in DE Jared Ahsler ’19, and LBs Stephen Timmons ’20 and Greg Holt ’20. Keeping the pressure on and refusing to let QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 sit back with time for Williams will force him out of the pocket and hopefully allow for their ballhawking duo of DBs Tim Preston and Alex LaPiana ’19 to do their thing.

Greg Holt and the Jumbos are heading in looking for revenge after falling in week 5.

Key for Williams: Health

There was a lot that went wrong for the Ephs in their first loss of the season to Middlebury last year. Their struggles against dual threat QBs continued (more on that in a little), and they got dominated at the line of scrimmage. But they were missing starting CB Amhyr Barber ’19 at the beginning of the game, and proceeded to lose star LB TJ Rothmann ’21, S Jake Kastenhuber ’21, and lead running back TJ Dozier ’21. The way it looked, Middlebury would’ve beaten a healthy Williams, but a dinged-up Williams doesn’t have a great chance this week. Barber and Kastenhuber are expected back this week, and Williams has a ton of confidence in freshman RB Carter Bagel in place of Dozier (11 touches for 61 yards against Midd), but Rothmann is doubtful with a sprained jaw (not a typo), and that would be a huge loss. Rothmann is in the running for best LB in the league not named Andrew Yamin and is the engine that makes this defense go. They need to be as close to 100% as possible.

Can the Williams defense and Luke Apuzzi survive without TJ Rothmann?

Tufts X-Factor: WR Jack Dolan ‘19

Tufts has increased its passing yards in every week this year, but it should come as no coincidence that their three best weeks have come with Dolan returning to the lineup after missing the first two games. They averaged 140.5 yards through the air without him and have now averaged 262.3 with him. He leads the team in receptions and TDs and is second in yards despite playing two less games. Dolan adds a completely different dimension to a Tufts offense that has already taken another leap this year with the continued development and production of QB Ryan McDonald ’19. McDonald and their committee of running backs are going to give Williams fits but if Dolan is able to stretch the field and add some verticality they’re going to be really hard to stop.

Williams X-Factor: QB Bobby Maimaron ‘21

It’s been a weird year for the reigning Freshman of the Year. Maimaron actually leads the entire conference with 7 rushing touchdowns, and has thrown 6 TDs to only 2 INTs, both of which came last week in their loss to Middlebury. Coach Raymond chose to run the ball down Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby’s throats, rather than boast their QBs stats like the rest of the league does, so the numbers don’t tell the whole story. It seems like Maimaron is being limited in his playmaking abilities. Before last week, his best passing performance was 12-25 for 154 yards for 2 TDs, numbers which are way too low for a passer of Maimaron’s caliber. Against Midd, once they fell behind and Dozier got hurt, they took the leash off and let it fly, and Maimaron went 20-38 for 239 yards. Hopefully this caught the coaching staff’s attention because if that Maimaron shows up on Saturday they’ll have a really good chance to win. He is the rare player in this league that has the ability to sway games by himself, they just need to let him.

Everything Else:

There are a lot of question marks in this game, but they also seem to require answers from Williams. Their health, their offensive play-calling, and their experience and maturity were all tested last week. We’re going to learn a LOT about them and their super sophomores when they come to the Ellis Oval on Saturday, which is not a fun place to play if you’re the road team. Their performance against Middlebury does not bode well for them, as the Tufts’ offense is essentially the same look just with superior personnel across the skill positions. Will Jernigan is no Ryan McDonald but he still killed them with his ability to throw and run. Tufts is a veteran team with a history of winning—they went 7-1 two years ago, they are no strangers to this kind of game. They should win this game. But if Williams comes out and finally realizes that just about no one in this league can cover WR Frank Stola ’21, and they target him 18 times, they could still outshoot the ‘Bos. Let Maimaron loose and see what happens. But there are too many holes right now for Williams to come in and get a road win. They should get dominated on each side of the ball for the second week in a row, and until proven otherwise, I expect they’ll struggle against another dual-threat QB.

Final Score: Tufts 27, Williams 17

2018 Midseason Awards Update

Midseason NESCAC Awards

At this point in the season, we usually see a couple of teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Through six games, Amherst is the only undefeated team remaining (although their strength of schedule to date is nothing to scream about). Trinity and Tufts loom in the background with just one loss. The parity at the top of the table allows for some exciting MVP predictions, so without further ado, here they are:

Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity

Initially, I penciled in Mark Raymond of Williams, but after last Saturday’s hiccup against Middlebury and this past week’s loss to Tufts, I’m siding with Jeff Devanney of Trinity. After securing NESCAC Championships in 2016 and 2017, Coach Devanney has his side right in the thick of things in 2018. There were some questions surrounding Trinity’s offensive identity heading into their 2018 campaign: how would Coach Devanney utilize Rhode Island transfer Jordan Vazzano ‘21? Could Vazzano gel quick enough with star running back Max Chipouras ‘19 and the wide receivers? Through five games, it’s safe to say the Bantams are having no problem moving the ball and finding the end zone. The offense is by far the most effective in the league, averaging 38.4 ppg. Despite Vazzano’s completion percentage ranking dead last in the NESCAC, his passing yards/game and throwing yards per attempt lead all starting quarterbacks. In addition, Chipouras is the only running back in the NESCAC to average over 100 ypg. The defense isn’t too shabby either, stifling opposing rushers to a mere 71.4 ypg. The 13-year head coach has things rolling again in Hartford, and they have the personnel to secure their third straight NESCAC Championship.

Defensive Player of the Year:

TJ Rothmann ‘21, LB, Williams

Rothmann is the heart and soul on defense for this young Eph squad. He had a fantastic freshman season at Williams, landing on the All-NESCAC 2nd Team Defense. The Massachusetts native is third in the NESCAC in tackles and has both an INT and a forced fumble/fumble recovery. His Defensive MVP stock took a slight hit, however, after suffering a broken jaw in the Ephs 21-10 loss to Middlebury two weeks ago. Rothmann was questionable all week before being ruled out for Sunday’s game against Tufts and if his season isn’t over he could improve his stock here. I have absolutely no idea how this is possible, but props to the kid for doing everything to help his team.

2. Taj Gooden ‘21, DL, Wesleyan

Gooden had an immediate impact as a freshman defensive lineman for Wesleyan last season, finishing third on the team in tackles for loss. The sophomore from Brooklyn, New York has taken a huge leap this season and cemented himself as one of the league’s dominant interior forces. He ranks second in the conference in both sacks (5) and tackles for loss (11). His best performance of the year came against Colby, where he racked up four tackles for loss along with two sacks. If Wesleyan gets hot and finishes in the top third of the table while Gooden keeps performing at this level, the sophomore could sneak his way up to the top spot.

Andrew Yamin ‘19, DL/LB, Amherst

There’s no sugarcoating it: this dude is an absolute unit. The reigning DPOY isn’t quite on pace to match last season’s ridiculous numbers (13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss) but he still leads the NESCAC in both those categories (6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss). The senior from Cheshire, Connecticut is a huge reason why the Mammoths allow a league-best 7.8 ppg, in addition to limiting opponents to a mere 43.3 ypg on the ground. Yamin had a quiet game for his standards two weeks ago at Colby (two tackles, one tackle for loss), but came back strong with a sack against Wesleyan.

Honorable Mentions: Greg Holt ‘20 (Tufts), Jared Ahsler ‘19 (Tufts), Corey Jean-Jacques ‘19 (Trinity)

Offensive Player of the Year:

Jonathan Girard ‘21, WR, Trinity

Girard is the best wide receiver in the ‘CAC, and it’s not even close. He blows away his competitors in yards per game and averages a ridiculous 24.2 yards per catch. His six touchdowns leads the NESCAC; in fact, the only category in which he isn’t at the top is in receptions, and even there he’s third. If Girard continues on this torrid pace, Trinity will be extremely tough to defend; opposing defenses will have to respect the Bantam passing game, leaving holes for Max Chipouras to exploit.

Bobby Maimaron ‘21, QB, Williams

Maimaron took the league by storm last season, leading the Ephs to a remarkable 6-3 record after the team finished the 2016-2017 campaign winless. The sophomore wonderkid led Williams to a huge victory against Trinity, vaulting them to the top of the table. Could Maimaron actually engineer one of the craziest turnarounds in NESCAC football history – leading a team who finished 0-8 two years ago to their first NESCAC Championship since 2010? The answer to that question will have to wait (probably until next year), because the Middlebury and Tufts defenses showed that Maimaron is indeed human. After accounting for twelve total touchdowns/zero turnovers in his first four games, the Ephs’ QB turned the rock over three times in their first defeat of the 2018 season. Maimaron didn’t really bounce back against Tufts, throwing for 0 TDs and barely over 100 yards. He needs to end the year on a very strong note to really be in the conversation.

Ryan McDonald ‘19, QB, Tufts

While the second and third place spots in both the DPOY and OPOY are underclassmen, it’s the seniors who take the top slots – for now. In this case, Tufts quarterback Ryan McDonald has led the Jumbo attack with both his arm and legs. McDonald is first in the ‘CAC with 16 total touchdowns, and averages just under 260 total yards per game. In their 38-24 loss to Trinity two weeks ago, McDonald outdueled Jordan Vazzano, throwing for nearly 300 yards combined with three total touchdowns. He had a strong performance in the Tufts win against Williams which was pivotal for the OPOY race. With 3 games left, McDonald is definitely the frontrunner.

Honorable Mentions: Ollie Eberth ‘20 (Amherst), Max Chipouras ‘19 (Trinity), Mark Piccirillo ‘19 (Wesleyan)