The playoffs are here! As everyone anticipated prior to the season, Amherst is the top seed. However, a game always starts at 0-0, and the playoffs are no different. Anybody can win. Let’s look briefly at this weekend’s quarterfinal matchups.
1). #8 Trinity vs #1 Amherst
Courtney Erickson ’19 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
It is hard for me to pick Trinity in this matchup. Everything favors Amherst. Amherst is undefeated; Amherst is at home; Amherst is the number one team in the country. Don’t sleep on Bantams junior forward Courtney Erickson. She leads the Bantams in points, and has logged a ton of minutes for the team. Furthermore, she’s an incredibly efficient scoring–shooting above fifty percent from the field. Amherst, however, has an arsenal of weapons. Sophomore guard Madeline Eck has shown that she is held and shoulders that she’s the best player on the court. She’s one of the leaders in points, and facilitates the offense well.
Prediction: Amherst 60-45
2). #7 Williams vs #2 Bowdoin
Abby Kelly ’19 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Bowdoin really bounced back after a tough loss to Amherst midway through the season. The Polar Bears were one of the only teams this season to give the Mammoths a real challenge, as their high powered offense almost broke down Amherst’s defense. Bowdoin obviously turned the page without losing another game. Bowdoin averages an almost 82 points per game. That number is incredible in college basketball. Their high octane attack is led by Junior guard Abby Kelly, who comes off the bench but is as good a scorer as there is in the league. Williams, on the other hand, will pose a serious threat. The team is led by senior forward Kristin Fechtelkotter. She is the main component of the offense, and hopes this won’t be her lsat game. Don’t sleep on Williams, but I’m picking Bowdoin in the hopes that they’ll meet Amherst in a classic final.
Prediction: Bowdoin 75-68
3). #6 Connecticut College vs #3 Tufts
The ‘Bos have had a rocky conference season by their standards. Losses to top teams Bowdoin and Amherst didn’t feel great, but nonetheless, they’re here again in the playoffs. Anything can happen. They’re second in the conference behind Bowdoin in points, so I’m sure they’ll put up the numbers this weekend. Conn College, on the other hand, is the wildcard in this scenario. They’re not as seasoned as the top three teams, but that could be a good thing because they’re not intimidated. They score a lot of points, third in the ‘Cac’, and will provide an offensive show. I believe it’s destiny that Tufts will end up in the top three, though.
Prediction: Tufts 60-52
Tufts’ Melissa Baptista ’18 has a solid POY case, and will lead the Jumbos into the tournament.
4). #4 Middlebury vs #5 Wesleyan
“He’s such a homer! He’s such a homer!” Get over it. I’m going with the Cards here. You know why? Because I watch sports to have fun, and enjoy it. Do I think Midd is the better team? Yes? But what’s the fun in picking the enemy over your own team. I’m rolling with Wes on this one because I believe senior forward Maddie Bledsoe will dominate the paint, and control the time of possession. I don’t care that Wes has to travel to the sticks in granola country. Go Wes. (Editor’s Note: Go Panthers.)
What a week, what a week. Tom Brady and the polarizing Patriots calmly came back from down 10 in fourth quarter of the AFC championship and my very own Bobcats edged Tufts on a game winner with just seconds remaining. Life is good. Anyways, in what was a one-game week for every team in the NESCAC (besides Trinity who was idle), we actually got to see a decent amount of action. Williams and Middlebury clashed in another battle of the titans, Bates took down the suddenly struggling Jumbos, and Amherst either proved that Hamilton isn’t as good as we thought or that the Mammoths are better than we thought. Who knows. The upcoming week should tell a lot as we get past the halfway point in the season, but at the moment there is much to sort through.
#10 Middlebury (14-3, 4-1)
Last week: 70-66 W vs. Williams
This week: @ Trinity
As seen in this week’s stock report, Joey Leighton ‘20 and Hilal Dahleh ’19 were highlights in the huge win over Williams this past week. Jack Daly ’18 had another good game, but his 8 turnovers were a bit frightening. Anyone can beat anyone in this league, so he’ll definitely need to be a bit sharper as we move forward. Middlebury appears to be finding their identity, so the rest of the conference should be very, very afraid. The Panthers will likely take care of business this week against Trinity to remain on the throne, but stay tuned to see if the Bantams are able to give them a scare.
#16 Hamilton (16-1, 3-1)
Last week: 75-49 L @ Amherst
This week: @ Bowdoin, @ Colby
We all knew it would happen. We just didn’t know when. The loss to Amherst was embarrassing (to say the least), but it was just one game. Everyone is bound to lose at some point, but it’ll be important to see how Hamilton responds this week against the bottom half of the league. Kena Gilmour ’20 has been a stud, but he needs to do more than the 7-point, 3-rebound effort he put up against Amherst if the Continentals are going to win in a league driven by star power. His supporting cast is there, but Gilmour has to lead the way. Their three-point shooting numbers have also taken a dip recently, which seemed inevitable, but we’ll see if Hamilton can regain their footing.
#15 Williams (14-4, 3-2)
Last week: 70-66 L @ Middlebury
This week: @ Trinity
James Heskett ’19 is making a strong case for best scorer in the league, as he still put up 19 against Middlebury despite a slow start shooting the ball. The Panthers were able to slow down the sharpshooting duo of Heskett and Bobby Casey ’19 just enough to pull off the huge win. Williams was held to just 35.9% from the field, which was really the best indication of how that game against Middlebury went. They simply weren’t hitting shots, and that’s not how you beat the best teams. I don’t believe there is much cause for worry despite the Ephs losing two of their last three NESCAC games. Look for Coach App to get them back on track with their only matchup this week on the road against Trinity.
James Heskett may well be the Player of the Year.
#14 Wesleyan (13-4, 3-2)
Last week: 89-51 W vs. Conn College
This week: vs. Bates, vs. Tufts
Wesleyan did what they needed to do in a trouncing of Conn College. This weekend will be very telling of a Cardinals squad that has been tough to get a read on. Bates is coming off a big win and have shown that they’re capable of competing, whereas Tufts is reeling after losing two of their last three. Kevin O’Brien ’19 hasn’t played in almost three weeks, and we don’t have word as to why, but this is a big blow. Wesleyan is very dependent on O’Brien both as an elite defender and as a point guard. Austin Hutcherson ’21 is doing a nice job filling in, but the Cardinals are hurting from the loss of O’Brien. They have a lot to prove this weekend, so keep an eye on the results from Middletown.
Tufts (13-5, 3-2)
Last week: 77-75 L vs. Bates
This week: @ Conn College, @ Wesleyan
Despite Vincent Pace ‘18 looking like frontrunner for POY, Tufts has struggled recently. They lost to Middlebury last week in an ugly game, and then were nudged by Bates, 77-75 this past weekend. Bates played well and has shown glimpses of outstanding basketball, but has been inconsistent, and that was a game that the Jumbos definitely should have won. Conn College should be a relatively easy win for Tufts, but Saturday they’ll be tested yet again versus a hard-to-read, but talented Wesleyan team. That matchup will help show who’s ready to take a leap, and who’s going to stay in the middle. There really is no rest for the weary in the NESCAC.
Amherst (10-6, 2-2)
Last week: 75-49 W vs. Hamilton
This week: @ Colby, @ Bowdoin
Amherst looked like the Goliath they always have been in a trampling of Hamilton. Johnny McCarthy ’18 put up a monster 12-point, 15-rebound double-double, providing the lead role, as he needs to for this Mammoth squad. There hasn’t been a ton of help from the supporting cast, however Eric Sellew ’20 has been provided a solid third option alongside McCarthy and Michael Riopel ’18. They are an absolute nightmare on defense as they showed against the Continentals, and this will be important to help keep their offense in games. If the Mammoths cruise to two victories this weekend, maybe it’s time for us to start giving them another look.
Michael Riopel ’18 has been one of the more efficient scorers in the league, and looks to bring Amherst back to the top tier.
Trinity (13-4, 2-2)
Last week: non-conference
This week: vs. Williams, vs. Middlebury
Trinity, much like Wesleyan, has been puzzling to figure out. A few weeks ago, they took down Amherst. More recently they dropped a game to Colby, only scoring 51 points. I guess what they have shown is that if they come to play, they’re capable of competing, but if they don’t show up, they roll over. This is an unfortunate outlook given that they’re taking on Williams and Middlebury this week. Regardless, they are a team with a lot of athleticism who has the ability to show up and give anyone a game. Things could get even more blurry in the NESCAC if the Bantams steal one this weekend, so fear the chicken.
Bowdoin (13-4, 2-2)
Last week: 83-77 W vs. Colby
This week: vs. Hamilton, vs. Amherst
Bowdoin has a promising overall record at 13-4, but they haven’t proven anything yet in conference play. They beat Bates and now Colby, but fell to Tufts and Trinity, which really doesn’t tell us too much. Reigning player of the week David Reynolds ’20 provides another go-to guy along with Jack Simonds ’19, and has now found his way into the starting lineup. He torched Colby to the tune of 29 points and 8 rebounds, while going 11-21 from the field, including 6-9 from deep. Reynolds adds to this potent Polar Bear offense that averages over 80 points per game. This will be a telling weekend, as Hamilton and Amherst each give Bowdoin a chance to prove something to the rest of the league.
With Jack Simonds ’19 struggling from the field, Reynolds has become the real star of the Polar Bears.
Bates (9-9, 2-3)
Last week: 77-75 W @ Tufts
This week: @ Wesleyan, @ Conn College
Bates picked up a signature win on the road at Tufts on a wild Nick Gilpin ’20 layup with 8 seconds left. This is the type of game that shows how dangerous Bates can be, and that they are a force to be reckoned with. The only reason they fall this week is because of a poor out of conference effort, and two losses to Bowdoin this season. Or maybe because I want my Bobcats to prove something with a few big wins. Either one. James Mortimer ’21 has found a spot in the starting lineup and has added a huge spark to this young Bobcat lineup. His size and shooting ability allow him to be tough on both ends of the court, and make him very versatile. If the Tufts game was any indication, we should see the Bobcats rise in the rankings as they have two big games in Connecticut this week.
Colby (10-7, 1-3)
Last week: 83-77 L @ Bowdoin
This week: vs. Amherst, vs. Hamilton
The Mules had a chance to move up when they traveled to Brunswick, but came up short and ultimately remain just above the basement of the league. Colby isn’t a bad team by any means, but they just lack the star power to compete with the top teams. They have good players (see Dean Weiner ’19), but they lack a pure scorer who can take over games. The win over Trinity is certainly a good one and a building point, but at the moment, the Mules have a long way to climb. They could make things more interesting this weekend by sneaking away with a win when they host the Mammoths and Continentals.
Connecticut College (6-11, 0-5)
Last week: 89-51 L @ Wesleyan
This week: vs. Tufts, vs. Bates
Nothing has gotten better for the poor Camels, who were housed by Wesleyan this past weekend. At this point, they’re planning for the future in New London, and we could potentially start to see different schemes and different guys getting involved for Conn College. Then again, the ‘CAC is weird and you never know what could happen on a given day. The best I can say is that Conn is a trap game, however they are yet to do any of this alleged trapping, so it is hard to even give them that. Bates and Tufts come to town this weekend, so hopefully things start to look up for the Camels.
Finally the order of teams is starting to have some clarity. Hamilton finally saw their first ranked opponent in Wesleyan and took care of business, cementing themselves as the team to beat at this point without a blemish on their record. Middlebury knocked off Tufts who knocked off Williams, putting into question the 2-5 spots in these rankings. However, this weekend should bring more clarity as Williams’ true talent level without Kyle Scadlock will be tested against Middlebury. The teams in the bottom half have largely only played each other, with Trinity looking like the “best of the rest.”
1. #14 Hamilton (14-0, 3-0)
Last Week: 76-70 W vs. Wesleyan, 102-77 W @ Conn College
This Week: @ Amherst
And now they are legit. After knocking off Wesleyan at home, the Continentals are proven to be the real deal. While this spot at the top of the Power Rankings may be temporary, their spot in the D3 Top 25 is well deserved despite an easy preseason schedule. Wesleyan was the first difficult NESCAC opponent that Hamilton beat (Trinity and Conn are the other two), and with Wesleyan’s opening weekend win against Middlebury, Hamilton is further cemented as a real NESCAC contender. Their game against Amherst should be a high scoring win with a large margin of victory if all else remains the same with Kena Gilmour the centerpiece of Hamilton’s offense. He poured in 20 points in a defensive heavy game against the Cardinals despite only shooting 1-7 from deep.
2. #11 Williams (12-3, 3-1)
Last Week: 69-63 L vs. Tufts, 79-68 W vs. Bates
This Week: vs. Amherst, @ Middlebury
There is no doubt that Williams is weaker without Kyle Scadlock, however, they have managed to show their depth and remain afloat thus far in NESCAC play. They went from NESCAC favorites to just another team in the running for the title, seeing their first loss at the hands of Tufts this past weekend. In Scadlock’s place, Bobby Casey ’19 and James Heskett ’19 continuebear the brunt of the scoring load as Casey scored 11 and Heskett 21 in the loss against the Jumbos. Heskett added 23 against Bates in the following game, settling in as a reliable power forward that Williams will need down the stretch.
3. #16 Middlebury (11-3, 3-1)
Last Week: 82-76 W vs. Bates; 78-63 W vs. Wesleyan
This Week: vs. Williams
Jack Daly ’18 continues to dish and drive to the rim as Middlebury’s balanced offense before was too much to overcome for both Bates and Tufts. While the Bates game ended up only being a six point win—closer than expected—Daly dropped 26 points, nine boards, and eight assists, a stat line we are becoming all too familiar with. Matt Folger is a lengthy player who can shoot from deep, accompanied by Joey Leighton and Hilal Dahleh on the perimeter. Nick Tarantino, Eric McCord on fire in the paint of late, and Adisa Majors all play down low and bring in the boards evenly, while G Jack Farrell ’21 is playing a lot like Jake Brown ’17 from a season ago, distributing and opening things up on the wings and for Daly. Middlebury will need to find some three point shooting from somewhere, however, if they want to continue winning.
Jack Daly ’18 had another game winner last night against Albertus Magnus, and is carrying the panthers despite struggling with his outside shot.
4. Tufts (12-4, 3-1)
Last Week: 69-63 W @ Williams, 78-63 L @ Middlebury
This Week: vs. Bates
Their win against Williams put them in a position to surpass Wesleyan in the rankings, beating what was previously the best team in the conference. Tufts’ size and athleticism are their greatest strengths, led by Vincent Pace ’18, Eric Savage ’18, and KJ Garrett ’19 who was all over the floor against Middlebury. Pace slipped a bit last weekend, shooting 5-21 against Williams and 1-9 against Middlebury. Lucky for him, Garrett emerged as a potential force going forward, scoring 20 and bringing down nine boards against the Panthers in just his fourth game of the season. After increasing his workload to 24 minutes last Saturday, he should play an even bigger role against Bates this coming weekend.
5. #19 Wesleyan (11-3, 2-2)
Last Week: 76-70 L @ Hamilton, 70-66 W @ Amherst
This Week: vs. Conn College
Austin Hutcherson ’21 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Wesleyan is in danger of falling in the rankings after an 1-1 weekend which dropped them farther down in the national rankings. While they lost to a team ranked above them now, they needed to beat Hamilton to cement themselves as a real championship contender. They should roll over Conn College this weekend, but after narrowly beating the falling Amherst Mammoths, they should be a bit worried going forward. Jordan Bonner ’19 still hasn’t quite found his shot, shooting 3-9 against Amherst, and despite first year Austin Hutcherson’s 19 points and solid shooting, Kevin O’Brien did not play and needs to make it back into the lineup quickly for the Cardinals to have a chance.
6. Amherst (9-5, 1-2)
Last Week: 72-57 W vs. Conn College, 70-66 L vs. Wesleyan
This Week: @ Williams, vs. Hamilton
A sub .500 conference record at this point with their only win against the lowly Camels is not a good start for a formerly great Amherst team. Johnny McCarthy ’18 and Michael Riopel ’18 are still leading the way in scoring, but they need more depth in order to compete against the likes of Middlebury, Williams, and Middlebury as Riopel is the only Mammoth with the ability to shoot the deep ball. While they rank second in the conference in rebounding per game, they are in the bottom half in scoring and need to improve going forward.
7. Trinity (11-4, 2-2)
Last Week: 73-68 W @ Bowdoin, 61-51 L @ Colby
This Week: Non-Conference
The bottom half of these rankings get pretty confusing as Trinity’s overall record helps them out here, however, a loss to Colby certainly dampens their overall legitimacy as any sort of contender. They had some terrible individual performances in the road game last weekend as Jeremy Arthur put up a complete dud, going 0-10 shooting, Eric Gendron 2-8 FG, and Kyle Padmore 0-3 FG. There isn’t a whole lot else to say, they need to make more baskets to win games and 31.3% overall in the contest isn’t going to cut it. They should press the reset button this weekend without a NESCAC game and look to bounce back the following weekend.
8. Bates (8-6, 1-1)
Last Week: 82-76 L @ Middlebury, 79-68 L @ Williams
This Week: @ Tufts
James Mortimer ’21 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
Bates put up two decent performances against the NESCAC’s best teams, narrowly losing to Midd and competing against the Ephs. James Mortimer ’18 and Jeff Spellman ’20 are a great 1-2 punch, combining for 41 points against the solid Panther defense. Max Hummel added 13 off the bench, and despite not doing well the next game against Williams with just three points in 15 minutes, has shown some promise. Spellman is the leader of this team and a work horse, putting up 24 the next day against the Ephs and playing over 30 minutes in four games straight. He has the ability to win this team enough games to make it to the playoffs, and in March, anything can happen.
9. Bowdoin (10-4, 1-2)
Last Week: 73-68 L vs. Trinity
This Week: vs. Colby
Losing to a reeling Trinity team certainly won’t aid the Polar Bears going forward. Jack Simonds ’19, as always, can put up huge scoring numbers, supported by David Reynolds’ shooting and Hugh O’Neil’s impressive defense in the paint (17 rebounds against the Bantams). The Polar Bears have good overall numbers as a team and were really hurt by poor three point shooting numbers against Tufts (sub 25%) and heavy turnovers against Trinity—15 compared to the Bantams’ six. Look for the weapon heavy Bowdoin team to start climbing the rankings soon.
10. Colby (10-5, 1-2)
Last Week: 61-51 W vs. Trinity
This Week @ Bowdoin
Colby got a huge win against Trinity to put themselves on the board and in the conversation of relevance for the NESCAC playoffs. While it was a low scoring affair, featuring some awful shooting from Trinity, some of that had to be attributed to the Mule defense, right? Double-doubles from both Dean Weiner ’19 and Sam Jefferson ’20 are a great sign going forward, giving the Mules reason to believe that they can compete with some of the stronger teams.
Sam Jefferson ’20 is putting up a very solid season for the gritty Mules.
11. Conn College (6-10, 0-4)
Last Week: 72-57 L @ Amherst, 102-77 L @ Hamilton
This Week: @ Wesleyan
Conn College is beginning to look like a guaranteed win for other NESCAC teams after several blowout games to begin their 2018 conference campaign. In their most recent game, allowing more than 100 points to Hamilton, they clearly had little defense and were nearly out of the game from the beginning. David Labossiere ’19 is doing all he can to prevent the Camels from remaining in the cellar, dropping 18 points and seven boards in that loss, although he is pretty helpless after four losses by over 20 points in NESCAC play.
After over ten non-conference games for the women of NESCAC basketball, the games that ‘count’ finally begin on Friday. I put count in parentheses because every game is important, but it is conference record determines playoff seeding— not overall record. Instead of traveling to unknown frontiers, teams will see familiar town signs such as Williamstown, Amherst, and Middletown. Obscure team mascots give way to ones we’ve become accustomed to: the Jumbos, Bobcats, and Panthers. Finally the alumni and non-winter athletes still enjoying winter break can boast to their friends how their school is better. Let’s take a look at the power rankings the day before conference play begins:
1). Amherst College (11-0)
Amherst comes into conference play with a perfect overall record. Only one of their eleven games was within a ten point score differential. The Momouths have simply dominated their opponents. One of the victories came over Little Three Rival Wesleyan in an absolute trouncing. Sharp Shooter Hannah Fox ‘20 has shown no signs of a sophomore slump. She has led her team in points and minutes thus far. Amherst’s strength in schedule hasn’t been great over these eleven games, but that shouldn’t take away from how good this team is. The squad opens up on its home floor against Trinity on Friday night. The strength of schedule definitely will pick up since the NESCAC is one of the strongest sports conferences in all of Division Three athletics. After Trinity, Amherst will play Wesleyan and Conn College. These games won’t be roll overs, but I expect Amherst to get to 3-0 in the league without too much trouble.
2). Tufts University (10-1)
Many Bowdoin Polar Bears fans won’t be too happy with Tufts landing a spot higher than their 11-0 Polar Bears. Tufts’ narrow loss to Albright College in a game right after Christmas doesn’t concern me in the slightest. I believe that Amherst and Tufts right now are still 1A and 1B. Every other game Tufts has blown out its opponent. I believe that Tufts has had a stronger schedule relative to Amherst and Bowdoin so far. With convincing wins against solid non-NESCAC teams, Tufts remains right there with Amherst. Jac Knapp ‘19 leads the charge for the Bo’s averaging just over ten points per game and an incredible thirty-three minutes per game on the floor.
3). Bowdoin Polar Bears (11-0)
Kate Kerrigan ’18 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
People believed that NESCAC women’s basketball is a two team league with Amherst and Tufts dominating the entire conference. Well, enter Bowdoin. After a solid run in the playoffs last year, the Polar Bears are looking to over take those two other teams. The real positive news is that Bowdoin won’t have trouble with Bates or Colby with complete blowouts over the two rivals in December. The non-conference strength of schedule isn’t great beyond those two teams. I don’t think Bowdoin has been challenged yet. They open up Friday against Bates, which shouldn’t be a big deal, but they host Tufts on Saturday. That’s going to be a huge game. The teams will inevitably meet again come playoff time, but this early season match can possibly send the teams in two separate directions momentum wise. Kate Kerrigan ‘18 leads the team in scoring, but she only logs around twenty-two minutes per game. That’s a great stat for Bowdoin, who certainly wants to make a deep tournament run with fresh legs.
4). Middlebury College (9-2)
There is a significant drop off following the top three teams, but I still really like how Middlebury has played so far. They flew to the West Coast to face the Claremont schools in a tournament. The California schools, in my opinion, offer greater competition to NESCAC schools looking to gear up for the conference season. The Panthers lost a heartbreaker in the first game to Claremont-Mud-Scripps before ending the trip with an impressive win over Pomona-Pitzer. I think Middlebury is poised to secure the fourth seed when it’s all said and done. The Panthers open up against Conn College on Friday and Wesleyan on Saturday. I think that Wes and Middlebury are two middle of the pack teams in the ‘Cac, so that should be an interesting game to watch. Maya Davis ‘20 has come into her own this year average around ten points per game and logging just north of twenty-seven minutes per contest.
5). Wesleyan University (8-2)
Olivia Gorman ’19 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
My ability to watch Wes in person probably boosts their ranking a bit. They took a trip down to Nashville, and came away with a winning streak. Prior to the Nashville trip, they took Williams to overtime, and beat them. Wes is a scrappy team with hustle plays at both ends of the court leading to positive plays. Olivia Gorman ‘19 leads the team in scoring at around twelve points per game. She stands only 5’ 4”, but her determination to get to the cup negates her lack of physical dominance
6). Hamilton College (9-2)
Like I said earlier, it’s really a toss up for these middle of the conference teams. Teams four through nine can all compete and really win on any given night. Hamilton has played well so far, but the only reason why they’re below teams four and five is their schedule. They didn’t take a trip to compete against schools from other parts of the country, so I don’t think that upstate New York schools are as good as the California schools or some southern squads. Hamilton doesn’t face any of the top three teams for a little bit; expect Hamilton to win some games at the beginning, but like everyone else, the narrative will change once they run into the top three. Carly O’Hern ‘20 is a solid guard, and leads the team in scoring averaging over eleven a game.
7). Connecticut College (9-2)
Mairead Hynes ’18 (Courtesy of Connecticut College Athletics)
Conn knocked off instate rival Trinity in early December. The Camels have used that as momentum, and have churned out a solid record so far. Again, the strength of schedule so far hasn’t been great–understandably so. The Camels play Middlebury and Williams on Friday and Saturday respectively to open up league play. I would be surprised if they come out of the weekend 2-0, but if they do, that would prove that they’re one of the better teams in this conference. Mairead Hynes ‘18 has been dominant scoring the ball (17 ppg), which is second in the league.
8). Trinity College (9-2)
It’s hard to judge teams when they’re playing such different opponents. Similar to Hamilton, the only knock on Trinity is its strength of schedule so far. I think all the teams above them have played tougher opponents. The Bantams are still 9-2, but the arrival of league games will be eye opening for everyone. Trinity is led by Courtney Erickson ‘19, who averages a very impressive fourteen points per game
9). Williams College (8-4)
Kristin Fechtelkotter ’18 (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Williams’ four losses have raised some eyebrows. One would think that those four losses would come as a result of some strong non-league opponents. However, losses to Rochester and Depauw aren’t going to cut it in this league. What happens when Amherst and Tufts come in? Williams can’t embarrass themselves. However, Williams is Williams and it’s hard to imagine that they won’t find a way to win. Senior Kristin Fechtelkotter leads the team in scoring (13.3 PPG). The Ephs open against Wesleyan tomorrow and Conn on Saturday. Where do they travel the following week? Medford to face Tufts. That should be interesting.
10). Colby College (5-4)
It’s unfortunate for Colby and Bates that Bowdoin is their instate neighbor. 5-4 is a solid league record, but for non-league play, it’s not great. The same schools other NESCAC teams have blown out actually beat Colby or came close to beating them. It’s going to be a long season for the Mules, but at least they know they’ll have Bates below them. I feel like Colby is destined for the ten spot because they’re not nearly as good as the teams above them, but they’re certainly better than Bates. Haley Driscoll ‘18 leads the team in scoring, and is maybe the best center in a perimeter-dominated league.
11). Bates College (5-7)
As athletes, we’ve all been on bad teams. There’s nothing worse than going into a season knowing that your team is bad. I’ve been on plenty of bad teams in my life, which makes you truly understand how special the good teams you’ve been on are. There’s no circumventing this: Bates isn’t good. I don’t see them picking up very many league wins if any. It must be frustrating for Nina Davenport ‘18, who leads the league in scoring (20 ppg). She’s consistently one of the best scorers in the league, but Bates rarely backs her up with a W.
Nina Davenport ’18 has been somewhat stranded on Bates’ team this season.
Happy New Year, NESCAC fans! With another year comes more excitement as basketball season heats up and conference play begins. Between some recent upsets (York over Middlebury 90-87 in OT; Hamline over Williams 73-71; Southeastern over Amherst 76-65) and a shocking injury (Kyle Scadlock’s torn ACL), 2017 finished out with some bad luck for our beloved conference. However, 2018 is an open book, and among the things we can look forward to are the races for Player of the Year (POY), Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), and Rookie of the Year (ROY). Here are some of the early frontrunners for each major award:
POY:
Jack Daly ’18 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
Middlebury G Jack Daly ’18: Middlebury is lucky to have such a stud as a replacement for Matt St. Amour ’17, and have seen incredible production thus far from the PG. Daly’s stat line reads 17.6 PPG, 9.0 REB/G, 8.3 A/G, and 2.0 STL/G. While he has slipped just below double digit averages in rebound and assists, the overall numbers are still ridiculous. Despite significant losses from the 2017 Midd team, the current Panthers team is deep at nearly every position, leaving no lack of talent surrounding Daly. He did struggle against York in their recent overtime loss, shooting just 6-16 FG and 2-7 3PT, although it represents merely a minor blemish in an otherwise dominant preseason.
Vincent Pace ’18 (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Tufts G Vincent Pace ’18: Tufts should be thrilled to see such a resurgence from Pace, the current NESCAC leading scorer with 18.4 PPG. Like Daly, Pace is a guard who can play in the paint as he also averages 8.0 REB/G, hauling in 13 boards in the Jumbo’s most recent victory against Claremont Mudd-Scripps (71-63). Because of an injury in the 2016-2017 season, limiting him to just 21 games, his stat totals last season were a bit deflated. This year, his is outperforming his healthy sophomore season several categories (PPG, REB/G), although he is shooting at a lower clip (44.2 FG% vs. 49.3 FG%; 30.5 3PT% vs. 37.4 3PT%). This leaves room for improvement in what has already been a blistering start. At this point in the season, the POY battle looks like a two horse race, although Wesleyan G Jordan Bonner ’18 and is looming in third place and Hamilton G Kena Gilmour ’20 (pictured above) is also a contender despite his youth.
DPOY:
Dean Weiner ’19 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
Colby F Dean Weiner ’19: The NESCAC’s leading rebounder comes from Colby College, a team lacking historical success, but off to a solid 7-3 start to the season. Weiner’s 9.4 REB/G and 2.8 BLK/G are the highest in the conference, surprising after averaging under seven minutes per contest in the first half of his college career. His increase to 21.8 minutes per game in 2017 has led to this breakout. In addition to his defensive accolades, he is also averaging a solid 10.3 PPG, irrelevant in relation to this award, but important in regard to his rapid development as a force to be reckoned with heading into the NESCAC season. He should remain the frontrunner for DPOY if he maintains his position at the top of the leaderboard in rebounds and blocks.
Matt Folger ’18 is a DPOY candidate, but his moustache can’t get off the bench.
Middlebury F Matt Folger ’20: Folger is also a first year starter for Middlebury, although his potential was evident in his rookie campaign. The 6’8” sophomore has doubled his rebounding total from last season and is now averaging 8.4 REB/G along with 2.5 BLK/G and 1.1 STL/G. He is athletic, extremely lanky, and can shoot from deep—a deadly combination, especially considering the prowess of Middlebury’s aforementioned PG. His defensive numbers will likely continue with more minutes per game in closer contests and increased experience.
Kevin O’Brien (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Wesleyan G Kevin O’Brien ’19: This selection is a little unusual in that the DPOY is usually a big man at the top of the blocks and rebounding leaderboard (like Weiner.) However, O’Brien is an absolutely destructive perimeter defender. He leads the NESCAC in steals with 2.4 per game and uses his 6’5” frame to make an impact in the paint as well. In addition to his high steals total, he also hauls in 6.6 REB/G and blocks opponents 1.3 times per game, putting him in this conversation regardless of his turnover ability. Bowdoin F Hugh O’Neil could easily make a case for DPOY too, depending on how conference play pans out, but from the preseason results, these are the three frontrunners.
ROY:
Matt Hanna ’21 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
Colby G Matt Hanna ‘21: The first year trio of Ty Williams, Wallace Tucker, and Matt Hanna is making a huge impact for the Mules, contributing to their turnaround 7-3 record to start the year. Between the three, Hanna is leading the way, starting all 10 games and scoring 14.3 PPG. He is distributing the ball well too, averaging 2.9 A/G and also bringing down 3.3 REB/G. He has struggled the past two games, shooting under 30% from deep and under 40% from the field in each contest, but put up solid performances against both Bates and Bowdoin, opponents that he will not only see again, but ones who are comparable at least to some of the talent that should offer a more competitive defense against his shooting. While it is early, it is obvious that Colby has a bright future and some NESCAC potential in their young stars headed by Hanna.
Dan Draffan ’21 (Courtesy of Connecticut College Athletics)
Connecticut College F Dan Draffan ’21: Draffan is averaging a meaty 14.5 PPG for the Camels, shooting 42.9 3PT% and 52.0 FG%, also grabbing 5.9 REB/G and 1.1 BLK/G. He ranks second on the team behind David Labossiere in PPG, particularly impressive given that he has only started 5/11 games for Conn so far. His 20.0 minutes per game should increase drastically given his recent success. While he hasn’t started the past two games, he dropped 27 points and nine rebounds in just 16 minutes against CCNY on 12/28, making a strong case for future starts. The 6’7” 250 pound first year player should be a force to be reckoned with for his career and is keeping pace in the ROY award race.
A short disclaimer before this article: This month of non-league games doesn’t really matter. Obviously it’s better to be undefeated (like Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Hamilton) than 4-5 (like Connecticut College) but for the most part the competition is lower-quality than league play. Come January, rotations, league leaders and indeed these rankings will all change pretty much immediately. But I haven’t written anything in forever and I’m already impossibly bored here at home, so let’s round out 2017 with these premature and probably inaccurate rankings. As always, feel free to kill me for them in the Twitter dm’s.
1) #2 Middlebury (6-0)
The Jack Daly ‘18 show has been incredible to witness this season. Daly is fourth in the leangue in scoring (17.5) first in rebounding (10.0) and first in assists (9.2.) Leading the league in rebounding and assists is simply ridiculous; I can’t remember it happening at any level of college basketball. But Middlebury’s undefeated record despite playing arguably the hardest non-conference schedule (Skidmore and Endicott were both tournament teams last year) is do in large part to the supporting cast as well. Matt Folger ‘20 is making a leap, averaging 17 points per game and contending for DPOY with 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. And the other guard spots, vacated by St. Amour and Brown, have been filled admirably by a committee. Hilal Dahleh ‘19 gets healthier every game after missing all of last season with a back injury, and has averaged 13 PPG on 8-13 three point shooting over his last three games. And first year Jack Farrell ‘21 just broke out with a 22 point showing against Skidmore. Add in fellow first year (and Hogwarts student) Griffin Kornacker ’21 and the experienced frontcourt rotation of Tarantino, McCord and Majors, and Middlebury is loaded. The Panthers play two more tournament teams in Swarthmore and York before league play begins, but they’re certainly riding high at the moment.
2) #14 Wesleyan (8-0)
Wesleyan is attempting to win despite not following the “run and shoot threes” style that the Warriors have made the norm throughout basketball. The Cardinals are fifth in the conference in scoring at 81 PPG and have taken the fewest threes with 153. And yet, they sit at 8-0 and beat Williams in Williamstown. How? One word: defense. Well actually, two word: defense and Bonner. They are averaging a ridiculous 11.5 steals per game, far and away tops in the league and have five players averaging at least one per game. They also lead the league in blocks per game at 6.5 and are second to Amherst in opponents points per game. But Wesleyan’s defense is always good, and it hasn’t always translated to success. This year, at least so far, Wesleyan finally has the go-to scorer they’ve lacked in recent years in Jordan Bonner ‘19. Bonner is averaging 17.5 PPG and has four 20 point games already. As Amherst gets into league play and the games get closer, they will need Bonner to get buckets at the end of games. The defense can take care of the rest.
Jordan Bonner ’19 may be the go-to scorer that could push Wesleyan over the edge.
3) #5 Williams (8-1)
Obviously, the Ephs’ strong start has been overshadowed by the loss of star forward Kyle Scadlock ‘19 to a torn ACL. Scadlock was building a POY case when he went down, and his injury is sad both for Williams and for the league as whole. But don’t count them out just yet. Williams is very deep, especially at forward, and have shown the signs of being able to weather this storm. Since Scadlock got hurt, they have relied largely on James Heskitt ‘19 and Bobby Casey ‘19 to pick up the offensive load. Both players have averaged over 15 points per game since his injury. And Williams’ greatest strength has always been the size that they bring off the bench. Matthew Karpowicz ‘20 is a terrible sportswriter, but he’s one of the best players in the league to come off the bench. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him start in league play, or at least see an increase in minutes when Williams faces other big teams like Middlebury and Amherst. Williams is still one of the teams to beat.
4) #23 Amherst (7-1)
Fru Che ’21 is one of a number of impressive Mammoth first years.
Here’s a ranking I might get killed for if the Amherst football parents are any indication. The Mammoths are well on their way to making all of us look dumb for thinking they might be down this year. They are 8-1, and have the best scoring defense in the league at 61 PPG, a huge reversal from last year’s team. But it should be pointed out that they are continuing the time-honored Amherst tradition of playing a terrible non-conference schedule. The Mammoths haven’t played any tournament teams yet this season, a fact that contributes somewhat to their terrific team stats. Indeed, it’s hard to get a read on Amherst’s key players because they’ve played some many blowouts in which everyone on the roster sees time. However, the struggles of Johnny McCarthy ‘18 cannot be explained by inconsistent minutes. McCarthy, who was expected to make a POY-type leap this year, is averaging 10 points per game on 38% shooting, 21% from three. Michael Riopel ‘18 and stellar first year Fru Che ‘21 have picke up the slack, but in league play, star power helps. Maybe McCarthy needed Jayde Dawson more than we thought, or maybe he’s just waiting until they need him more, but Amherst can’t compete with Middlebury if McCarthy isn’t an offensive threat.
5) Hamilton (8-0)
Hamilton always gets us with this trick. They play great before league play, and everyone (especially me) gets all excited thinking they might finally be ready to challenge the big boys. Then they get smoked in NESCAC games. At the risk of falling into that trap again, Hamilton has look REALLy good thus far. They are averaging 95 points per game (albeit against the same level of competition as Amherst) and lead the league in shooting, both overall and from three. Hamilton has one thing that they didn’t have last year, however, when they started strong and then faded spectacularly in league play: experience. All the young players that made Hamilton exciting last year are a year older and have improved noticably. Michael Grassey ‘19 has become a deadly three point shooter and overall scorer, and the backcourt of Tim Doyle ‘18 and retired mobster Joe Pucci ‘19 shoots over 50% from three and provides leadership. But Hamilton’s star is Kena Gilmour ‘20. Gilmour averages 17 points and seven rebounds per game, and is exactly the kind of versatile, athletic wing that tends to dominate NESCAC (see Bowdoin’s Lucas Hausman.) This has been said each of the last three seasons, but this might be Hamilton’s year.
6) Tufts (7-3)
Expected to compete for the league title at the beginning of the year, Tufts is just now getting healthy and rounding into form. They have three losses, but two of them came in their first three games and both were against tournament teams (MIT and WashU-St. Louis.) Since those games, they are 6-1. Tufts has been without two key contributors all season in KJ Garrett ‘18 and Ben Engvall ‘18. Both players made a big difference last season, and has led to a crisis of depth for Tufts. The Jumbos rely heavily on Vincent Pace ‘18 and Eric Savage ‘18 to carry the offense. The senior duo has combined to average 33 points per game, 19 of those coming from Pace. As Amherst proved last year, relying too much on two players is not a sustainable way to win NESCAC games. Defenses are too good; Wesleyan, Amherst, Williams and Middlebury all have enough depth to throw multiple defenders at both guys. Tufts will need one or both of Savage and Garrett to return during league play if they hope to live up to preseason expectations.
7) Bowdoin (8-2)
There was brief pandamonium (or should I say…Polar Bear-monium? I shouldn’t? Okay) a few weeks ago when Bowdoin briefly climbed as high as number 22 in the national rankings. Back-to-back losses to Colby and St. Joseph’s ended that brief love affair. But as Landry Clarke must have thought after Tyra dumped him, just because it was brief doesn’t mean it was a fluke, and it doesn’t mean it can’t happen again. Bowdoin has a lot of talent. David Reynold’s ‘20 is a bona-fide super sub, averaging 15 points per game on over 50% shooting off the bench. First year guard Zavier Rucker ‘21 is shooting 66.7% from the field and has turned what was expected to be a weak spot (PG) into a strength. And Hugh O’Neil ‘19 provides size and toughness inside. Jack Simonds ‘19 still hasn’t gotten going, only shooting 39% from the field and 28% from three. He seems to be having a little trouble meshing with a suddenly-balanced team, after being very much the go-to guy last season. Once he figures it out, Bowdoin really could be scary.
David Reynolds ’19 is explosive off the bench for the Polar Bears.
8) Trinity (6-2)
As always, it’s hard to get a read on the Bantams. After losing Ed Ogundeko, Trinity has gotten off to a solid 6-2 start. However, they got pasted by Nichols, their best opponent by far, 89-75. In that game, as well as their other loss to Western Connecticut, they showed many of the offensive problems that have plagued previous Trinity teams. Those problems are primarily related to floor spacing. The Bantams are the second worst three-point shooting team in the league, trailing only Bates. Their leading three point shooter (and overall scorer) is Jeremy Arthur ‘19, and he shoots only 36%. When Trinity plays against good defenses who can handle their size inside, those teams can pack the paint and Trinity really struggles to score. Arthur has been a good player for a while and is flourishing without Ogundeko, but Trinity won’t win league games if they don’t find someone else to hit some threes.
9) Bates (5-2)
Jeff Spellman ’20 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
Bates is shooting, as a team, 38% from the field and 24.5% from three. According to my “Basketball For Dummies” reference book, that is not very good. It speaks very highly of their defense that they are 5-2 despite shooting that poorly. They force nearly 17 turnovers per game, and allow teams to shoot almost as poorly as they do from three at 27%. Bates has relied largely on that defense and the clutch play of Jeff Spellman ‘20, who is averaging over 18 points per game. Most of those came in a 38 point outburst against UNE, but he has shown a knack for getting a big hoop when they need one most. Obviously, during league play, they will have to shoot better than this, or else teams will pack the paint even more than they will against Trinity.
10) Colby (6-2)
Colby may be the team that has the fairest gripe with these rankings. They have a 6-2 record and a signature win over Bowdoin. And yet here they are, two places behind the Polar Bears. In contrast with the Bobcats, much of Colby’s success is due to their three-point shooting. Colby shoots 34% from three, which isn’t amazing, but their numbers are slightly skewed by two games where they shot 22%. Colby is also young. Their leading scorer is impressive first year Michael Hanna ‘21, who averages over 13 PPG. Colby has a chance to contend for the CBB title, and maybe climb into the tournament.
11) Connecticut College (4-5)
David Laboissiere ‘19 (don’t ask me to pronounce that) has put up one of the most efficient first months we’ve seen in a while. He leads the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game, and is shooting 52% from the field and 51% from three. Unfortunately, he’s not getting a ton of help. And his team’s record reflects that. They are a league-worst 4-5, and have lost three in a row heading into break. The main culprit is certainly turnovers. They average 19 per game, by far the most in the league. They do try to play fast, which leads to some sloppiness, but that is simply not a sustainable way to play. In NESCAC play, Labossiere won’t be able to bail them out every night.
David Labossiere is putting up big numbers this year, but so far they have been for naught.
Time for the worthy to shine and the hesitant to stumble. We are now down to eight of the finest squads in the country to battle it out for ‘Cac supremacy, and there will be no cakewalks for any team from here on out (looking at you, Tufts). This quarterfinal round presents some appealing and somewhat dangerous matchups, producing an element of added pressure that so often cripples a team’s fate in playoff soccer.
Williams (6) at Bowdoin (3), 12:30 PM
Bowdoin opens up their playoffs at home against a solid Williams team. In their first game matching up in September, the Polar Bears were able to secure a win with a late goal in the second half at home; that being said, these two teams match up very closely together. Despite Bowdoin being higher ranked in the playoff seedings, these two squads have had eerily similar seasons from a statistical point of view. They each have scored 18 goals while Bowdoin has conceded 8 compared to Williams’ 9. Despite the substance of their overall campaigns being almost identical, Bowdoin has managed to score almost two goals for every goal conceded in conference, while Williams scored one for every one against in NESCAC play. What I can garner from this is that Bowdoin has, to this point in the season, performed better against the higher quality teams compared to their Ephs opponent.
Bowdoin will have to keep relying on their stalwart defense, led by recent conference player of the week and goalkeeper Stevie Van Siclen ’18. The senior keeper has continued to be a reliable force in the net and will look to get a clean sheet in front of his home crowd. Offensively, senior Ethan Ellsworth ’18 will attempt to generate the offense for the Polar Bears, leading the team in points in the regular season.
The Ephs need to find a way to create some chances on Saturday, looking to senior Mark Sisco-Tomoleo ’18 and sophomore Bobby Fabricant ’20 to open up the play for this Williams side. In order for the Ephs to truly take advantage of Bowdoin in hostile Brunswick territory, they must take the game to the Polar Bears and pounce on them early.
Prediction: Williams 1 – Bowdoin 2
Hamilton (7) at Amherst (2), 1:00 PM
The defending conference champion Mammoths will seek to open up their title defense in the opening round of the playoffs this upcoming Saturday. Up to this point in the season, Amherst has put on an offensive display, scoring 31 goals in their 15 games played. What they will need to be cautious of is their sometimes vulnerable defense, as they were only fifth in fewest goals allowed in the conference. On the other side, the Continentals come into this game having let up the ninth fewest goals per game, meaning that if Amherst is executing their plays, the Mammoths could easily take advantage of the at-times frail Hamilton defense. In their opening matchup, and to the surprise of many, the Continentals were able to squeak out a tie against the Amherst squad. However, I bet the Mammoths will be looking to get their revenge, especially on their home turf.
Sebastian Derby ’21
For Amherst, they will need to look to standout freshman Sebastian Derby ’21, who leads the team in goals and overall points. This matchup is a good chance for Derby to get a taste of his first collegiate playoff run.
On the other side, Hamilton will call on sophomore Aidan Wood ’20 to direct this offense. If the Continentals want to make a statement in these playoffs, knocking off the defending champs would be a good start.
Prediction: Hamilton 0 – Amherst 2
Middlebury (5) at Connecticut College (4), 2:00 PM
The #4 and #5 seeds square off in this opening round of the playoffs in New London this upcoming Saturday. The Camels will look to prove why they are one of the most dominant forces in the conference, and according to their regular season stats, they are statistical stars. Conn lets in an average of about 1 goal every 2 games, while scoring about 2 times for every single game played; they are also tied for second in the conference in goals scored. I see an issue for the Panthers in this matchup, seeing as they usually give up as many goals as they score, which is definitely not a recipe for success entering the playoffs with these powerful opposing teams. In their meeting during the regular season, Conn beat the Panthers 2-1 in Vermont. If they were able to beat Middlebury away in their NESCAC opener, I have no reason to doubt that they will bring an even fiercer gameplay to the Panthers on their home field in front of a playoff crowd.
For Conn, Ben Manoogian ’19 will look to continue his exceptional play, with his team-leading 17 points. Defensively, the Camels stick freshman A.J. Marcucci ’21 between the posts, as he ranks third in the conference in saves.
Drew Goulart ’20
As for Middlebury, the key to their offense will be sophomore Drew Goulart ’20, who leads the team in both assists (3) and goals (4). He will need to step up and try to score in front of a raucous Camel crowd.
Score Prediction: Middlebury 0 – Conn. College 2
Bates (8) at Tufts (1), 2:30 PM
The last matchup we have for you this weekend is between top-seeded Tufts and eighth-seeded Bates. Looking at the numbers, Tufts has been unstoppable this year. They have let up 1 goal the whole season, and are also leading the conference in goals per game. Their only hiccup this season came against a stingy Amherst squad, but they stepped on the throttle only harder for the second half of the season. For Bates, I think they are just enjoying the ride up to this point. They had an unbelievable win in double OT (scoring with less than 30 seconds left) against Colby to squeak into the playoffs. Hopefully they can ride that excitement into the quarterfinals and try to put up a fight against this extremely talented Jumbos squad. In their matchup during the regular season, Bates managed to put up a good fight, but lost 1-0 on their home field.
For Tufts, it is hard to name just one player that will be the key to their success. They have senior Dexter Eichhorst ’18, sophomore Gavin Tasker ’20, and senior keeper Bruce Johnson ’18, who has yet to let in a goal all season.
As for the Bates squad, they have the conference leader in points in Nate Merchant ’21, and also defensive lockdown stud Morgan Dewdney ’19. Hopefully these two can will this Bobcats team to a strong effort against this Tufts powerhouse.
Bates (5-2-1, 2-1-1) vs. Connecticut College (7-1-1, 4-1-1), New London, CT, 11:30 AM
It takes a big man to admit failure. Well, I can say that I’m five times a big man because I went 0-5 in my predictions last week. Each game proved to be a nail-bitter with a single goal being the difference maker in both games. This is why we love sports. On any given weekend, a team can put on a spectacle for avid sports fan, and pull off a shocker. Without Williams playing this weekend, the spotlight can be put on other games.
Once again, the game of the week features the Conn College Camels. After a devastating goal against on an Eph corner kick in overtime last weekend, the Camels lost their undefeated season bid. The Camels came ever so close to upsetting the Ephs on their homecoming weekend, and becoming the only undefeated team left in the ‘Cac. They might have a shot of redemption against Williams in the NESCAC playoffs. Nevertheless, the Camels can’t dwell on the loss, and must turn the page because a very strong Bates team is traveling to New London on Saturday. This weekend is also homecoming for the Camels, so they have to show that they’re one of the league’s best to make the alumni proud. After last weekend, the Camels still rank second in the conference in GF (goals for). This statistic illustrates the wealth of offense the Camels possess. Their diversified offense helps them against stellar defensive teams because when one player gets shutdown, it’s next woman up.
Bryanna Montalvo ’18
However, Conn really showed its defensive potential against the high-powered Ephs last weekend. Williams normally scores two to three goals per game in conference play. The Camels held them to only one goal including an overtime period. G Bryanna Montalvo ‘18 has shown veteran leadership and steady play in net; she’s a rock back there— ranking in the top five in save percentage and leading the league in wins. Before the Williams game, I thought Conn’s only chance of beating Williams was outscoring them. The Camels proved to me and the world that they have as much fire-power on defense as they do on offense.
The Bobcats come into Saturday with a loss as well against Trinity, respectively. This loss shocked me because Bates has played so well, and has won tight games. Their defense and opportune offense led them to a road-win win against Wesleyan, but Trinity’s offense last weekend proved to be too much for them. Olivia Amdur ‘19 ranks third in the ‘Cac in points, but she seems like one of the only offensive inputs for the Bobcats. The rest of the offensive needs to step up and rally behind Amdur if they want to compete with the well-rounded Camels. G Sarah McCarthy ‘18 leads goalies in the NESCAC in all major statistical categories, but we saw against Trinity that if the opposing teams build a lead against the Bobcats, they have trouble coming back. The squad does, however, have a game against one-third of the CBB rivalry tonight (10/4) in the form of Bowdoin. A win here could give a much needed boost to the Bobcats offense against a mediocre Bowdoin defense.
UPDATE: The Bobcats defense fell flat against Bowdoin, surrendering too many shots and too many goals in a 3-2 loss. If they play like the against Conn, it will be a blowout, but I’m banking on them coming back hungry and ready to get back on track.
Sarah McCarthy struggled against Bowdoin last night, and will need to play better against Conn College.
I picked this game as the game of the week because of the potential both teams show to knock off presumptive favorite Williams. If I were the Ephs come playoff time, I would be very nervous facing either of these two teams. Bates has already tied the Ephs, while the Camels were edged on a ‘soft’ Eph goal in overtime. Like we saw last weekend, anything can happen on any given Saturday in the NESCAC. A win in this came will be a shot of confidence for both teams, and keep them in the upper-echelon of the league with Williams. Even though I really like Bates’ road play and defensive game, the Camels’ consistency will be too much for them.
As we move into the fourth weekend of NESCAC play, the teams start to recognize the significance of each game. There is room to rise, but even more room to fall. Here are my thoughts about the upcoming games, most of which have potential playoff significance.
Standings as of 9/28 (Courtesy of NESCAC.com)
Colby (3-3-1, 1-2-1) at Middlebury (2-2-0, 5-2-0)
Statistically up to this point, the Mules and the Panthers boast similar figures. They each have a positive goals to goals against ratio and sit in the middle of the pack in the conference standings, respectively. Middlebury, on one hand, opened up ‘Cac play with a tough draw against Conn., Amherst, and Bowdoin; all of whom look to be formidable opponents in the first half of this season. The Panthers, at times, have shown that they can muster up tenacious play, as exhibited against Amherst, but their defeats against the Camels and the Polar Bears leaves definite questions about their ability to find success in the future. Middlebury currently relies on a balanced attack led by Drew Goulart ’20 and Daniel O’Grady ’19, who are able to both score and dish out an assist when called upon. Their backs Peter Davis ’19 and Aidan Robinson ’20 continue to help out senior keeper Jeremy Yeager ’18; all three will need to maintain their focus against a Mules team that has struggled to manufacture to this point.
Speaking of the Mules, this Colby team has surprised followers and continues to battle against intimidating competition. They took the defending national champion Jumbos into OT, tied the current conference leading Camels, and shutout Trinity in a decisive 2-0 victory. That being said, that amounts to only one victory, and in this league, you need points to be successful. Yes, they have faced very tough competition (their other game was a 1-0 loss to 4th-in-conference Williams), so they should not hit the panic button just quite yet. I expect this game will be a closely contested match all the way through. Asa Berolzheimer ’20 and Jansen Aoyama ’19 lead this Mules offense, and will look to get on the other end of a Kyle Douglas ’19 pass (Douglas leads team with 3 assists). At the end of it all, the result from this match will help paint a much clearer picture of each team’s capabilities.
Prediction: Colby 1 – Middlebury 2
Wesleyan (1-2-0) at Hamilton (5-2-0)
The struggle for the Cardinals up to this point has been maintaining their great level of play against out-of-conference teams in their NESCAC matches. They have shown they have the talent and the pieces needed to develop a quality season, but they need to show more flair and play with less hesitancy. In their two conference losses, they failed to score a goal against both Bowdoin and Tufts. Only against Bates were they able to net 4, but this is coming against a Bobcats squad that is less than stellar defensively. The Cardinals depend on recent conference Player of the Week (Harold and) Komar Martinez-Paiz ’19 to preserve their inconsistent offense. Additionally, the team has a constantly reliable backfield composed of Teddy Lyons ’19, Nick Jackson ’18, and keeper Brian Harnett ’18. Wesleyan cannot keep relying on their defense to win these games, as they can only do so much work before the opposing pressure breaks through.
Wesleyan will need to attack more on offense if they want to win this weekend. (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Hamilton, similarly, comes into this game looking to turn their season around. The Continentals have definitely not given their best performances, as they suffered stinging losses to Bates, Middlebury, and Conn. College. The main focus for Hamilton this weekend will be their offense, as they have scored only two goals in their four conference games. They need their strikers Jefri Schmidt ’20 and Matt Casadei ’19 to tally up some points against the Cardinals, but that gets a lot harder when looking at the strength of the Wesleyan defense. Playing at home, the Continentals look to give their fans something to cheer about as each team fights to jump up the conference table.
Prediction: Wesleyan 3 – Hamilton 1
Trinity (0-5-0, 1-6-0) at Bates (1-1-1, 3-1-1)
The Bantams head up to Lewiston this upcoming Saturday as both teams seek to redirect the path of their seasons. For Trinity, they simply need to find a way to score in conference games. They have netted only 1 goal in five conference games (just taaaap it in). In those five games, they have also conceded 9 goals, which must seem like a giant mountain to climb over every time they give up a goal considering they cannot really find a way to score. The Bantams have managed to score out of conference, placing 7 goals in the back of the net in seven non-conference games, so they have shown they have the ability to score. Hoping to tally some goals this weekend for Trinity is Bantams points leader Cody Savonen ’18, who has scored half of the team’s goals this season.
Defensively, Trinity will need Henry Belt ’21 and Mateo Zabala ’18 to be on top of their game to thwart the Bobcats. Hosting the Bantams this weekend is Bates, who, unlike its opponent, maintains a solid goals to goals against ratio. The Bobcats have scored 5 goals and let up 6 in conference. I would not necessarily say that these are favorable numbers, but the goals-for stat shows some merit when comparing it to the Bantams’. Leading the charge for Bates is senior Nate Merchant ’18, who has scored 5 of the team’s eleven goals for the season. He will be backed by senior Max Watson, sophomore Julien Williamson, and juniors Sam Huebschmann ’19 and Robbie Montanaro ’19. I have got to give the edge to this Bates squad, as they have shown they can manufacture goals in the heat of conference competition.
Prediction: Trinity 0 – Bates 2
Connecticut College (3-0-2, 6-0-2) at Williams (2-1-2, 4-1-2)
As the current leaders of the conference, Conn must continue to prove their worth. The Camels have a very young roster, which will get only better the more they play together. Freshman Liam Noonan ’21 and junior Ben Manoogian ’19 lead this Conn. offense, an attack that is currently averaging close to 3 goals per game; however, this statistic decreases to just over 1 goal per game against conference opponents. The Camel defense has been extremely solid, averaging 0.59 goals against per game, which is easy to believe considering they have stalwart and lone starting-senior Nate Summers ’18 defending for the team. Conn. College’s only real test up to this point has been the Tufts Jumbos, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Williams will be looking to place the first loss in the Camel’s season as they play host this weekend. The Ephs crew has enjoyed quite a lot of success so far in their campaign, with their only stint coming from a loss at Bowdoin. Despite their adequate offensive numbers, they truly excel on the defensive side of the ball. Senior Tobias Muellers ‘18 and Bobby Schneiderman ‘18 have been locking down offenses throughout the 2017 season. The Ephs boast 0.54 goals against per game, and will hope to shutdown this pesky Camels attack. Look for this matchup to be closely contested until the final whistle.
Prediction: Conn. College 2 – Williams 1
GAME OF THE WEEK: Tufts (3-0-1, 6-0-1) at Amherst (1-1-1, 2-1-1)
If you looked at this matchup a year ago, or even at the beginning of this season for that matter, it would have appeared to be one of the best collegiate games all year in Division III. However, Amherst has gotten off to a slow start, at least to their typical standards. They have shown that they can compete with the best, (see: their victory against Bowdoin)St but they have also shown that they can let the game get away from them, as seen when they hosted and lost to Middlebury. The Mammoths need a turning point to their season, a jolt that can propel them atop the ‘Cac standings. This game is their chance. Luckily for Amherst, the team has shown that they do not have to rely on a single player to score goals. In fact, 7 Mammoths have found the back of the net this season for Amherst, but they have scored only 2 goals in 3 three conference games. Their defense has been very trustworthy, with help from Sean Fitzgerald ’19, Cutler Coleman ’20, and freshman Bryce Johnson ’21. Together, this backline averages less than half a goal per game. Considering that this team is going up against the penetrating Jumbo offense, the defense will need to stick together.
Tufts has been a dominant unit this year, and will hope to continue that against Amherst. (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
The Jumbos, on the other side of the ticket, have been relatively unstoppable. They have not lost a game to this point and, more impressively, have not even given up a goal. Their defense has yet to falter thanks to seniors Conor Coleman ’18 and Matt Zinner ‘18, and junior Sterling Weatherbie ’19 (fantastic name). These three must continue their focus if they want their clean sheets to keep rolling in. Despite the Mammoths’ struggles to this point, I expect them to unnerve Tufts with their home field advantage, and actually sneak one past that unyielding Tufts defense.
Following 1-0 defeats this past weekend, both Wesleyan and Hamilton look to get off the snide this Friday. Against Bates on Saturday, Wesleyan still exhibited signs of great defense, but limited execution on the offensive end. As I predicted last weekend, the game was determined by a bounce one way or another. Unsuccessful Wesleyan corners in the first-half opened the door for Bates to put one into the back of the net later on in the game. Similarly, Hamilton’s loss to the undefeated Camels proved to be a tightly competitive game, but a bounce here and there led to the Continental’s defeat. Cat Gambino ‘18 leads the team in goals thus far, and will be the difference maker if Hamilton wants to ascend in the NESCAC standings. However, look for a sense of assertiveness in the eyes of the Cards as they look for their first league win. This will be a defensive-minded game, but I think Wes will be playing for their lives.
Predicted Score: Wesleyan 1-0.
Saturday, 9/30
Olivia Greif ’21 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
Colby vs Middlebury (Middlebury, VT, 11:00)
The Mules will leave Waterville with some desperation in their eyes as they look to pick up that ever elusive first conference win. Olivia Greif ‘21 still stands tall in all three of the NESCAC major statistical offensive categories. She is in the top five in goals, assists and points. Mostly because of Greif, the Mules have proven that they can generate some offense with an above average GFA, but also have a less than stellar GAA. Middlebury, in contrast, plays a defensive-minded game. Keeper Ursula Alwang ‘20 has done a solid job between the pipes, and the Panthers have several strong defenders. Like Wesleyan, I think Colby will go on the road with a similar mentality with the goal to pick up their first conference win. Look for Greif to be a difference maker on the offensive end on the pitch.
Predicted Score: 1-0 Colby
Bates plays a gritty, defensive game that allows them to win close games. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Trinity vs Bates (Lewiston, ME, 11:00 AM)
The Bantams and Bobcats are riding high after squeaking out 1-0 victories, respectively, this past weekend. In any sport, the strength of a team is measured in its mental toughness. Grinding out a 1-0 win illustrates this mental toughness. Bates made that long drive to Middletown to defeat the Cardinals in a nail-bitter. Caroline Bogue’s (‘21) goal provided the offense, while clutch defense against some dangerous Wesleyan corner-kicks sealed the game. In even bigger news, the Bobcats tied the undefeated Ephs on Sunday. It’s not just Williams and Amherst at the top of the pack this year; Bates has shown that they can truly compete with anybody. The Bantams look to stay hot coming off a 1-0 win against Colby. Like Bates, Trinity won a close game on the road–the sign of a good team. Led to victory by a goal from Tricia Pollock ‘20, Trinity looks to seize another road win. However, Bates will ride the momentum from the Wesleyan win and the Williams tie to victory. I’m taking Bates.
Predicted Score: 2-0 Bates
Tufts vs Amherst (Amherst, MA, 12:00 PM)
Hannah Guzzi ’18 has seven goals already this season. (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
Amherst has to be kicking themselves after how close its defeat was to Williams. A win at a Williams homecoming would’ve proved to be incredibly sweet in front of all the Eph alumni. As an eighth seed right now in the NESCAC, this game is almost a must-win for Amherst. Hannah Guzzi ‘18 leads the entire league in goals; she’s the best offensive weapon in the league, and needs to put the team on her back like Greg Jennings did. Coming into the season with high expectations, a win here would push the Mammoths in the right direction. The Jumbos are undefeated–albeit with two ties. Emily Bowers ’19 has come into her own, and she has shown the league that she’s one of its best keepers. The Needham, MA, native (the best town in the country– no prejudice), ranks second in save percentage. Even though she’s a rock in net, Amherst will come out on top in this must-win game:
Predicted Score: 2-1 Amherst.
GAME OF THE WEEK: Connecticut College vs Williams (Williamstown, MA, 12:00 PM)
Williams dominant offense has been a true team effort this season.
Alas, we’ve finally come to the best game of the week: the Conn Camels vs the Williams Ephs. Conn’s performance this year has been incredible. A sleeper to begin the year, the Camels simply keep winning games. Much of their success can be attributed to their wealth of assets. Kat Norton ‘21 and Mackenzie Kingston ‘18 cannot be stopped on the offensive end. Norton is top three in the league in goals, and Kingston is top five in assists. Tieing Bates after a great win against Amherst has to be a wakeup call for the Ephs that there are many competitive teams in the NESCAC. Alison Lu ‘20 leads the Ephs offense. She is one of the best players in Division III soccer–ranking third in the NESCAC in goals. However, the most impressive Eph feat is that they rank first in all of the offensive major metrical categories. And by all I mean ALL; points, goals, assists, GFA, they’re dominant. However, the Camels have opened eyes all season and won’t stop here. Look for Conn to pull off the shocker:
