On the eve of the Commonwealth Coast Conference season, league coaches picked Roger Williams (R.I.) for a sixth-place finish, exactly where the team ended up lodged a year ago. If there were such thing as a midseason poll, they might have to reassess that first impression. Nine games in, the Hawks … [Read more...]
D3 Men: Clash between regional powers Brandeis, Tufts nears
On Friday night, soccer eyes in New England will turn to an anticipated matchup between regional powers Tufts and host Brandeis. It’s a rematch of last year’s match in the NCAA quarterfinals, one that Brandeis captured in double-overtime to earn a place in the Final Four. Make no mistake, though: … [Read more...]
D3 Men: WPI starting strong year after first-ever NEWMAC title
Worcester Polytechnic Institute coach Brian Kelley said his team is “honored and humbled” to have a chance to defend the title it won in the NEWMAC last year. When Ryan Stokes buried his game-winning penalty kick into the low left corner of the net in last year’s final against Springfield, he … [Read more...]
Conn. College’s Ben Manoogian living proof of teamwork, work ethic
Ben Manoogian wasn’t the biggest player on the turf field that day at Connecticut College, far from it. His name wasn't underlined the heaviest on the list of potential recruits. Nor did he have one of the better club soccer pedigrees. Manoogian, a standout forward at Peabody (Mass.) Veterans … [Read more...]
D3 Men: Gordon’s upset of Brandeis sets stage for 2018 season
Even with a dozen new faces on the roster at Gordon College, the term “transition year” is a rather distasteful one. No, the Fighting Scots, after coming within an overtime goal of winning the Commonwealth Coast Conference championship last season, don’t plan on taking a step back. Not when the … [Read more...]
D3 Men’s: How New England’s top teams are shaping up
Fans of Division 3 men's soccer in New England have been, well, spoiled as of late. Tufts won national titles in 2014 and 2016, Amherst snagged its own in 2015, and Brandeis has reached the Final Four the past two seasons. So, after the region went title-less in 2017, traditional powerhouses are … [Read more...]