Wesleyan Edges Field, Earns Top Seed for First Time

HADLEY, Mass. – With a 2-0 victory at Connecticut College and a little help from Middlebury, Wesleyan University has clinched the top seed in the 2009 NESCAC Men’s Soccer Championship. The Cardinals will join Amherst, Bowdoin and Williams in hosting a quarterfinal contest this Sunday, Nov. 1 at 12:30 p.m. The highest remaining seed after this weekend will host the final rounds, with the semifinals taking place on Saturday, Nov. 7, and the championship taking place on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Everything fell into place for Wesleyan (10-0-4, 6-0-3 NESCAC) to finish atop the NESCAC standings for the first time in program history. Heading into Friday’s regular season finale, the Cardinals were tied with Williams for the number-one seed, and although the two teams had played to a 1-1 draw in the season-opener all the way back on Sept. 12 it was the Ephs who had the advantage thanks to the next tie-breaker, conference wins. Middlebury’s 1-0 victory over Williams combined with a 2-0 road by Wesleyan guaranteed the Cardinals home field advantage throughout this year’s tournament. Wesleyan will bring its program-best 14-game unbeaten streak into Sunday’s quarterfinal against another team with a monumental first-time accomplishment, eighth-seeded Colby (5-7-2, 2-6-1 NESCAC). After coming oh-so-close to making the conference tournament field in previous years, the Mules are in for the first time ever thanks to a 1-0 win over Maine rival Bates on Friday. The Cardinals came away with a 4-1 victory over the Mules in the only meeting so far this season back on Sept. 19 in Middletown, Conn., and since that contest Wesleyan has posted nine shutouts while only allowing three goals. Wesleyan has not reached the tournament semifinals since their magical run to capture the 2005 title as the seventh seed.

Although second-seeded Williams (11-2-1, 6-2-1 NESCAC) missed out on its chance for the top seed with their 1-0 loss at Middlebury on Friday, the Ephs knew they were guaranteed a home contest in the quarterfinals. Williams finished the regular season tied with rival Amherst for the second spot but benefitted from owning the head-to-head tie-breaker over their rival. The Ephs have been one of the most successful teams in championship play throughout the years, winning five of the first seven conference crowns, however they have failed to reach the final match in each of the last two tournaments. Williams will look to take a step towards regaining its postseason dominance against a surging Connecticut College (8-5-1, 5-4-0 NESCAC), the seventh seed. While a 2-0 setback to Wesleyan may have dampened spirits on the final home date of the regular season, the Camels ride into the quarterfinals with their heads high knowing that they have recorded the program’s first-ever winning record in NESCAC play. Connecticut College started the season off strong by going 5-1-1, however the single loss came at Williams on Sept. 19 in the sole meeting of the year, 4-0. Sunday’s first round contest - only the third in playoff history for the Camels - will be the first time these two teams have faced each other in tournament play.

Third-seeded Amherst (11-2-1, 6-2-1 NESCAC) looked primed to win its second-straight conference title early this season, however a Sept. 26 loss at Connecticut College (4-0) made the road a bit tougher for the defending champs. The Lord Jeffs appear to be back on track though as they own the best record over the past eight games of any team in this year’s tournament, going 7-0-1 and outscoring opponents 20-1 after closing out the regular season at Trinity on Friday with a 2-1 victory. Amherst’s quarterfinal opponent will be a familiar foe in the form of sixth-seeded Middlebury (8-4-2, 4-3-2, NESCAC). These two squads have squared off in each of the last four tournaments and their record against one another in postseason play is deadlocked at 2-2. Middlebury won its second NESCAC title at Amherst in 2007, 1-0, and the Jeffs returned the favor a year later at Middlebury when they won the program’s first league championship by a 2-0 score. The lone contest of the regular season went the way of Amherst on Oct. 10, 3-0. It will be interesting to see which team advances to the final four, as Middlebury joins Williams as the only two teams to participate in the semifinals every year the tournament has been held.

The final quarterfinal contest will feature fourth-seeded Bowdoin (10-3-1, 5-3-1 NESCAC) against fifth-seeded Trinity (10-3-1, 5-3-1 NESCAC), as these two teams met last weekend in Hartford with the Polar Bears posting a 2-0 victory. The Polar Bears got what they needed on the final day of the regular season. A 2-1 win against Tufts combined with a 2-1 loss by Trinity to Amherst put the Polar Bears and the Bantams in a tie for fourth in the conference standings, and Bowdoin’s aforementioned win gave it the tie-breaker. The Polar Bears have been solid down the stretch, going 5-1-1 over their last seven outings, while the Bantams will be looking to break a two-game slide that halted a five-game winning streak. These two teams have met only once in postseason history, a 3-0 win by Bowdoin during the first round of the 2003 championship. The Polar Bears went on to reach the final in that tournament, their lone championship appearance. The Bantams advanced to the semifinals for the first time in tournament history last fall before suffering a 1-0 setback to eventual champion Amherst.

2009 NESCAC MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals - Sunday, November 1 at Higher Seeds
No. 8 Colby at No. 1 Wesleyan - 12:30 p.m.
No. 7 Connecticut College at No. 2 Williams - 12:30 p.m.
No. 6 Middlebury at No. 3 Amherst - 12:30 p.m.
No. 5 Trinity at No. 4 Bowdoin - 12:30 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, November 7 at Highest Remaining Seed
11:00 a.m./1:30 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, November 8
Semifinal winners - 12:00 p.m.