WILLIAMSTOWN, MA--A bit of luck has given the undefeated Williams men's soccer team, ranked ninth in the latest national DIII poll, home-field advantage throughout the NESCAC playoffs.
Williams gained the top seed courtesy of a coin flip that was required to break a tie between the Ephs and Amherst College, who finished tied atop the conference with 26 points apiece. Thanks to a healthy dose of serendipity, the teams managed to confound conventional NESCAC tiebreaking procedures. Both sides finished with the same in-conference record (8-0-2), tied during their only regular season matchup, and recorded identical outcomes against their other nine opponents: eight victories and a tie with Wesleyan. Because NESCAC soccer tiebreakers do not account for goal differential, the final outcome had to be settled by pure chance.
The outcome of the toss means that Williams will host Connecticut College this Saturday (October 27) at Cole Field. The Ephs defeated the Camels 3-0 in their regular-season encounter (also at Cole Field). Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM EST.
Additionally, the coin flip victory means that if the Ephs win on Saturday, the NESCAC semifinals will be held in Williamstown on Saturday, November 3. The four remaining squads are scheduled to play back-to-back games at 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM. The finals will then be held at noon the following day.
A full playoff schedule is available here.
