1956 NERC Season: First Half

The NERC’s 11th season, by far the most bizarre the league had ever seen, began on May 5, 1956, at the regular 3PM time slot. New commissioner Isidore Spinola formally opened the season at Manhattan’s President’s Park, saying that although this wasn’t the ideal scenario for the season, with only 4 teams, the NERC was hoping to make it work as best they could.

Neither of the two opening week games were particularly close. The Archers defeated the reigning champion Westchester 31-21, while the Panthers defeated the Devils 30-20 in Brooklyn.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Week 1: Westchester 21-31 Manhattan
Week 2: Manhattan 37-18 Buffalo
Week 3: Buffalo 31-30 Westchester
Week 4: Brooklyn 25-29 Buffalo
Week 5: Buffalo 33-31 Manhattan
Week 6: Brooklyn 26-30 Manhattan

1. BUFFALO PANTHERS
Leading Goalscorer: Des Samuel (14)

Holding the #1 seed after 6 games were the Buffalo Panthers. With a good number of the league’s top teams out for the season, they were able to shine. Des Samuel continued playing like an absolute beast, averaging over two goals a game over his first 6. However, despite being in first place with a 5-1 record, the Panthers still only had a point differential of +2, thanks to a 19-point loss to their archrival Manhattan. Other than that, they played a lot of close games, but always seemed to come out on top. If they can hold off the Archers, they should have a spot in the Champions Cup.

2. MANHATTAN ARCHERS
Leading Goalscorer: Van German (11)

Sitting in second, one game behind the Panthers, were the Manhattan Archers. The Archers statistically had the league’s best offense and defense through 6 games, but losses to Brooklyn and Buffalo had them looking up at the #1 spot instead of sitting there themselves. Of the 4 games the Archers won in the first half, all of them were won by at least a goal. If they can keep that up in the second half, they definitely have a chance to knock off Buffalo for the #1 spot. The Archers sit at 4-2 through 6 games.

3. BROOKLYN DEVILS
Leading Goalscorer: Perseus Whitney (6)

Sitting in third was a bit of a surprise, the Brooklyn Devils. While they weren’t necessarily a bad team, they were seen as the worst of the 4 teams. However, 2 convincing wins over Manhattan and Westchester had them sitting in the third and final playoff spot through 6 games. Perseus Whitney, who they had acquired from Hempstead, brought their front line some much-needed experience and skill. Their defense needed more consistency, but this season looked promising for them if they could get some more wins in the second half. The Devils sit at 2-4 through 6.

4. WESTCHESTER RACERS
Leading Goalscorer: Joe Blake (7)

Surprisingly sitting in 4th and last through 6 were the reigning champions, the Westchester Racers. They had a couple of players banned for participating in the gambling ring, but they weren’t expected to be as futile as they were. They managed a 13-point win against Brooklyn in week 2, but that’s all they could do. They are only 1 win behind the Devils for the final spot, but their play will really have to ramp up if they want to have a chance.



Notable Events:
      -   There were a few incidents where those who had participating in the gambling scandal were heckled and even attacked by supporter groups.

I hope that it will be another Archers' season.

1954 NERC Season: Part 2

The final 5 games of the season were very intense and hard-fought, as pretty much every team had a chance at a playoff spot to the very end.

GAMES OF THE WEEK
Week 7: Brooklyn 27-35 Buffalo
Week 8: Buffalo 30-34 Manhattan
Week 9: Brooklyn 32-28 Manhattan
Week 10: Buffalo 36-33 Brooklyn
Week 11: Manhattan 32-35 Buffalo

1. BUFFALO PANTHERS (0)
Leading Goalscorer: Des Samuel (27)

Clinching the 1st seed and an automatic berth in the Champions Cup were the Buffalo Panthers. They went 4-1 over the last 5 games, clinching the coveted first-place finish in the final week of the season. Des Samuel continued to be a force up front, finishing the year with 27 goals in just 10 games. His scoring pace was so good, that in a full 18-game season, he would’ve beaten his own league record by 5. The team as a whole also played better in the second half, increasing their point differential by 23. The Panthers finish at 9-2.

2. MANHATTAN ARCHERS (0)
Leading Goalscorer: Van German (19)

Finishing in second and clinching home-field advantage in the first round were the Manhattan Archers. This was seen as a little disappointing, as they were actually first overall after week 8. However, 2 losses in their final 3 games, including a 3-point loss to Buffalo, dropped them down to second. Despite this, the Archers still finished with the league’s best offense, defense, and point differential. The Archers are fairly confident about winning their first-round matchup, and are more focused on getting revenge on the Panthers and beating them in the Champions Cup again. The Archers finished at 7-4.

3. BROOKLYN DEVILS (0)
Leading Goalscorer: Perseus Whitney (13)

Finishing in third and clinching a playoff spot for the first time in their history were the Brooklyn Devils. With the Racers’ futility, they just needed two wins in the second half to clinch 3rd, and they did it with an impressive 32-28 win over the Archers in Manhattan. The Devils actually finished the year with a winning record against the Archers, the only team to do so. This has them feeling confident, with some hope that they could pull off another upset in the first round. Perseus Whitney and the other Hempstead players that joined the Devils contributed in big ways, helping them get key wins. The Devils finished at 4-7.

4. WESTCHESTER RACERS (0)
Leading Goalscorer: Joe Blake (14)

Finishing last and concluding the worst season by a reigning champion in NERC history were the Westchester Racers. Interestingly for them, their offense was the biggest reason they struggled, despite the fact that their offense led them to a Champions Cup victory in 1955. While all other teams averaged at least 27 points, the Racers averaged under 25 per game. This was not close to good enough, and was a big reason they didn’t win much. Their only win in the second half was a meaningless win over the Devils in week 11, when all the playoff spots had been decided. The Racers finished at 2-9.



Miscellaneous Stats (Whole Season):
      -   Leading Goalscorer Trophy (Retroactively Awarded): Des Samuel - BUF (27 Goals)
      -   Largest Home Victory: Brooklyn 18-31 Westchester (Week 2); Manhattan 22-35 Brooklyn (Week 3); Westchester 21-34 Buffalo (Week 9)
      -   Largest Away Victory: Manhattan 37-18 Buffalo (Week 2)
      -   Most Combined Points: 77 (Buffalo 36-33 Brooklyn)

Notable Events:
      -   There were more incidents of supporter groups going after those involved in the gambling scandal, leading to some arrests. There were no major injuries in any of these altercations.

Playoff Preview:

(2) Manhattan Archers vs (3) Brooklyn Devils

Regular Season Meetings: Manhattan 22-35 Brooklyn (Week 3); Brooklyn 26-30 Manhattan (Week 6); Brooklyn 32-28 Manhattan (Week 9)
Previous Playoff Meeting: None
Playoff Record: Manhattan 0-0 Brooklyn

On one side, you have a team that’s made the playoffs every season they’ve been in the NERC, and have won two Champions Cups. On the other side, you have an expansion team that’s only in the playoffs because half the league isn’t playing. While it should look like an easy win for the Archers, the Devils gave them trouble throughout the season, including a surprising win in Manhattan. The defining factor for this one will be the Archers’ playoff experience. They know how to play on the big stage, while the Devils only have a few players with playoff experience.

Analyst Prediction: Brooklyn surprises everyone and wins 30-27.

Let's go Archers this season is yours!

While Brooklyn may have a losing record, I admittedly am hoping they can pull off a 1990-91 Minnesota North Stars in the playoffs, as they just seem like a good underdog story.

Also, with the NERC having a new commissioner, I wonder if once the league has its image cleaned up after this gambling scandal, if there will be expansion? Maybe even beyond the New York Metropolitan area? Not that I am saying that you should, but I was just saying, especially since when all the suspended teams return, there would be an odd number of teams.