MyTeamIsDr.Pepper wrote:

 My only fear is that the Scholars color scheme is very similar to the Riders, which is seen in their postseason game.

Yeah I realized that once I was making the graphic. There will be a change made in the offseason to make that matchup more contrasting.

1951 Champions Cup Final [scoreworm]
Date: September 27, 1952
Location: Riverside Field, the Bronx, NY
Weather: 72℉ (22℃), Partly Cloudy
Wind: Moderate Breeze from South
Attendance: 16,000

Fans flocked to Riverside Field in the Bronx to take in the latest Champions Cup game to date, in late September. Despite the date, the weather was just right for both players and supporters. Not too hot, and not too cold. Around 40% of the stadium consisted of Archers supporters, a third consisted of well-travelled Boston faithful, and the remaining quarter of the Stadium was filled with neutral fans, mostly supporters of the home field Bears. Both teams took the field to a mixture of cheers and boos. After the anthem, it was game time, and it was looking to be a good one.

The Archers won the opening jump-ball, and they took their time forming their first rush. Eventually, they forced their way down to the Boston end and kicked the first score of the game, a point from Uri Mussing. Boston would recoup after, hold the ball for a bit, then they would go down to Manhattan’s end, and kick the game’s first goal, a sneaky dribbling shot from Alban Good. Boston would focus on playing more defensively after, and they did a great job at it. Over the next 10 minutes, the only real chance the Archers’ offense had was a corner kick that was dealt with easily by the Riders defense. Eventually, the Archers intercepted a Boston rush and started a counterattack, which was eventually converted by Chris Stevens. Manhattan had the lead back, and like Boston did after their goal, they sat back for the rest of the quarter, in an attempt to keep the lead to quarter time. The Riders had some good shots, but couldn’t get anything past the Archers’ final line of defense. The quarter drew to a close, and the Archers held a slim 1-point lead. It was looking like the game would be a defensive affair.

AFTER 1: Boston 4-5 Manhattan

The second quarter started off slow, and Manhattan seemed content on just holding their lead. They would eventually try and get some chances in the Boston end, and kicked a couple more points by the halfway mark to take a 3-point lead. At this point, Boston was getting antsy, as they’d only kicked one singular goal 36 minutes in. They became desperate, as made more mistakes, one of which directly led to a Mark Jansen goal, putting the Archers up 7. Now with under 5 minutes to go in the quarter, the Riders finally got something to go their way, as a Mack Robin shot deflected off a defender’s leg and between the left posts for a point. This gave them a spark, and 2 minutes later, Alban Good blasted a shot for a goal. All of a sudden, the Riders were down by 2. They then took the jump-ball back down the field, but their shot was saved by Stevens and deflected out for a point. It looked like it would be a 1-point game heading to the half, but the Archers managed one last rush before the quarter ended. The ball ended up at the feet of Vern Chamne, who quickly deposited it for a goal. Manhattan kept their multi-possession lead through one half.

AT THE HALF: Boston 10-15 Manhattan

Analysts were convinced the late Archers goal would crush Boston’s confidence, but it was actually the opposite. They came out blazing, getting multiple great rushes and chances. Unfortunately for them though, they only managed a single point out of all their early dominance. There wouldn’t be any further score until the halfway mark, when a shot by Daniel Donk deflected off the post and in for a post. There would then be another defensive stalemate, and the ball was stuck in the midfield for a good chunk of time. Eventually, with 1:22 to play, Eric Moncton drew a penalty shot after he was tackled high in the arc. His shot was absolutely perfect, just out of the reach of Stevens. That shot gave Boston their first lead since the first quarter. However, just like in the second quarter, the Archers would win the ensuing jump-ball, go back down the field, and kick a point before the quarter drew to a close. After 72 minutes of play, the two teams were knotted at 16, the first playoff game in NERC history to remain tied heading into the fourth quarter.

AFTER 3: Boston 16-16 Manhattan

The game’s overall theme of defense persisted to start the fourth quarter. The two teams each managed to get some shots off, but none of them were dangerous enough to score. The score remained tied past the halfway mark of the quarter.The first score of the quarter would be a dribbler by Mack Robin that missed wide left for a point. After that, the pace started to pick up. The Archers got a few more shots, but none could beat Kerry Thuriet and the Boston backline. With 6:17 to play, Boston leading goalscorer Paul Dean, who had been relatively quiet in both playoff games, kicked a huge goal to put Boston up by 5. However, the Archers responded with a goal of their own from Bill Teclich 90 seconds later. It was once again a one-point game, now with 4:47 remaining. Both teams were extremely cautious at this point, as neither wanted to make a game-losing mistake. Boston won the jump-ball, but the Archers quickly recovered. They got a shot away, but Thuriet dealt with it easily. The Riders then regained possession, rushed to Manhattan’s end, and kicked a late point. The won the jump-ball again, and rode out the clock. The final whistle blew, and their faithful erupted. For the third time in 6 years, the Boston Riders had won the Champions Cup.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 22-20 Manhattan



1951 Championship Flag:


There’s the 1952 Champions Cup Post! Next post will have the offseason, featuring some more jersey changes, as well as a logo change.

What a game, congrats to the Riders!

1953 NERC Season

The NERC’s 8th season began on May 2, 1953, with all 10 of the league’s teams playing at the traditional 3:00 time slot. Like each previous season, the regular season consisted of each team playing each other home-and-away. Once again, there were no bye weeks

The opening week of games for the most part was pretty exciting. First, Staten Island edged out the Scholars, 25-21. The defending Champions Cup finalists both lost their opening games at home. Boston fell 28-25 to Westchester, while the Archers lost 32-25 to the Panthers. The Bronx absolutely destroyed Brooklyn 40-17, and the Clippers handily beat the Knights 37-25.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Week 1: Westchester 28-25 Boston
Week 2: the Bronx 26-28 Buffalo
Week 3: Hempstead 30-29 Westchester
Week 4: the Bronx 21-22 Manhattan
Week 5: New York 21-27 Buffalo
Week 6: the Bronx 25-29 Hempstead
Week 7: Boston 25-26 Manhattan
Week 8: Westchester 21-23 New York
Week 9: Buffalo 26-33 Hempstead
Week 10: Manhattan 24-21 Buffalo
Week 11: Westchester 27-29 Staten Island
Week 12: the Bronx 29-26 Boston
Week 13: Brooklyn 29-25 Westchester
Week 14: the Bronx 20-19 Columbia Alumni
Week 15: New York 25-23 Boston
Week 16: the Bronx 24-27 New York
Week 17: Boston 30-32 Hempstead
Week 18: Hempstead 31-34 Buffalo

1. MANHATTAN ARCHERS
Leading Goalscorer: Van German (27)

Finishing at the top of the league for the second time in three years were the Manhattan Archers. Despite not having the best offense or defense, they still were the most consistent team in the league, and they were consistently good. After losing their first game, they won their next 14 straight, only 4 of which were by a goal or less. However, they ended the season on a 3-game losing skid, including a 48-24 to the hands of Boston. Nonetheless, it was another impressive season for the Archers, who looked to clinch a third straight Champions Cup berth in the playoffs.

2. BUFFALO PANTHERS
Leading Goalscorer: Des Samuel (27)

Finishing second was a big surprise, the Buffalo Panthers. The group played much better as a team compared to their 9th-place finish in 1952. Des Samuel led the team up front again, but injury troubles prevented him from claiming a third straight goalscoring title. Artie Booth had a rebound year as the team’s main playmaker, leading the league in assists. Overall, the Panthers played well, but many analysts agreed that their 12-6 record made them look better than they actually were throughout the season.

3. BOSTON RIDERS
Leading Goalscorer: Hornet Spearing (18)

Coming in third were the defending champion Boston Riders. Unlike the Panthers, analysts were convinced that their record made them look like a worse team than they were. They finished with the highest-scoring offense in the league, as well as the highest point differential. Rookie Hornet Spearing was a big surprise, leading the team in goals. Eric Moncton also had an impressive season, and worked himself into the conversation for best midfielder in the league. The Riders finished at 11-7, taking the third seed off a tiebreaker.

4. HEMPSTEAD CLIPPERS
Leading Goalscorer: Perseus Whitney (32)

Finishing fourth was a bit of a surprise, as the Hempstead Clippers ended a three-year playoff drought. A big part of this was their play at home, as they went 7-2 at Core Meadows. However, their play away from home was subpar, finishing below 0.500. A big surprise for the Clippers was the emergence of Perseus Whitney up front, who led the league in goals in his second season. Overall, it was considered a successful season for Hempstead, who were looking to build on this success for future seasons.

5. THE BRONX BEARS
Leading Goalscorer: Lucas Sizemore (23)

Finishing 5th and frustratingly missing the playoffs for the third straight year were the Bronx Bears. They did so much right, including scoring the second-most and allowing the fewest points in the whole league, but they just couldn’t recover after a dreadful 1-5 start. Even winning their last two games wasn’t enough, as a Riders win in Week 18 eliminated them. Lucas Sizemore was the team’s leader, but these playoff misses were making him unhappy. The team was convinced they would be able to get him to stay for 1954. The Bears finished at 10-8.

6. COLUMBIA ALUMNI SCHOLARS
Leading Goalscorer: Duke Jones (18)

Finishing 6th were the Scholars, who dropped off after a surprising 1952 season. They didn’t score that many points, but they also didn’t give up that many points. One example of this was a 16-14 win over the Racers in Week 16, the lowest-scoring game in the league for the year. The Scholars also saw a large turnover in players, as a good amount of their lower-skilled players weren’t looking to play Runty full-time, but instead play as a side hustle as they looked for full-time opportunities in other fields. This uncertainty definitely took a toll, as CA finished at 8-8-2.

7. NEW YORK KNIGHTS
Leading Goalscorer: Perry Cisseaton (21)

Finishing in 7th and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year were the New York Knights. They had a slow start, only winning 2 of their first 12 games. Despite basically being eliminated by that point, they caught fire to end the year, going 4-0-2 to close out. Two of those wins also came against playoff teams, as they beat both Boston and Buffalo. Perry Cisseaton had a breakout year up front, becoming the first Knights player to kick 5 goals in a game. The Knights looked to build on their late run for future seasons, as they finished at 6-9-3.

8. BROOKLYN DEVILS
Leading Goalscorer: Manny Ramirez (16)

Finishing 8th and improving over a last-place finish were the Brooklyn Devils. While there were still growing pains (like a 40-17 loss to start the year), opposing teams definitely agreed that they were a better team. They were the only team besides Buffalo to beat the 1st-place Archers at home, and Manhattan coach Ed James said “They’re one of the toughest teams I’ve ever played”. The Devils, unlike their their fellow expansion teams, were looking to take the long route to build a contender. Brooklyn finished at 7-11.

9. WESTCHESTER RACERS
Leading Goalscorer: Barney Ferguson (10)

Finishing in 9th after a playoff berth the previous season were the Westchester Racers. Their playoff berth in 1952 was seen as a fluke, and their 1953 season confirmed those suspicions. Despite starting at 3-1, they would only win one more game for the rest of the year. It was described as a “total collapse”. They managed to keep games close, but when they actually had opportunities to take the lead, they couldn’t do anything. Overall, it was a frustrating season for Westchester, who finished at 4-13-1.

10. STATEN ISLAND ISLANDERS
Leading Goalscorer: Arnold Sutars (9)

Finishing in last for the 6th time in 8 years were the Staten Island Islanders. It was a familiar place for them, but still disappointing, as their past two seasons gave them so much hope for the future. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t score to save their lives. They averaged just over 20 points per games, a full 2.8 points less than the next-closest team. The Islanders also had a high roster turnover rate, with players coming and going every week. Staten Island finished at 4-14.



Miscellaneous Stats:
      -   Leading Goalscorer Trophy (Retroactively Awarded): Perseus Whitney (HEM) (32 goals)
      -   Largest Home Victory: Manhattan 24-48 Boston (Week 16)
      -   Largest Away Victory: Manhattan 36-21 Westchester (Week 5)
      -   Most Combined Points: 72 (Manhattan 24-48 Boston; Week 16)

Notable Events:
      -   The NERC announced the creation of a referee tribunal, where consequences for incorrect officiating could be handed down on guilty referees.
      -   Boston’s score of 48 in week 16 was the highest score by one team in a game since 1947.
      -   In the week 4 game between Manhattan and the Bronx, Archers player Marvin Grazer sucker punched Bears player Dallas Uggeri away from the play, leading to a line brawl between every player on both team, as well as some fans. Grazer was suspended for the next two seasons without pay.
      -   Westchester player Patrick Kunlel accidentally showed up at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Ave. Park instead of his Racers’ Yonkers Ave. Links for week 9. To make matters worse, he was hit by a car on his way out of the stadium. He suffered minor injuries as a result.
      -   The league cracked down on hits away from the play, and in their findings, discovered that two Manhattan players had been paid under the table to target specific opposing players. Those two players were suspended for three seasons. 
      -   Late in the season Staten Island players threatened to not play after one of the team’s most beloved employees was let go. He was hastily re-hired, and the team played the rest of the season without trouble.
      -   Manhattan suffered from even more off-field drama during the year, as a front office employee was suspended for one year after physically threatening a referee.

Playoff Preview:

(1) Manhattan Archers vs (3) Boston Riders

Regular Season Meetings: Boston 25-26 Manhattan (Week 7); Manhattan 24-48 Boston (Week 16)
Previous Playoff Meeting: Manhattan 20-22 Boston (1952 CC)
Playoff Record: Manhattan 0-1 Boston

A Champions Cup rematch in the semifinals is always gonna be fun. Despite being the lower-ranked team, the Riders actually had the edge over the Archers in their season series, including a 48-24 blowout late in the year. The Archers’ 3-game losing streak to end the year also doesn’t bode well for them. To be honest, this could 100% be an upset for the Riders is they replicate their Week 16 play. However, if the Archers come out hungry after their bad finish, The game will already be over.

Analyst Prediction: Boston upsets the #1 seed, winning 31-26.

(2) Buffalo Panthers vs (4) Hempstead

Regular Season Meetings: Buffalo 26-33 Hempstead; Hempstead 31-34 Buffalo
Previous Playoff Meeting: None
Playoff Record: Buffalo 0-0 Hempstead

Surprisingly, these two teams have never met in the playoffs. They’re both starting new playoff streaks, and played very similarly all year. The Panthers will have the home-field advantage, and the Clippers’ road record wasn’t anything to be proud of. However, Hempstead players seemed awfully confident when they played in Buffalo, something not many teams could say. While Buffalo holds the overall edge, it could still go either way.

Analyst Prediction: Hempstead pulls off the upset, 29-28.

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Who do you think is gonna move on to the Champions Cup? Let me know! 

1953 Champions Cup Final [scoreworm]
Date: September 26, 1953
Location: New York Runty Park, New York, NY
Weather: 75℉ (24℃), Mostly Cloudy
Wind: Moderate Breeze from South
Attendance: 25,000

Fans from all over New York funneled into the New York Runty Park on a cloudy September Day, ready to take in the 1953 Champions Cup Final. On one side of the field warming up were the Manhattan Archers, who were playing in their third consecutive edition of the championship, and looking to win their second. On the other side were the 2nd-place Buffalo Panthers, looking for the upset, and also looking to become the first ever team to force a winner-take-all second game for the Champions Cup. Around 70% of the stadium were Archers faithful, 25% Panthers supporters, and the remaining 5% consisted of neutral fans.

Buffalo won the opening jump-ball, and the game started off slowly. Manhattan held the ball for the first few minutes of the quarter, just passing it around. They attempted some rushes, but couldn’t get much to go. Meanwhile Buffalo was holding down their fort, but when they got the ball, they just gave it right back to Manhattan. The first score of the game came 6:10 in, when Manhattan’s Vern Chamne kicked a point. Despite Manhattan dominating possession, it would be Buffalo that scored the game’s first goal, a perfect kick from Sid Papgecz. The pace ramped up from there, and both teams traded great chances. However, none of these found the back of the net. The best chance came from the Archers’ Van German, who rocketed a shot off the post. After a while, the pace came to a standstill. Buffalo’s midfield was absolutely lethal, ending any Manhattan rush with quick tackles. However, the Panthers couldn’t get anything going offensively for themselves. The Archers attempted one last rush to end the quarter, and their quick ball movement resulted in a goal from German. After one quarter, Manhattan held a one-point lead, but they were being outplayed by a tough Panthers team.

AFTER 1: Manhattan 5-4 Buffalo

The pace to start the second quarter rejuvenated the game. Rushes were going from end-to-end, and there were more good chances. 5:50 in, German potted one home again, extending the Archers’ lead to 9. He was absolutely dialed in. The Archers were finally managing to get around Buffalo’s midfield, but this actually backfired on them, as it allowed the Panthers offense to open up. Soon after, on back-to-back rushes, Artie Booth scored a point and a goal. The game was now tied at 9. The Archers kicked a point a few minutes later to retake the lead. At this point, their coach, Ethan Sisnett, told the team to slow down the game to the end of the half. This worked for the better part of 6 minutes, but when Buffalo started pressing harder, the Archers took advantage and kicked another point. Buffalo would win the ensuing jump-ball, hold it in their zone, then end the quarter with a great rush. Des Samuel had a point-blank chance, but a great save by Manhattan’s Will Elliott deflected the ball wide for a point. The half drew to a close, and Manhattan still held a 1-point lead. The game was far from over.

AT THE HALF: Manhattan 11-10 Buffalo

The third quarter started slowly. It took around 3 minutes just for the ball to get into one of the penalty arcs. Des Samuel, Buffalo’s leading scorer, had been really quiet up until his late point. However, he came to life in this quarter. 8 minutes in, he punched home his first goal of the game, then assisted a point scored by James Elijah on the very next rush. Buffalo now led 15-11, their largest lead of the game. The Panthers got some more good chances and extended attack time, but it was the Archers who struck next, a dribbler from Harry Marley. The Panthers kicked a point, and then the pace died down significantly. With the two teams only being within a point of each other, they were desperately trying to prevent giving up the next goal. There was the occasional chance, but nothing too hard for either defense to handle. The biggest chance came with 1:20 to go, when the Archers managed to cut through Buffalo. However, when an Archers player was just about to shoot, Elijah deflected it out through the pointline, and the score was tied once again. The quarter drew to a close, and for the second consecutive year, the Champions Cup was tied after 3 quarters of play.

AFTER 3: Manhattan 16-16 Buffalo

Just 1:39 into the fourth quarter, Manhattan’s James Rattie kicked a point, giving them the lead. Even though that goal put the Archers in front, it ignited a spark in the Panthers that didn’t leave until the end of the game. 2:55 after that point, the Panthers converted a corner kick, and they had the lead back. Soon after, Samuel kicked a point, and the Panthers continued piling on. Allen Formock put his name on the scoresheet, and the Panthers now had the largest lead either team had seen all game. Manhattan had under 14 minutes to score twice, which didn’t seem too outlandish. However, the Buffalo midfield and defense had done a fantastic job at swarming Manhattan whenever they tried to rush upfield. Now that Buffalo was up by 8, they kicked their defensive play into full gear. The Archers couldn’t even get the ball into their attacking half until there were 8 minutes left. They tried pressing with all they could, but the Panthers would not break. They finally got chances in the final minute of play, but it was too late at that point. Vern Chamne scored a consolation goal with 3 seconds left. As the whistle blew, the NYRP was in shock. The Panthers had become the first team in NERC history to force a winner-take-all second game of the Champions Cup.

FINAL SCORE: Manhattan 21-25 Buffalo



I'll have the second game up tomorrow!

1953-54 NERC Offseason

The 1953-54 saw 5 teams change jerseys, as well as some player transfers.

Five teams unveil jersey changes
Half of the league’s 10 teams unveiled jersey changes over the course of the offseason. Some changes were quite minor, while others saw the team’s jersey completely change.

Boston
The Riders announced a small tweak to their home and away jerseys for 1954. Their numbers were originally smaller and on the lower part of their jerseys. Now, they were the same size and in the same spot as the rest of the league’s jerseys. When fans originally heard the jersey was gonna change, many voiced their displeasure, and told management not to get rid of their iconic sash. However, once the small change was unveiled, their supporters breathed a sigh of relief.


New York
The Knights became the 5th of the 6 original teams to make a change to their inaugural set. The thin vertical stripe that came from the collar was gone, and replaced by light blue stripe across the shoulders on the home. The collar was still light blue, which kept the fans happy. The away saw the navy and light blue switch.


Manhattan
Manhattan made minor tweaks to their logo. The M now had the same stroke size all the way through, and the diamonds at the bottom of the arms were smaller. The arrow was also shortened a bit. This new logo made its way onto the jerseys they originally unveiled in 1953. Despite winning both of their Champions Cup titles in their inaugural jerseys, management was set on making this new design their full-timers. The inaugural look would still be worn for a few games in 1954, but would be retired after the season.


Brooklyn
Seemingly unable to make up their mind, the Brooklyn Devils made yet another jersey change over the offseason. The diagonal stripes were gone, and replaced by two horizontal stripes across the front and back. The away jersey featured a thin black stripe, but still kept their black sleeves. Fans were unhappy about the move, claiming that their diagonal stripes were what set them apart from all the other teams.


Westchester
The Racers strayed from their inaugural NERC look, replacing it with a large V that could be seen on both the front and back of their jerseys. This also mimicked the Vs that could be seen on some horseback riders on the Westchester Raceway. Overall, fans were very supportive of the look.


Notable Player Movement

Vern Chamne (MAN >>> BOS)

Chamne, who had been one of the Archers’ biggest presences up front, signed a 2-year contract with the Boston Riders during the offseason. There was speculation he would sign with his hometown team in Buffalo, so this move to Boston came as a pretty big surprise. Chamne looks to be a veteran presence for the Riders, while also chipping in offensively.

Dixon Garrison (MAN >>> SI)

Garrison was a defender who was very dependable for the Archers, especially during their 2 Champions Cup runs. After playing for Manhattan in both the NYRL and NERC, he decided to move to the Islanders, to help them get back off the ground. Even though Garrison was a defender, he had experience playing as a forward. It’s assumed Staten Island will place him up front, to help out their weak offense.

Pre-Season Picks

First Seed: Manhattan
It’s hard not to bet against the Archers again in 1954. They’ve shown their dominance, and although they lost two key pieces this offseason, They still look like the best team in the league on paper. Surprises could happen, and they could regress, but at the moment, they’re once again the obvious choice.

Champions Cup: Manhattan over Bronx
Although the Bears didn’t make the playoffs in 1953, they were definitely one of the league’s top 4 teams statistically. If they can build on their previous season, They should definitely be able to make a run at the Champions Cup. They’ll still fall to the Archers, who seemingly can’t be stopped. Beating Manhattan twice in a row is an almost impossible task.

Leading Goalscorer: Des Samuel (BUF)
Injuries were to blame for Samuel in 1953. If he remains fully healthy, him being the league’s top goalscorer once again should be a no-brainer. Perseus Whitney will definitely give him a run for his money though.