New England Soccer Journal’s The Goal

In this episode, Sam Robb O'Hagan and Matt Doherty analyze the upcoming boys NEPSAC soccer season, focusing on predictions for the open tournament, team rankings, and key matchups. They focus on the classification system, team predictions, and player of the year contenders. They explore how the new tournament format impacts team strategies and the excitement of unpredictable outcomes.
 
 

In this episode, we explore the upcoming NEPSAC girls soccer season, discussing top teams, predictions, and key players. Perfect for fans, coaches, and players eager to understand the landscape of prep school soccer in New England.
 
 

In this episode, Matt Doherty and Sam Robb O'Hagan discuss the upcoming boys MIAA high school soccer season, focusing on team predictions, division comparisons, and key players to watch. They analyze recent trends, coaching strategies, and the importance of adaptability in high school soccer.
 

In this episode, we explore the upcoming girls high school soccer season in Massachusetts, focusing on key teams, players to watch, and predictions for the state championships. Patrick Donnelly shares insights on team dynamics, standout athletes, and the importance of versatility and depth in high school soccer.

In this episode, we explore the upcoming boys high school soccer season in Connecticut, focusing on team prospects and key players. Host Matt Doherty is joined by Sam Robb O'Hagan to provide insights into the competitive landscape and what to expect. They focus on league strength and the impact of MLS Next on local talent. They analyze team prospects, key players, and the evolving landscape of high school and club soccer.

In this episode, we explore the upcoming girls high school soccer season in Connecticut, focusing on team prospects, key players, and the new tournament seeding system. Host Matt Doherty is joined by Sam Robb O'Hagan to provide insights into the competitive landscape and what to expect. They focus on tournament seeding, league strength, and the impact of MLS Next and ECNL on local talent. They analyze team prospects, key players, and the evolving landscape of high school and club soccer.

In this episode, Sam Rob O'Hagan and Matt Doherty discuss the upcoming NEPSAC boys soccer season, focusing on team strengths, key players, and the new open tournament structure. They analyze team strategies, player prospects, and predictions for the season's outcomes.

In this episode, Sam Robb O'Hagan and Matt Doherty discuss the upcoming 2026 fall girls soccer season, focusing on team rankings, league comparisons, key players, and the dynamics of talent depth versus star power in NEPSAC and other leagues.
 

In this episode, we delve into our newest Best of New England player rankings, exploring the criteria, standout players, and the evolving landscape of youth development. We ranked 150 players on the boys and girls sides, plus we created "watch list" players from the class of 2029.
Matt Doherty and Sam Robb O'Hagan explain how they arrived at these lists. 
 

In this episode, Matt Doherty welcomes his new co-host, New England Soccer Journal writer Sam Robb O'Hagan. The duo sits down for an early summer check-in to unpack the opening of the college recruiting window and break the news on a massive structural shift coming to the NEPSAC boys' soccer postseason.
Key Discussion Topics
1. The June 15th Recruiting Window Opens
Boys' Class of 2028 Insights: Sam shares his early takeaways from researching the local boys' talent pool. 
The High-Ed Trend (D1 vs. D3/NESCAC): The hosts debate why local boys' players are increasingly choosing high-academic Division 3 programs (like Tufts or Amherst) over mid-tier Division 1 schools due to the transfer portal and international roster squeeze.
The Girls' Talent Hotbed: Unlike the boys' side, where development timelines are more complex, local girls' commits are flying off the board to Power Four schools within the first 24 hours (including commits to Boston College and Utah). The hosts credit a highly consolidated ECNL/Girls Academy structure for better player continuity and visibility in New England.
2. Exclusive: The New NEPSAC "Open Tournament"
Sam shares a major scoop regarding a postseason overhaul for NEPSAC boys' soccer starting this fall.
Why the Change? The NEPSAC aims for a 35% tournament representation threshold across sports. With only 32 teams making the postseason across four classes, soccer fell short, prompting a vote to add 8 more postseason spots.
The Tournament Format: Instead of introducing a fifth class, the NEPSAC is introducing an elite 8-team Open Tournament (similar to an "Elite Eight"). It will run as a single-elimination bracket alongside the existing class tournaments.
Selection Process: The field will be selected by a committee of coaches, aided by an RPI-style formula looking at strength of schedule. It is expected to heavily feature top Class A and a few Class B programs.
The Discourse: Matt and Sam debate the pros and cons—while it creates massive regular-season drama and an exciting playoff field, it could inadvertently dilute the prestige of the traditional Class A title.
Notable Quotes
"The soccer landscape in New England and just in general in the US at amateur levels is pretty freaking wild, as I've come to learn." – Sam Robb O'Hagan
"The quality of play of the NESCAC is at an all-time high... the biggest winners of what's going on at the D1 level are the D3s." – Matt Doherty