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.

• 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.

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.

"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