EJay’s 2026 Weekly Pool – Week Five – The Hive is Back

Sorry for being MIA, but had some business trips and didn’t have much time to do much YouTube Influencing. Anyhow, back at it.

Connecticut College at Williams

Williams is receiving votes and leads the NESCAC at 6-1-1, 4-1-1, with a home win over Amherst and a 5-0 over Hartford. Conn is No. 14 at 5-1-1 and 3-1-1 in the league. First place in the NESCAC is on the line at Cole Field. Expect a low-event game the Ephs nick.

SC Pick: Williams 1-0

The Hive called this a coin flip, 11 ballots each and six draws, the only true split on the board. You took the Ephs at Cole Field, and a 1-0 is the second-most common score in the pool, so the call sits inside the crowd even if the winner does not. Williams is receiving votes at 6-1-1, 4-1-1 in the NESCAC, with a home win over Amherst and a 5-0 over Hartford already on the sheet. Conn is No. 14 at 5-1-1, 3-1-1, so first place is actually on the line, which is why 21.4% of the room refused to pick a winner. Your read is the low-event one: the Ephs nick it, and nobody runs away with the night.

Tufts at Amherst

Tufts is No. 18 and just beat No. 6 Babson 2-1. The Jumbos are 2-1-1 in the NESCAC. Amherst is 2-3-1, 0-3-1 in league play, and has lost 1-0 to both Middlebury and Williams. Hitchcock Field helps, but the gap in form is real.

Half the Hive took Tufts, but almost a third parked on the draw, the biggest draw share of the weekend. You went further than the median and blanked Amherst, which only 16.4% of all scorelines did. The form gap is the reason: Tufts is No. 18, just beat No. 6 Babson 2-1, and sits 2-1-1 in the NESCAC. Amherst is 2-3-1, 0-3-1 in league play, and has already lost 1-0 to both Middlebury and Williams. Hitchcock Field is the only real counter, and the room still only gave the Mammoths 5 of 28 ballots.

SC Pick: Tufts 2-0

Johns Hopkins at Gettysburg —

Hopkins is No. 4 in Region V and blanked McDaniel 3-0 on Wednesday. Gettysburg is No. 7 in the region at 6-3 and is hard to break down at Clark Field (12 goals scored, 8 allowed in the games on the books). Home side scores; the better team still wins.

SC Pick: JHU 2-1

 This was the clearest game on the card: Hopkins took 22 of 28 ballots, 78.6%, with only two draws. Your 2-1 is the pool’s favorite scoreline, 102 of 280 predictions, so you matched both the side and the shape. Hopkins is No. 4 in Region V and just blanked McDaniel 3-0. Gettysburg is No. 7 in the region at 6-3 and has been hard to break down at Clark Field, 12 scored and 8 allowed in the games on the books. Four people still took the Bullets at home. You let them score and still gave the better team the result.

Swarthmore at McDaniel

Swarthmore is 2-7-2 after a 3-0 home loss to Muhlenberg. McDaniel’s hot start has cooled (losses at Ursinus and 0-3 at Hopkins), but the Green Terror are still the clearer side at home against a Garnet team that has been shut out often.

SC Pick: McDaniel 2-0

 McDaniel was the home lean, 15 ballots to Swarthmore’s 8, with five draws. A 2-0 is a little cleaner than the room’s usual 2-1, but it fits a Garnet side that has been shut out often. Swarthmore is 2-7-2 after a 3-0 home loss to Muhlenberg. McDaniel’s hot start has cooled, with losses at Ursinus and a 0-3 at Hopkins, which is why this was only a 53.6% pick and not a lock. Eight voters still saw a Garnet road win. You did not.

Lycoming at Drew

Drew is the better Landmark side and is at Ranger Stadium. Lycoming is 4-5 after a 2-1 loss to regionally ranked Messiah, with George Preston scoring in that one. The Warriors get on the board; Drew still takes it.

SC Pick: Drew 2-1

 Drew was a soft favorite, 13 ballots to Lycoming’s 9, with six draws, so the Hive never really settled this one. Your 2-1 is the most common score in the pool and the polite way to pick the home side in a game this close. Drew is the better Landmark team and has Ranger Stadium. Lycoming is 4-5 after a 2-1 loss to regionally ranked Messiah, with George Preston on the board in that one. You gave the Warriors the goal and Drew the points, which is basically the median of a 46.4% lean.

Carnegie Mellon at Emory

CMU is No. 20 and 7-1-2 after a 3-0 win over Capital, and it already drew Denison 1-1. Emory is receiving votes at 6-1-2 after a 3-0 at Huntingdon. This is the UAA opener at the WoodPEC. Two good defenses, one goal each is the cleanest read.

SC Pick: draw, 1-1

This is the first real fade. Emory took 18 of 28 ballots, 64.3%, and only four people took CMU. You were one of six on the draw. A 1-1 was 12.5% of all scorelines, so the number is alive even if the side is not. CMU is No. 20 and 7-1-2 after a 3-0 over Capital, and it already drew Denison 1-1. Emory is receiving votes at 6-1-2 after a 3-0 at Huntingdon, and this is the UAA opener at the WoodPEC. The room saw the home side. You saw two good defenses and one goal each.

Chicago at NYU

Chicago is No. 5 at 8-1-0, on a long win streak, and just beat UW-Eau Claire 4-3. NYU is No. 17 at 7-0-1 and unbeaten, playing at Lubetkin Field. The Violets make it uncomfortable. The Maroons still have the higher ceiling.

SC Pick: Chicago 2-1

 Chicago was the second-strongest lean on the board, 21 ballots, 75%, against an unbeaten host. Only four people took NYU, and only three took the draw. Your 2-1 again matches the pool’s favorite score. The Maroons are No. 5 at 8-1-0, on a long win streak, and just beat UW-Eau Claire 4-3. NYU is No. 17 at 7-0-1, unbeaten, at Lubetkin Field, which is why a wipeout never felt right. You let the Violets make it uncomfortable and still gave the higher ceiling the road win.

Adrian at Ohio Wesleyan 

Adrian is 4-4 but just beat Wabash 1-0 and already took Wooster 2-1. OWU is 1-4-3 after a late 3-3 at Wilmington. Alumni Weekend at Jay Martin is a boost. The Bishops score; the Bulldogs still leave with the points.

SC Pick: Adrian 2-1

Second fade, and the sharpest one. Ohio Wesleyan took 19 ballots, 67.9%. Adrian got five. You are in that five, and you gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 on Alumni Weekend at Jay Martin. The recent evidence is why: Adrian is 4-4 but just beat Wabash 1-0 and already took Wooster 2-1. OWU is 1-4-3 after a late 3-3 at Wilmington. The Hive bet the building and the name. You bet the last two results.

Denison at Wooster

Denison has been stingy (five of seven opponents held to one goal or none around mid-September, plus a 1-1 with No. 20 CMU). Wooster is 6-3 and can score — 21 goals in nine games — but also just lost 2-1 to Adrian at home. Carl Dale Field keeps it close. The Big Red grind out the conference opener.

SC Pick: Denison 1-0

Denison was a strong consensus, 20 ballots to Wooster’s 6, and only two draws. Your 1-0 is the second-most common score in the pool and a notch tighter than the usual 2-1. The Big Red have been stingy, holding five of seven opponents to one goal or none around mid-September, plus a 1-1 with No. 20 CMU. Wooster is 6-3 and can score, 21 goals in nine games, but it just lost 2-1 to Adrian at home. Carl Dale Field is why six people stayed with the Scots. You still had the visitors grinding out the conference opener.

Cortland at Hobart

Hobart is No. 13 at 8-1-0, with the only loss a 0-2 at St. Lawrence, and this is in Geneva. Cortland is No. 22 at 5-1-1 and plays Oswego on Saturday before this Sunday trip. The Statesmen’s one-day rest is the separator in an otherwise even matchup.

SC Pick: Cortland 2-1

Third fade. Cortland took 16 ballots, 57.1%, and the draw took another seven, the second-biggest draw share of the week. Hobart got five. You are with that five, in Geneva, 2-1. Hobart is No. 13 at 8-1-0, with the only loss a 0-2 at St. Lawrence. Cortland is No. 22 at 5-1-1 and plays Oswego on Saturday before this Sunday trip. The room took the ranking and the fresher legs. You took the one-day rest and the home side in a game the Hive itself called close.