And in a way, that was all you needed to know about the big game this year. The match was scoreless after the first half, a half dominated by the visiting Lord Jeffs. But in the second, Amherst was stunned by an early goal and finished off by a late tally. It is a pattern that Amherst has struggled against through most of this year, and it is a pattern Amherst must avoid in order to succeed in the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments.
The 6-4-1 (4-3-1 in NESCAC play) Lord Jeffs stand among the middle of the pack in the NESCAC conference. Guaranteed a berth in the conference tournament, Amherst will have to face tough early round competition. No one on the squad seems too concerned about the competition, however. The focus of this team is directed towards itself. "What we've learned throughout the regular season is that we can outplay any team we face," said Tri-captain Cathy Poor '02.
The season began impressively for the Jeffs. The team stormed out to four victories in its first four tries, three of which were against conference opponents.
The game against Conn College was of particular note. Tied at one in double overtime, striker Tracy Montigny '05 finished off an outstanding solo effort to finally net the game winner in the 110th minute of play. This would prove to be a crucial win, because currently it stands as the difference between a winning and losing conference record.
All was not well however, for the 4-0 Jeffs. Goaltender Brooke Diamond '03, a fixture in the Amherst net, went down after the season opener with mononucleiosis. Without a true backup goalie, the Jeffs faced a desperate time in their season. Morgan turned to Tri-captain midfielder Hallison Putnam '02 to fill in. The move turned out favorably as Putnam went 3-2-1, recording 29 saves and allowing eight goals. She also picked up two shutouts, including one in her first start.
Strong defensive play also helped ease the transition. In the first minute of Putnam's goaltending career, back Mary Sarro-Waite '05 saved a goal by clearing a soft shot from the goal line.
Tri-captain Margaret Rubin '02 pointed to Sarro-Waite as a big reason why the defense has thrived, "I think Mary has stepped in as a reliable part of the defense. She has been awesome this season."
Putnam herself is quick to attribute much of her success to the Amherst defense, "Our defense deserves a lot of credit for really stepping up their level of play, especially while I was in goal."
Putnam is grateful to her teammates for other reasons as well: "Everyone was willing to put in a little extra time to help the new keeper."
Winning has come with difficulty of late for Amherst. Victorious in just two of their last seven games, Amherst has struggled to find offensive consistency. Forwards continue to create opportunities, but finishing has been a problem.
One trend that has emerged is getting beat in the second half. In Amherst's three conference losses this year, Trinity, Middlebury and Williams Colleges, they have headed to the break tied in all three. But in the second half of those games, the Jeffs have been outscored by a combined 5-1.
In fact, the only second half goal they managed in those three games came after Middlebury had already jumped out to a two-goal lead. Diamond reflected on the importance of the second half, "The way they completely upped their intensity is a big reason why they are still undefeated."
If Amherst hopes to advance far into the postseason, they must find a way to step up late in games as well. One instance in which they did just that was against Tufts University. Striker Lee-Jay Henry '05 finished a smooth passing play to put the Jeffs ahead for good, giving the Jeffs a crucial conference win.
Amherst now faces a pesky Wesleyan University team. Wesleyan carries a 2-10-1 record with them into Saturday's match, but should not be underestimated. While the numbers do not inspire fear, it's important to note that this is a team that pushed 10-0 Williams to the brink. When the two played on Sept. 22, Wesleyan forced overtime with a second half comeback before ultimately succumbing in the first minute of the extra period. Wesleyan would like nothing better than to salvage its season with a victory over Amherst.
The Jeffs, though, are targeting a bigger goal than Wesleyan. They want the NESCAC championship and a shot at the NCAA title. "The Amherst team is very, very close behind [Williams] in terms of talent," said Morgan. "But perhaps Diamond put it best, "There's no telling how far we can go. We definitely have the talent, We just need to fit it together with the right combination of heart, desire and determination."