Cross country
After finishing in seventh place at the 2005 NCAA Div. III National Championships, there were high expectations for the women's cross country team this year. This fall, the young Jeffs returned in full force, and did not disappoint.
The women placed first or second in every race. After a pair of wins to start the season, the Jeffs finished in second in the Tufts Invitational, behind their NESCAC foes, the Tufts University Jumbos. The following week at the Open New England Championships, however, Amherst left its Div. III competition in the dust. The women were just nine points behind champion Boston University in a meet that featured teams from all three divisions. The next closest team, Middlebury College, was 36 points behind.
Amherst continued its winning ways after that, picking up victories at the Little Three and ECAC Championships as well as the program's first NESCAC title. Middlebury edged Amherst by five points at the NCAA Regional meet. Both teams advanced to Nationals, setting the stage for an epic showdown.
The result was the closest team finish in the history of the National meet: Middlebury just barely took the title by one point, 144-145. Regardless, the second-place finish was the best by any Amherst team.
Such prominent team success came on the strength of the individual efforts of the runners. Senior co-captain Shauneen Garrahan was the front-runner at the beginning of the season, finishing in the top five in the first four events, including a fourth-place effort at Open New Englands. When an injury prevented Garrahan from competing in Little Threes and NESCACs, junior Kim Partee picked up the slack. The All-American took second and sixth in those races, respectively.
Co-captain Heather Wilson '08 then took the lead at Regionals and Nationals, leading a close pack of Jeffs. In the National race, Wilson finished in seventh with Partee right behind in 11th. Amherst will return six of its seven varsity runners, in addition to three athletes that were in the top seven last year.
First-year Sophie Galleher earned NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors for the Jeffs.
The men also had a great season, greatly lowering the team scores from last year. The Jeffs finshed a respectable 17th at Open New Englands as the fourth NESCAC team. Amherst improved on that score by defeating Wesleyan University to take second in Little Threes and third at NESCACs, followed by a third-place finish at ECACs. The Jeffs were on their way to a bid to the National meet, fell just short at Regionals.
Leading the way for the men was sophomore Harrison Lakehomer. Lakehomer ran to a personal best at Open New Englands, placing 35th individually and seventh among Div. III runners. He also won the Little Three race, in the process becoming the first Amherst Little Three Champion since 1998.
The team was also supported by a strong group of first-years, including Carlyle Eubank, Daniel Murner and Eric Holaday. Amherst returns five of its top seven runners next year.
Women's soccer
The women's soccer team had a very strong fall campaign, finishing 15-2-2 overall and 7-0-1 in NESCAC play. The Jeffs boasted one of the best defenses in the country.
Amherst made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the National Tournament before losing a heartbreaking game, 0-0, to The College of New Jersey in penalty kicks. The Jeffs did not give up a goal the entire postseason, winning 2-0, 3-0, and 1-0 before the close defeat.
The Jeffs' only other two losses came in a pair of 1-0 decisions to Wheaton and Middlebury Colleges. The Jeffs were led by senior goalie Piper Crowell, who boasted a .914 save percentage and gave up an average of .44 goals per game, both of which led the NESCAC. Crowell's strong play earned Second Team All-American honors.
Amherst's offensive leader, senior forward Amy Armstrong, earned First Team All-American honors. Named the NESCAC Player of the Year, she led the NESCAC in game-winning goals and was second in goals and in total points. Despite all of the senior contributions, the Jeffs received a lot of help from first-year midfielder Meg Murphy. Murphy earned NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors and was named to the First Team All-NESCAC.
Armstrong, Crowell and senior defender Liz Foley were all picked to participate in the 2006 NEWISA Senior Soccer Bowl.
The Jeffs will have to work hard to replace five key graduating seniors, but should still be a powerhouse in the NESCAC.
Volleyball
The women's volleyball team had a strong 2006 campaign, taking home the NESCAC Championship and thus receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Overall, theFiredogs finished 28-5, 7-3 in the NESCAC.
The Firedogs' season included an amazing start, going 19-1 in their first 20 games. They lost to Williams in a close 3-2 decision for their second loss and later lost to Trinity by the same score. The Firedogs' first loss of the season also came against a NESCAC rival, Wesleyan University. However, they later capitalized on the opportunity to avenge all three losses in the NESCAC Tournament. The Firedogs blanked Trinity College 3-0 to advance to the semifinals and then defeated Wesleyan University in a close 3-2 match. In an Amherst-Williams final, the Firedogs came out on top, winning 3-1.
After cruising past Emmanuel College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Firedogs lost to MIT in a 3-1 decision. Senior co-captain and middle hitter/outside hitter Kristin Quinn was named to the All-NESCAC team along with junior outside hitter Jaclyn DeMais. Quinn was further recognized as she was named the 2006 New England Player of the Year by the New England Women's Volleyball Association.
Men's soccer
The men's soccer team was prepared to start off the school year on a good note with an amazing fall season. Finishing their season with a record of 12-3-2 and 6-1-1 in the NESCAC, the Jeffs showed they were a tough team to beat. Amherst earned the number two seed and a first-round home game in the NESCAC Tournament, in which they ousted Tufts University in penalty kicks. That result advanced them to the semifinals where they lost to Middlebury College, 1-0.
The Jeffs then headed to the NCAA Tournament where they hosted the first two rounds of play, beating Westfield State College 3-1 in the first round but then fell to Western New England College in the next. The team's success came about due to many key players including NESCAC Rookie of the Year midfielder Matt Lewis, sophomore goalkeeper Jeff Grover, who finished with the second lowest goals allowed total in the NESCAC, and senior forward Mike Wohl, who earned First Team All-NESCAC, First Team Adidas NSCAA All-New England and Second Team Adidas/NSCAA All-American honors.
Football
The football team had a pretty strong season, finishing 5-3 on the year. The Jeffs started off hot, going 5-1 in six games with their only loss coming in a close four-point game. Despite the momentum, the Jeffs were unable to defeat either of the two NESCAC powerhouses, Williams or Trinity Colleges, in final two weeks.
The Jeffs were led by their senior quarterback Nick Kehoe and senior wide receiver Mark Hannon on the offensive end. Hannon's play earned First Team All-NESCAC honors, as his total of 949 all-purpose yards was good for second in the NESCAC. He also scored six touchdowns on the year. Kehoe made Second Team All-NESCAC honors, completing 56 percent of his passes and throwing nine touchdowns. Senior offensive lineman Matt Mascioli's strong play earned him First Team All-NESCAC honors. On the defensive end, senior lineman Brendan McKee earned First Team All-NESCAC honors, accumulating 46 total tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Junior defensive back Chris Mottau led the team with four interceptions senior safety Mike Salerno led the team with 57 tackles. On the ground, sophomore running back Eric NeSmith and first-year running back Aaron Rauh made quite the tandem. NeSmith accumulated 406 yards and Rauh 390, who also scored four touchdowns.
The Jeffs will certainly miss their seniors on both sides of the ball and will need people to step up at some important positions such as quarterback. However, they are still young and have an amazing running combination to work around.
Field hockey
It was a breakout year for the field hockey team. Though the Jeffs started out slow, they were on fire towards the end of the season, finishing with the team's best record in three years.
The beginning of the season was marked by heartbreaking losses. The Jeffs suffered four one-goal setbacks, three of which were decided in the last minute of regulation, overtime or double overtime. Despite the stinging losses, the Jeffs showed lots of potential.
That potential turned into results, as the Jeffs went on a tear to win five games in a row and "lurp" into the NESCAC Tournament. In the quarterfinal round, Amherst traveled to Williamstown, Mass., to avenge a 5-1 loss from the day before. The Jeffs shocked the Ephs with solid defense, led by goalie Kathleen Boucher '08. Amherst's leading scorer, first-year forward Molly Malloy, knocked in the game-winner with 2:22 left on the clock. With the win, Amherst reached the NESCAC Final Four but fell to eventual champion Bowdoin, 1-0.
Only two seniors are graduating from a lineup that includes a strong core of first-years and sophomores.
Women's tennis
Going into the fall, the women's tennis team was fresh off an NCAA Div. III Elite Eight appearance in the previous spring season. Despite losing two key seniors, the Jeffs returned key players and welcomed a strong first-year class. Although the tennis season doesn't really heat up until the spring, the Jeffs still had a very strong fall season. The Jeffs did not lose a team match and had impressive individual showings in tournament play.
Junior Alicia Menezes teamed up with first-year Brittany Berckes to take the Wilson/ITA Crown. This was the start of a dominant season for the doubles duo, which eventually ended in glory. Later in the fall season, in one of the only few team competitions, Amherst downed archrival Williams College, 7-2.
The short fall season concluded with a dominant showing at the New England Championships. The tournament included over 20 teams from the region. Five of the Jeffs reached the finals in the six flights, the most of any team. Juniors Monica Snyder and Laura Stein both won the championships in their flights, at the third and sixth spots, respectively.
The fall was a successful one for the Jeffs, but served more as a warmup for the spring season in which they saw their hard work pay huge dividends.
Men's tennis
The men's tennis team had a very short fall season, playing only one team match and participating in three individual tournaments. In the lone match, the Jeffs pounded non-conference opponent Salve Regina University, 8-1.
In the Wallach Inivitational, to conclude the season, the Jeffs had very strong showing despite not producing a champion. In the A doubles flight, senior co-captain Karti Subramanian and sophomore Zack Lerner reached the quarterfinals before losing a close match to the top team from Bates. In the singles B Flight, senior co-captain advanced to the finals, losing a close match to a Middlebury College opponent.
Overall, playing just a few events, the fall served as a chance for the Jeffs to establish their lineup and doubles teams to tune up for the important spring season.
Women's golf
The women's golf team had a successful fall, finishing third in NESCAC play. Led by their star, senior captain Sarah Harper, the Jeffs also finished fourth at the Wellesley Fall Invitational.
In the NESCAC Tournament Harper really shone, as her score of 77 gave her the individual title. The team shot a combined 360, placing behind Williams and Middlebury.
In the Wellesley Fall Invitational, the Jeffs received some help from the newcomers. Over 36 holes Harper shot a 162, which was matched by first-year Kinnie Schwartz who shot an impressive 76 over the last 18. First-year Jordan Chafetz finished third on the team, followed by junior Kristin Beneski and first-year Alex Chang-Graham.
Men's golf
The men's golf team concluded its fall season with a sixth-place showing in the NESCAC Championship. Senior Drew Russ led the way for the Jeffs as he was named First Team All-NESCAC. His two-day, 155 score was good for seventh individually in the tournament.
After the NESCAC Tournament, the Jeffs concluded their season at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Championships. The tournament included 43 schools and 215 golfers from Div. I, II and III schools. The Jeffs finished 27th overall, placing ahead of some Div. I schools. Senior co-captain Andrew Bruns led the Jeffs as his two-day, 162 score was good for 82nd overall.