Although the men were fairly confident going into the match, they knew it wouldn't be easy. "Colby is not one of [our] best opponents, but they gave us a good battle the last two years," said Co-captain Steve Squillario '01. "In Sunday's game their goalie played a tremendous game to keep it close."
The first goal was scored twenty-two minutes into the game by midfielder Adrian Talbott '02. After a corner kick he corralled the loose ball in front of the net and put it by Colby goalie Justin Amirault to give the Jeffs a 1-0 lead. Amherst had 14 corner kicks in the match, but only one of them resulted in a goal.
Timothy Canon '04 tallied the second goal shortly after halftime. Patrick Garvey '03 sent a crossing pass into the box, and Canon headed it in for the final tally of the game.
While Talbott and Canon were the only Jeffs able to score, the defense shut down the White Mules. Fullbacks Ryan Goodband '02 and Mike York '04 gave a solid defensive effort, with Colby only mustering two shots. Goalie Bill Orum '02 had to make only one save in the game. In contrast, the Lord Jeffs peppered Amirault with 24 shots on which he made 10 saves and allowed two goals.
For most of the game, the Amherst attack controlled the ball deep in the Colby zone. Forward David Michener '02 made numerous runs, effectively pressuring the Colby defense.
"Everybody came out really fired up and we played some great soccer in the second half," said Jeff Cantwell '04. "The defense played very well as a whole."
The soccer team is relatively happy with its progress.
"We played well as a team," said Co-captain Judson Coplan '01. "We moved the ball around really well. It was a promising beginning."
But Coplan believes that the team still has a lot to work on. "The score should have been, at the very least, 5-0. We need to work on finishing and putting the ball in the back of the net," he added.
Canon also believes that the team is off to a good start, but said some aspects of the Jeffs play need a little work. "We can build on controlling the midfield a little better, controlling the pace of the game, and controlling the ball," he said. "But it was good for a first game."
Yesterday, the squad brought down the Keene State College Owls for a 1-0 win. Details will be reported on next week.
On Saturday, the Jeffs travel to Lewiston, Maine to take on the Bates College Bobcats. Bates is another NESCAC opponent, and should pose a tougher match than Colby.
The Jeffs have not played Bates since the 1995 season when they battled to a 0-0 tie in Lewiston. In that season, the Jeffs advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, a feat that they hope to better this season.