The men's rugby team has quietly been racking up wins this season. Currently standing at 4-2-1, the squad is looking forward to its annual tilt with Williams College. The Williams game is seen by many as the highlight of the season, both in men's and women's rugby, and the outcome literally causes one team to lose their shirts.

"We bet our jerseys on the Williams game," said Brandon Woods '02. "Last spring, we beat them pretty handily. We expect to beat them again."

The Jeffs' past victory against the Ephs is evidenced by the yellow-and-maroon striped jerseys that the team regularly wears to practice. However, the Jeffs were not so lucky two weekends ago, in another situation that would define the Amherst postseason.

On Oct. 21, the Jeffs faced off against Northeastern University. If the Amherst team had beaten Northeastern, they would have catapulted themselves into first place in the Green League, assuring themselves a spot in the fall season's NCAA Tournament. However, the two teams battled to a 19-19 tie. "The Northeastern game was a big game for us," said Whit Griffinger '01. The draw against Northeastern left the Jeffs in second place, thus all but eliminating them from postseason play.

Last Saturday, the Jeffs took the field against another team from Boston, this time Boston College. The Amherst squad outran the Eagles to notch a 33-14 win. "We beat Boston College pretty handily," said Griffinger. For Amherst, Ritchie Hodel '02, Brett Lentz '01 and Bailey Williams '01 crossed the line. These three tries brought Amherst the win and brought their winning percentage to above .500.

"We've had a pretty successful season so far," commented Woods. "We're looking forward to playing Williams." The Jeffs will face down the Ephs on Homecoming Weekend in a morning grudge match at the bottom of Memorial Hill.