Head Coach Michelle Morgan has been there before. Five times she has led the Jeffs into the tournament, and once they advanced all the way to the Final Four. But the NCAAs are a long way away, and the Lord Jeffs had more pressing matters to attend to.
The first game on their slate took them to Waterville, Maine, to face the Colby College White Mules. The weather proved to be a factor from the start. Inordinately high temperatures assured that "both teams were struggling in the heat," according to goaltender Brooke Diamond '03. Both Diamond and Tri-captain back Margaret Rubin '02 agreed that it was "hot as hell."
Early on, the heat seemed to affect the Jeffs more than the Mules. Amherst started the game sluggishly, and Colby kept the pressure on Diamond and the ball in Amherst's end. But strong defensive play kept the visitors in the game. The Mules could not find that elusive first strike. Colby, as Rubin noted, "came out pumped," but soon "ran out of gas."
Thanks to strong goaltending from Diamond and the stalwart defense, the Jeffs survived, a couple early scares. The game remained scoreless midway through the first half, but that quickly changed. After a skirmish in the Mules' zone, striker Lee-Jay Henry '05 found Rubin at the top of the box.
Rubin then floated a pass over the confusion to striker Leslie Curren '05, who deposited the ball in the back of the net. The rookie, who insisted on giving credit to "two really good passes from [Henry and Rubin]," had her first college tally. And the Jeffs had their first lead of the young season.
The goal provided Amherst with a lift that propelled them the rest of the way for the victory. Tri-captain midfielder Cathy Poor '02 said the goal provided a much-needed spark for the team. "We seemed to gain a lot of confidence after we scored that first goal," she said.
Poor noted, "We overcame our jitters." Diamond agreed, saying the Jeffs "settled down and ended up controlling most of the remainder of the game."
That goal was all Amherst needed, as Diamond made the lead stand up. Challenged early and late (and even toppled over by a couple of Mules), she managed to secure her first shutout of the year. The offense provided Diamond with some insurance, though, with a second half goal from Poor. Midfielder Jenny Rossman '04 put a corner kick right on the head of her senior teammate, and Poor didn't miss from her perch about 10 yards out. Poor was quick to pass around the credit. "[Rossman] usually gives great corner [kicks]. She hit a beautiful one, and I was able to finish it off," she said.
Despite a late surge by Colby, Amherst was able to hang on for the win. Afterwards, the theme echoed by many of the players was that of a group effort. "Everybody did a great job, from the seniors down to the freshmen," said tri-captain Hallison Putnam '02. Poor also noted the rookie efforts, saying she was "very, very pleased with the way the first years came out and did very well."
The win was big for a variety of reasons, foremost among them the message it sent to the team and its opponents. "[It was] great to start the season off with a win. It sets a good tempo and sends a message to our opponents that we're here to play," said Curren. "There is more depth this season than last, so we should be able to work effective combinations offensively as well as [have] a solid defense," said Rossman.
Looking ahead, Amherst will host Bates College in their home opener this Saturday. The game is a rematch of last year's ECAC Championship, in which the Bobcats lost a second-half lead at home and finally succumbed to the Jeffs in a triple overtime showdown. But before Bates, Amherst will have to contend with local rival Smith College in a Wednesday afternoon non-conference matchup to be played in Northampton.