Amherst jumped out to an early lead, tallying just six minutes into the game. Forward Franklin Perry '04, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and Jeffs' leading scorer in 2000, found the back of the net, but the Amherst lead was short-lived. Colby came back 27 minutes later with the equalizer, scoring when Jamie Lue placed a shot over the head of Amherst goalie Bill Orum '02.
Although they scored, the Jeffs struggled a bit in the first half. "The first half wasn't as good as we were hoping for," said Tri-captain Ryan Goodband '02. "We played very well in the second half. We came together and made everything work."
While the Jeffs played well for most of the second half, adding another goal did not come easily. Finally, in the 31st minute of the half, after numerous failed opportunities, defender Roger Boulay '03 was the one who stepped up to score it. Midfielder Andrew Korytoski '04 fed a pass from deep in Colby's defensive zone to Boulay, who shot it past Colby goalkeeper Andy Danzinger to tally the game winning goal.
Confidence played a big factor in this change in performance. "At first, we weren't playing very confidently, which was one of the reasons we didn't play very well in the first half," said Goodband.
Tri-captain Casey Ryan '02 also played a big role in the Jeffs winning performance on the road in Maine. Ryan, a midfielder, was very strong in tackling and putting defensive pressure on the ball. On offense he was able to spread the ball to other attackers, creating numerous scoring chances.
"Ryan was solid all over the field," said Boulay. "He picked up everyone else's level of play."
Carlo Valdesolo '03 was also an integral part of the team's offense, becoming especially energized in the second half.
Midfielder Jeff Cantwell '04 also had a good game.
"He wasn't afraid to take people one on one," said Boulay. "He gave a 100 percent effort throughout the game."
Among the new players on the team, Andrew Syfu '05 was the only freshman to travel with the team for this game, and he contributed with solid defensive play from his fullback position.
Although a win is always a good outcome, getting the first win of the season is even more important. "It was really inportant to win game one to get the season off on the right foot," said Boulay.
Orum finished with three saves in net, while the Amherst offense was able to put 10 shots on net.
The Jeffs were scheduled to play again today at 4 p.m. against non-league opponent Wheaton College, ranked within the top 10 in the country.
"It will be tough, but I'm pretty confident in the team," said Goodband, "We should be able to give them a good game and probably pull out a win."