Perhaps the biggest loss for the Jeffs is first-team All-NESCAC goaltender Corey Simonson '01, a four-year starter in net and a co-captain last year. Stepping into his place will be another highly touted netminder, Cushing Donelan, a freshman who will be asked to anchor the defense for perhaps the next four years. "As long as [Donelan] plays well and the defense plays well in front of him, the team should do pretty well," said quad-captain Dave Greig '02.
Second-year Head Coach Tom Carmean likes what he's seen thus far from his rookie goalie. "Donelan has looked outstanding. He's a big goalie, covers a lot of area and he's really athletic," said Carmean. "He's probably ahead of where Corey [Simonson] was at this time in his career."
Also missing from the Jeffs' lineup this year is attackman Eric Edelson '01, Amherst's leading scorer and a co-captain. While the Jeffs will miss his explosive cuts to the net, the team hopes to rely on a more balanced attack this season to fill the void left by Edelson. The emphasis will be on continuity and ball movement. "This year we're going to look for a more balanced offense, a more fluid offense," said Greig.
Featured in this attack is Chris Condlin '03, whose 18 goals tied him with Edelson for the team lead last year. Mike Allison '04, who tallied 15 points in his standout rookie season, will also be returning to the front line for the Jeffs. Harlow Voorhees '02 rounds out the starting lineup for the Jeffs attack.
The midfielders will have to cope with the loss of Rob Gibson '01, who last year led the midfielders in scoring with 21 points. However, Amherst is returning its other two midfielders, quad-captains Gene Nogi '02 and Phil Cameron '02. The corps of midfielders is deep and, more importantly, fast. A pair of fleet-footed soccer players, Chris Kane '03 and Andrew Syfu '05, will provide support off the bench, as will Joaquin Walker '05, who is quite possibly the fastest player on the team.
The defense features three starters who all have a wealth of experience. Quad-captains Greig and Colin Renz '02, who are listed at a combined 485 lbs., will look to throw their weight around while keeping the ball away from their net. Rob Scaramella '02, whose 6'0", 185 lb. frame may be smaller than his fellow defenders', will be just as important for the Jeffs.
But, just as crucial as the starters to the Jeffs' success will be their reserves. This team is much deeper than last year's, allowing Carmean to cycle in more players and keep fresher legs. The Amherst roster boasts a number of football, soccer, hockey and squash players, further evidence of the overall athleticism of this year's edition.
"We're young, but experienced, and we're ready to move," said Allison. "I think we're a lot deeper. Part of the problem last year was our depth. This year we're going to throw a lot of guys out there, keep fresh legs and beat them with our athleticism."
"Last year we didn't have enough horses," Renz added. "This year we have a great freshmen class that will add some serious depth."
Along with the youth movement comes a renewed feeling of confidence. "The whole team is pretty excited; there's a whole different feeling from last year," said defender Alexei Kudla '04. "Everyone's more into it. I definitely feel better team chemistry, and our prospects are good."
"We've been practicing pretty well, working hard," said Greig. "Everyone's sort of sick of practicing against each other. We're ready to get some new opponents."
Jeffs will battle Clarkson College on Tuesday in Port Richey, Fla.. The next day Amherst meets Keene State, before a matchup against Hamilton College next Friday.
"My goal is to make it to the NESCAC Championship," said Carmean. "Except for Middlebury, there are no teams right now that are any step above the rest."