Amherst's game against Trinity at Hitchcock Field was the third of only four home dates on the schedule for the Jeffs this year. This one proved to be a back-and-forth affair.
Amherst jumped out to an early 3-1 first quarter lead and held a 5-2 advantage in the second quarter. But Trinity stormed back. The Bantams would score eight of the game's next ten goals, taking a 6-6 tie into the half, a 9-7 lead to end the third quarter and a commanding 10-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Things looked bleak for the struggling Jeff squad, but the prospect of losing another tight game didn't sit well with Head Coach Tom Carmean's squad.
Attackman Mike Allison '04 started the comeback with his second goal of the game to cut the Bantam lead to two. Soon thereafter, Amherst's leading goal scorer Harlow Voorhees '02 cast two balls into the back of Trinity's net. His first tally halved the 10-8 Trinity lead, and his second goal tied the game at 10.
The game winner came off the stick of attackman Alex Casertano '05 with 3:15 left in the contest. It was the second goal and third point of the game for Casertano, who is the team leader in overall points this season. Amherst would hold onto the slim 11-10 lead for the remaining three minutes to notch its first NESCAC victory of the year. Rookie goaltender Cushing Donelan '05 made 11 saves for Amherst.
"Coming back in the fourth quarter against Trinity reminded us that we have the ability to compete with and beat the other NESCAC teams," said Casertano. "I think it also reminded our team that playing and winning is fun."
Amherst's game at Wesleyan on Saturday followed a similar pattern, but this time the Jeffs couldn't find the same late-game heroics. The Jeffs fell behind 3-0 early but managed to tie the game at three in the second quarter. The Cardinals opened up a 6-4 lead heading into the break, but Amherst was then able to even the game again, this time at six apiece, heading into the final frame.
It was a wild final quarter, in which nine of the game's 21 goals were scored. Unfortunately, Wesleyan had five of those tallies and earned the 11-10 win.
The hosts tallied twice early in the fourth to grab an 8-6 lead, but Amherst was able to net two goals of its own to cut the Wesleyan lead to 9-8. With the game hanging in the balance, the Cardinals tallied twice to extend their lead to 11-8. Against Wesleyan, Amherst had just over two minutes to register three goals. The Jeffs fought hard, and managed to erode the Cardinal lead to just 11-10 before time expired on the clock.
Casertano and Voorhees continued their strong play for Amherst, each scoring a hat trick in the Wesleyan contest. Casertano also tallied three assists. At the defensive end, Donelan turned aside 18 Wesleyan shots on goal. Amherst is now 2-2 in one-goal games this year.
In his first year as a Jeff, Casertano has proven to be a valuable addition to the lineup. The rookie leads Amherst in points (29) and assists (17). In fact, his 17 assists make Casertano the leader in career assists among active players at Amherst. For the lightning-quick Casertano, though, it's been an interesting transition to the college game.
"It's been fun," said Casertano. "However, being a first-year on a college team and a senior on a high school team is extremely different. As a result, I've had to adjust a little-keep my thoughts to myself at times when I am accustomed to offering my opinions."
The Jeffs have a trio of road games scheduled for this week. Today, Amherst visits Tufts University before going to Maine this weekend for a game at Bowdoin College on Saturday and another at Bates College on Sunday.