Nevertheless, there have been bright spots amongst Amherst's recent troubles. The Jeffs thoroughly thrashed the Castleton State College Spartans on Friday, Jan. 21. The Jeffs' prolific offensive output led them to a 9-1 win with an incredible 71 shots on goal. Josh Cherney '05 tallied the first hat trick of his college career as the Jeffs manhandled the Spartans in all aspects of the game. Netminder Sean Lynch '06 started his first game of the year between the pipes, saving 17 of the 18 shots he faced en route to the victory.
Another big win for the Jeffs came against the University of Southern Maine Huskies. Goalkeeper Josh Fillman '07 was stellar in net, saving 28 of 30 shots en route to a 3-2 victory. Forward Jon Hill '05 gave Amherst a 2-0 lead with a shorthanded goal early in the third period. Forward A.J. Greco '06 tallied a third goal for the Jeffs with four minutes remaining to clinch the win.
Unfortunately, Amherst has found itself on the short end in many games that they could just as easily have won. In their most recent contest on Saturday, Jan. 24, the Jeffs fell to the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds, 4-3, in overtime. Amherst jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Hill and Greco. However, Skidmore tied the game at 3-3 with three minutes remaining in the third period on a deflection past Fillman. The Thoroughbreds went on to win on a goal scored by Jeff Martin 3:08 into the overtime session. Martin's overtime goal overshadowed impressive efforts by forwards Steve Nelson '06 and Greco, both of whom tallied a goal and an assist.
A 5-4 loss to Salem State College on Jan. 17 was equally heart-wrenching. The score was knotted at 3-3 early in the third period, as the two teams consistently alternated scoring. Amherst took the lead four minutes into the period as defenseman Brandon Zangel '07 found Scott Aldrich '05. The assist was Zangel's second of the game. The Vikings tied the game at 5:33 and won on a goal by Jim Cashins eight minutes into the final period.
Unfortunately for the Jeffs, their 2-4 record in their last six games could just as easily have been a much more respectable 4-2.
"After we get a lead we get a bit complacent and we stop doing the things that it takes to win a game," said Hill.
Despite recent losses, over the past few weeks a few stars have emerged for the Jeffs. Co-captain Beau Kretzman '05 is the leading scorer and a dominating force in the center of the ice. Kretzman won NESCAC Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 1 and currently ranks 11th in the conference in points per game. Kretzman's two linemates, Greco and Nelson, have also proven to be major scoring contenders. Both have tallied 12 points this season. Co-captain John McNicholas '04 and Chris Norqual '04 have been anchors at defense as well. The players who will fuel Amherst's late season charge have emerged and are set to dominate.
Amherst has important upcoming non-conference games this weekend against Saint Anselm College and New England College on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The St. Anselm Hawks are 12-4, and are coming off of an 8-3 win against Williams College. Williams is currently in second place in the NESCAC. St. Anselm is led by forwards Aaron Creer, Josh Hechter and John Cronin, who have scored 19, 16 and 15 points respectively. Starting goalie Jim Merola has been stellar in net, posting a .890 save percentage thus far this season.
Tenth-ranked New England College should prove to be an ever greater test for the Jeffs. N.E.C is led by a superb foursome of forwards: Travis Banga, Jeremy Koning, Jaakko Kolari and Jeff VanDyke. Banga has scored 17 goals and tallied 13 helpers. Kolari is ninth in the nation in points per game, with a 1.79 average. N.E.C is an offensive powerhouse.
However, Amherst has been preparing for these contests. "In practice we're trying to keep the level of competition high and improve play defensively," said Hill. "We're working hard on special teams, especially the power play and shorthanded units because they haven't been as good as we would like."
This weekend will be an excellent test for the team to prove that they have returned their top form. Both St. Anselm and N.E.C should be real challenges to the Jeffs. With a good showing, Amherst can show that it deserves to be considered a national competitor. Hopefully this mid-season dip has been just that and will provide the inspiration the Jeffs need to return to their winning ways.
"In order to come together as a team we need to put Interterm behind us and concentrate on what's ahead," said Hill.