Amherst began the week by hosting the Conn. Camels (3-10, 1-7) on Wednesday. The Jeffs started off strong, riding the momentum from a pair of wins the previous week. Junior standout Joe Gannon put Amherst ahead just 11:23 into the contest and the Lord Jeffs never looked back. The goal came when Ian Lovett '06 took a long pass from Mike Wohl '07 and found Gannon on a breakaway. The Jeffs continued to apply the heat offensively, as Gannon returned the favor to Wohl just 17 minutes later on a beautiful feed in front of the net.
The Jeffs took their 2-0 lead into halftime and came out with the same unrelenting intensity to start the second half. With just over 35 minutes left in the game, senior co-captain Andrew Syfu blasted a free kick from midfield into the box where Lovett connected with a header to put the Jeffs up 3-0. Amherst staved off the Camels attack for the remainder of play and went on to win by the three-goal margin.
The shutout was the Jeffs' second in as many games and the sixth of the year. Goalkeeper Greg Lockwood '06 recorded four saves and Dan Glenn '05 added one of his own in the combined effort. Amherst meanwhile kept Conn. keepers Jon Knights and Andy White busy, as the Jeffs outshot the Camels 27-7 in the contest.
"It was great. We got revenge on a team that beat us last year and caused us to drop out of the rankings," said Lockwood. "The best part about the game was that pretty much everyone played and performed well."
On Saturday Amherst took its three-game winning streak to Middletown, Conn. to face off with Little Three rival Wesleyan (6-4-1, 4-2-1). The game was evenly played, with Amherst maintaining a slight offensive advantage throughout a scoreless first half of play. The stalemate continued well into the second half until Wesleyan broke the tie with only 18:30 remaining on the clock. Cardinal Julian Canzoneri found Jared Ashe, who then fed Mike Trofa for the go-ahead score.
The goal would prove to be enough for Wesleyan, as Amherst could not beat Cardinals goalie Dan Penrod in the final minutes of play. Penrod nabbed four saves in his shutout effort, while Lockwood recorded just one save for Amherst. The loss was only Amherst's second of the season, but it dropped the Lord Jeffs from atop the NESCAC standings with just two games remaining.
"Wesleyan was a great disappointment on all levels," said sophomore Rob Madden of the loss. "As a team, we were not ready to play. It's a difficult thing to play in our league; anybody can beat anybody on any given day."
Madden's statement held true again yesterday, when Amherst fell to Bates, 2-0. The game was held in Concord, Mass., at the Middlesex School, but Amherst could not use the neutral site to its advantage.
Amherst started off strong, nearly scoring in the first few minutes of play as Wohl almost put one past keeper James Kenly. Instead, Kenly foiled the Jeffs for the first time of many on the afternoon. The Bobcat goalie made six saves over the course of the game to keep the Jeffs at bay.
Philip Johnson put in the game-winner 16:44 into the first half and Bates did not look back. The insurance tally came with under three minutes left to play.
"Bates is one of the highest scoring teams in the league and definitely much improved from years past," said Lockwood.
With the loss, Amherst remains ranked fourth in the league. A win against Williams College on Saturday will secure the Jeffs home-field advantage the next day in the NESCAC Tournament. While a loss would not unequivocally cost Amherst hosting duties, it would significantly reduce the team's chances.
Williams is currently ranked 25th in the nation and holds the top spot in the NESCAC with a league record of 6-1-1. The Ephs' loss came to a Bowdoin team Amherst beat earlier in the season.
"Williams is a team with a lot of talent," said Lockwood. "They are the best organized team in the league. They stick to their concept well and play as a unit. Because of the rivalry, I'm sure they've had us scouted quite a bit. It's going to be the toughest game yet."
However, the Jeffs have yet to lose at Hitchcock Field, and Saturday's game should be a tight one.