But that was last week. In this roller coaster of a season, the Jeffs' cart is clanging up the ramp again, propelled by a trio of wins against Bates, Bowdoin and Connecticut Colleges.
On April 20, Amherst travelled to Harvard University to take on the 20th-ranked Bobcats on neutral turf. Even though Bates led 3-1 after a quarter, the Jeffs rallied to win 11-9. Senior Alex Casertano led the attack, and racked up a game-high five goals. Attacker Derek Cherney '07 also had a five-point game, scoring three times and dishing out a pair of assists. Three of tri-captain midfielder Colby Griffith's feeds were converted to scores, and midfielder Josh Cherney '05 and attackers Kevin Boova '06 and Chris Hofmann '07 each netted a goal. Tri-captain goalie Cushing Donelan '05 recorded 10 saves in the win.
Despite the pouring rain, the Jeffs returned to action at home on Saturday against 11th-ranked Bowdoin. "The weather was really fun to play in," said Donelan. "We knew it was going to rain and be nasty, and we've played in worse conditions before. Guys lost their footing sometimes, but the offense really took care and looked good."
After exchanging goals in the first few minutes of the game, Amherst went on a 6-0 run. The Polar Bears attempted a comeback, but were stopped short as the Jeffs held on to win 10-9.
"We came out really strong in the Bowdoin game," said tri-captain defender Greg Donohue. "Our offense controlled the tempo of the first half and gave us a sizable lead. [Junior midfielder] Andrew Wilcox and [senior attacker] Andrew Syfu played great, as did Boova."
Hofmann tallied a trio of goals and provided an assist, while Boova dealt two assists of his own and scored once. Syfu and Derek Cherney each had two goals and an assist, with Syfu netting the game-winner. Midfielders Sean Murray '06 and Josh Cherney each notched a score as well. Syfu was 6-8 in face-offs, while Wilcox won eight of 13 and led both teams in ground balls with nine.
"The Bowdoin game was especially satisfying as they were ranked 11th and had a lot of confidence coming into the game," said Derek Cherney. "It was a sloppy game due to the weather, but we roughed the rain, and it was great to finally get a win in a close game against a highly-ranked opponent."
The Jeffs had another excellent game yesterday, as they embarrassed the Connecticut College Camels 15-7 at home. Wilcox and Syfu each demonstrated their face-off prowess by winning the first two draws, driving down the field and scoring to give Amherst a quick 2-0 lead. The Jeffs led the whole game, benefitting from three 3-0 runs. Casertano again led the attack with four goals and an assist, and Hofmann chipped in three scores. Derek Cherney added a goal to his three assists for a four-point game. Boova came off the bench to contribute two goals and an assist, while Josh Cherney and Griffith subbed in to add a goal and an assist apiece.
With just one game remaining, the Jeffs are back on the path they mapped out in the beginning of the season. The only obstacle that remains is Saturday's matchup against archrival Williams College.
"We feel like we are heading in the right direction as we approach the end of the regular season and head into our final game," said Derek Cherney. "Williams is a quality team, and we need to keep playing well and keep our momentum heading into the playoffs."
As a result of this three-game win streak, the Jeffs have leaped from seventh place to third in the NESCAC. Even though their record is identical to the Camels', yesterday's win gives the Jeffs the edge in a tie-breaker. A win against the Ephs will allow them to host a game in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament. The Ephs share the number seven spot with Wesleyan University, but only the top seven teams will compete in the conference tournament. With the Jeffs looking to secure home-field advantage and the Ephs in a do-or-die situation, Saturday's game has much more riding on it than the traditional Amherst-Williams rivalry.
"We have lost some games this year even though we felt like we were the better team. It just goes to show you that anything can happen in our conference," said Boova. "Our conference tournament should be extremely exciting. With five nationally-ranked teams, the NESCAC is regarded as the best conference in all of Div. III."
Hopefully, the wins against Bates, Bowdoin and Conn. will give the Jeffs the momentum they need to repeat last week's performances and solidify their place at the top of the conference.
"We are riding high now," said Donelan. "The team is very confident now, and guys are playing well. I think we are peaking at the right time."
The Jeffs will travel to Williamstown for the final game of the regular season on Saturday. The NESCAC Tournament begins with the quarter-final round on Sunday. The time and place of that contest will be decided on Saturday.