Unfortunately, Lockwood's statement accurately summarizes the performance given by the men's soccer team this week. Coming off of victories over Trinity College and Roger Williams University, the Amherst men approached this week's set of competitions seeking to maintain their winning streak and to defend their undefeated record.
When the Lord Jeffs met their Bates College competitors on Saturday, they held the advantage of an undefeated conference record while the Bobcats were struggling to redeem themselves from a loss to Bowdoin College the previous week. Amherst took the lead at the 20-minute mark when senior Joe Gannon rebounded a shot taken by first-year forward Nick Lynch, driving the ball into the lower-left corner past Bates goalkeeper Aaron Schleicher for the lead. Despite five corner kicks in the Jeffs' favor, the score remained at 1-0 throughout the first half.
In the 66th minute, however, Bobcat Duane Pelz received a pass from teammate Brent Morin and was able to chip the ball beyond Lockwood's reach, lofting it into the goal just below the crossbar to even the score at 1-1, where it would remain for the rest of the game and through overtime.
While both teams managed to execute 12 total shots, each netting one, Amherst players expressed their belief that the tie was not due to an evenly matched competition, but to the fact that Amherst failed to play to its potential.
While the Jeffs came out flat and uncharacteristically slow, Bates played a fast, aggressive game. Furthermore, both teams struggled to possess the ball for an extended period of time, and both had favorable scoring opportunities although neither was able to capitalize.
Defenders Christian Alexander '06 and Jeremy Kelley '06 and goalkeeper Lockwood were all credited by their teammates with sound performances. Alexander was willing to admit that he felt team members were "disappointed with our play," but also wisely reflected that they were "glad that we made it out with a tie and not a loss."
Hoping to redeem themselves against MIT, the Amherst men took the field on Monday with immediate force. Within 10 minutes, the Jeffs slotted two goals. Sophomore Taylor Downs headed the first goal in off a free kick from senior co-captain Ben Lavely in the sixth minute. The second tally came on a conversion by Lynch off a cross from first-year Grayson Holland for the early 2-0 lead. The Jeffs continued to dominate play, commanding the majority of the game in their offensive half while MIT struggled to catch up with a game of short, quick passes. Despite Amherst's clear control of play, Engineer Dylan Wright was able to intercept a short Amherst clear, which he then fed on a long cross to Walter Song, who split the Jeff defenders and found the inner far post at the 38:15 mark to bring the game to a one-goal Amherst lead at 2-1.
While the MIT men worked well together, it was clear from the initial minutes of play that Amherst was the higher caliber team. The Jeffs, however, seemed to lose their original composure and command as the game progressed, missing 14 shots in the first half and 12 shots in the second. MIT's goalkeeper concluded the game with nine saves on a total of 28 shots, while Amherst's consistently reliable defense forced Lockwood to make just one save out of five shots to come up with the win.
The most notable performance of Monday's game was clearly given by Alexander who, according to sophomore Ryan O'Donnell, "was again our best player on the field, changing from right back to center mid[fielder] and still dominating the game for us both offensively and defensively. He's been our most important player on the field playing almost every minute at full speed with a ton of heart and intensity."
One cannot help but notice that the Jeffs have also been afforded three penalty kicks in just four games this season, none of which have they been able to convert. In order for the Jeffs to continue their reign as an undefeated team and to advance as a contender for the NESCAC title, they are aware that they must fix this problem immediately. Penalty kicks are not only invaluable scoring opportunities but are also crucial in tournament settings and in post season competition.
Yet, it is important to remember that emerging from two difficult games with an undefeated record is a promising sign and something to be proud of and build on. The Jeffs will look to use the momentum they gained this week as they put their perfect record on the line again. Amherst (3-0-1, 1-0-1 NESCAC) will face conference competitor Tufts University on Saturday at 1:30 on Kraft Field in Medford, Mass. The Jumbos currently own a 1-2-0 (1-1-0 NESCAC) record.