Unfortunately, Amherst's victory over MIT last Monday and a week of dynamic practices failed to give the men the momentum they would need to carry them through the weekend.
According to senior goalkeeper Greg Lockwood, the Jumbos came into the first half "on fire, showing true passion and effort that we didn't match until it was too late." Just six minutes into the first half, Tufts' Mattia Chason scored his first of two goals on a double-header served to him by senior tri-captain Todd Gilbert. "After that," reflected first-year defender Grayson Holland, "we were trying to play catch up and it affected our play."
Despite its disadvantage, the Amherst offense was able to pick up the pace and test Tufts goalkeeper Brian Dulmovits with a shot by senior Joe Gannon sailing just over the crossbar and a header by senior Adrien de Bontin barely missing the far post in the final minutes of the first half.
The Jeffs gained composure in the second half, dominating play, stringing together some impressive passing sequences and challenging Dulmovits, but still unable to erase the Jumbos' one-goal lead. With about 20 minutes remaining, Amherst modified its formation, leaving only three men in the back. Despite the defensive realignment, Chason was able to penetrate the Jeffs' defense once more and secure another goal off a feed from Jumbo Mike Guigli. The Jeffs did not surrender to defeat, playing valiantly through the end of the game, but ultimately walking away with a disappointing 2-0 loss that sent them downward to sixth place in the NESCAC rankings.
Amherst took the field against Salve Regina on Sunday as a completely different team. It was clear from the first minutes of play that Amherst was the superior competitor, lacing together sharp passing sequences and challenging Salve Regina goalkeeper Davin Sirpenski with 13 shots including seven shots on goal in the first half. Occasional breaks by the Seahawks off intercepted passes or mislaid balls were immediately won and sent back to the Jeff offense by the defensive line, which allowed Salve Regina only three shots in the first half.
The Jeffs did not let down as the game carried into the second half, keeping the Seahawks' defensemen on their toes by executing the majority of play in the Jeffs' offensive third and continually hounding Sirpenski. First- year midfielder Nick Lynch repeatedly surprised Salve defenders with his fancy footwork and powerful strikes, while junior forward Mike Wohl used his speed to beat defenders down the sideline and penetrate the box.
An outstanding performance by Sirpenski and Amherst's inability to capitalize on countless scoring opportunities forced both teams into overtime. The Jeffs seemed to secure the game in the final seconds of the first overtime when rookie forward Jake Duker lofted a long pass into the Seahawks box and Wohl outjumped Sirpenski to head the ball into the back of the net. The goal, however, was recalled due to a supposed foul by Wohl, and the teams moved into a second overtime session.
The final 10 minutes of this frustrating stalemate seemed to be played exclusively in Amherst's offensive third, with several close-call shots by the Jeffs sailing over the crossbar and hitting both posts. Luckily for Salve Regina, Sirpenski was on his game and earned his shutout with 14 total saves.
Amherst's rookie goalkeeper Jeff Grover also gave a solid performance in his first career shutout, which he humbly credited to an Amherst defense that "stifled any attack and made my day pretty easy."
The game concluded with a 0-0 tie that did not do justice to the exceptional performance given by the Jeffs. Holland shared this sentiment. "Although we tied, it felt like a loss a little just because we knew that we were better than Salve, but we just couldn't prove it on the scoreboard," he said.
Although Amherst's previously undefeated record was marred this weekend, the resilience and determination displayed in Sunday's performance is promising. "From my perspective, this team has the most talent of any team I've been a part of during my four years at Amherst," said senior defender Jeremy Kelley. "[We] are underachieving significantly; our record is not indicative of our ability." Amherst will seek to improve its record and demonstrate its true potential on the scoreboard in tonight's game at Springfield College.