Unfortunately, a seemingly perfect first game became an all-too-quick dose of reality. The Jeffs dropped the game 13-6 in a surprisingly lopsided loss, showing that the Jeffs will have to simply work harder than the team across the field. "It is critical that we realize that many of the problems we faced on Saturday are ones we can easily fix in practice if everyone re-commits themselves," said senior co-captain Sean Murray. "Talent was not the issue; the fact that we had eight new starters, many of them playing their first collegiate game, was."
However, there were some bright spots in this first contest, like first-year attacker Brett Miller and classmate goalie Matt Pietroforte. Pietroforte racked up 15 saves against the unrelenting Bobcat attack. On the offensive end, Miller played with an unusual level of comfort in his first collegiate game and scored twice.
The Jeffs played a tough first half, as Miller's goals gave them a 4-3 lead, which Bates quickly erased, and the teams were tied at the intermission. In the second half, Bates exposed Amherst's weaknesses, scoring at the 5:14 mark, then adding seven more tallies, cruising to a 13-6 win. Bobcat goaltender Pal Kazarien quickly stopped any thoughts of comeback, collecting nine of his 20 stops in the final period.
Besides Miller's two scores, Amherst got its points from midfielders Murray, classmate Caleb Deats and Rob Madden '07. Attacker Chris Hofmann '07 added a goal and an assist, the only Jeff helper of the day.
The Jeffs had trouble gaining possession and taking advantage of the possessions they got, as the Bobcats won more face-offs (12-9) and scooped up more groundballs (36-35). They could not get the ball up the field to their strong attackers, and the attack could not get good shots. "The responsibility for a lot of the drought rests on the midfield and attack. The scoring drought was led by the offense's inability to control the ball," Murray said. "That starts with the midfielders. If we are not able to get the ball to the attack, then our defense will be forced to deal with unrelenting pressure."
The Jeffs are prepared to rebound in their next game. "I think my teammates and I will never forget the feeling after the game as their fans rushed the field," said Miller. "We will definitely use that memory to work harder and crush the rest of the competition that lies ahead of us." Amherst returns to action against Eastern Connecticut State University on March 21 in Orlando, Fla.
NESCAC Notes
Bates started its season beating non-conference opponent Endicott College 14-10. Perennial powerhouse Middlebury College won its season opener on Saturday, manhandling conference foe Colby College 14-4. Wesleyan University also won, taking down Endicott College 17-7. Bowdoin College topped Williams College 12-8 in their season and conference openers, respectively and Trinity College started the season on a winning note, edging Drew University 12-9 in a non-conference game.