This weekend, the men's soccer team added two more wins to their already impressive record. Now 11-0, the Jeffs stand just three victories away from an undefeated season, and an almost-certain NCAA post-season bid. On both Saturday, against Colby College, and Sunday, against Salve Regina University, the Jeffs exhibited their trademark dominance, outscoring their opponents 9-1 on the weekend. Amherst's record now speaks for itself, striking fear into their opponents long before they even take the field.
The Jeffs' doubleheader weekend began on Saturday with a match at Colby in Waterville, Me. The distance travelled evidently took nothing out of the team, as they sailed by easily with a 6-1 drudging of the Mules, dominating the game from start to finish. With the obvious edge, younger players were subbed in and provided the opportunity to gain valuable in-conference experience.
Speaking to Amherst's depth as a team, the scoring came from six different players: one each for senior tri-captains Taylor Downs and John Kneeland, juniors Jake Duker and Nick Lynch, and first-year forwards Ryan Conti and Ian Rothkopf. Assists were similarly drawn from a number of players. Of note is first-year midfielder Thebe Tsatsimpe's assist, marking the first point of his collegiate career. "Colby is a good team," said Downs. "Better than the score indicated. We worked hard, played our game and were lucky enough to finish some chances. The team is playing well right now, but we haven't accomplished anything yet."
The Jeffs continued their winning streak at Gooding Field on Sunday against Salve Regina. Predictably, the Jeffs dominated this game as well, going into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead. The scoring began very early in the match, with Amherst knocking home the first goal a mere five minutes after the opening whistle. With some skillful passing between senior midfielders Kevin Dolan and Kneeland, the offense was able to set up sophomore Rob Denious with an easy header. He finished nicely, putting the ball past the keeper to the right. Ten minutes later, the Jeffs increased their lead to 2-0 when Lynch played a short corner to Kneeland. With plenty of time to pick out a target, Kneeland played a ball into the box for junior defender Grayson Holland to finish with his head.
It seemed like the two teams would go into the half with this score when, unexpectedly, a loose ball in the box was seized upon by senior midfielder Jon Pryor who put the ball home. The 3-0 lead punctuated an exceptional first half for the Jeffs who outshot their opponents 14-0. The comfortable lead, as in the Colby game, allowed Amherst to sub in younger, less-experienced players in the second half. The team kept Salve Regina shotless on the game.
On the heels of these two wins, the Jeffs prepare this week for their Homecoming showcase against Wesleyan University on Saturday. Like all of their matches, the Jeffs look to prepare for their game this weekend with focus and determination in training and in their off-field mentality.