Last weekend, the men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season to Wesleyan University. The third-ranked, previously undefeated squad put forth a valiant effort; nevertheless, despite the Homecoming crowd's support, the team was not able to produce a goal after the Cardinals stunned them in the 86th minute with the go-ahead tally. The game was physical and hard fought. The score was tight throughout, with each team swapping leads late in the game. Played in front of the largest crowd of the season thus far, the game was emotionally laden and the feeling of dejection could be felt by all at the field when the referee whistled the end of the match.

Both teams took the field brimming with energy. And, although the game remained scoreless until late in the second half, the Jeffs created numerous chances early on. In the 13th minute, the Jeffs set up senior Kevin Dolan with a shot on goal. The opportunity came after a pretty combination play, but was squashed with a fabulous save by Wesleyan keeper Jamie Hiteshew. Hiteshew played a major role in last Saturday's match, stopping difficult shots on goal for a stellar six-save performance. The Jeffs' chances were brought forth by the senior tri-captain Ryan O'Donnell, junior Nick Lynch and sophomore Rob Denious. Despite their attempts, the game remained scoreless at the end of the first half.

The scoring began seven minutes into the second half with a goal from senior tri-captain Taylor Downs. Dolan played a ball into space, initiating a foot race between Downs and Hiteshew. The muddy on-field conditions played to Downs' advantage, slowing the ball enough to leave Hiteshew stranded in a keeper's no-man's land. Downs took advantage of the opportunity and chipped the ball over Hiteshew's desperate hands. The ball slowly rolled into the back of the net in dramatic fashion, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The lead was short-lived, however, as Wesleyan capitalized with a header off of a long cross in the 66th minute. After the Wesleyan equalizer, the game became tense with neither team wanting to overexpose themselves or to allow the game to go to overtime. This precarious situation gave way in the 86th minute to a heartbreaking Wesleyan goal, when the Cardinals capitalized on a loose rebound in the box. The Jeffs fought back with ferocity. In the final minutes of the match, the Jeffs had a goal called back on an off side call and failed to drive home a loose ball in the box on a corner kick. The intense effort went for naught in the end, as the referee signaled the end of the match after a Wesleyan clearance.

"The team lacked effort at times and we beat ourselves," said Lynch succinctly. But, while the loss was certainly saddening, given the possibility of a perfect season, one can always find upsides. For undefeated teams, losses are humbling. And given the 1-0 win over against Rhode Island College (RIC) yesterday, it seems that the men learned something from the loss and have moved on with newfound energy.

The RIC game was a battle from the start, featuring few scoring opportunities for either side. Early in the game, the Anchormen managed to chip the ball over goalie Jeffrey Grover '09, only to be denied by the Amherst defense helping its keeper. The game took a dramatic turn in the 34th minute, when an RIC defenseman was given a red card, forcing the Anchormen to play a man down for the remainder of the game. Still, it took until the final 10 minutes of the game for Amherst to finally break through, as Downs found Ian Rothkopf '11 with a cross for the game-winner.

"Today's game was not the best game," acknowledged Lynch. "It was hard pitch and it was extremely windy. But the guys gutted it out and made the only play that matters." Added senior goalie Moe Zeidan, "It was good to see the team rebound after our loss. Now we just have to get ready for Williams on Saturday."