This weekend, for the first time in recent memory, the men's soccer team hosted the NESCAC Championship Tournament. After the first round of play, on Sunday, Oct. 28, the field had been whittled down to the top four seeded teams: Amherst, Middlebury, Williams and Bowdoin Colleges. The tournament is perennially competitive, given the NESCAC's premier status in the realm of Div. III soccer, and this year was no exception. Although the weather was brisk, the sun shone brightly on Gooding Field for both days of the competition. Games were well-attended by the Family Weekend crowd, and the enthusiasm for soccer was readily apparent.
To open the tournament, the Jeffs took on fourth-seeded Bowdoin College. Coming off of a first-round victory against Wesleyan University the previous Sunday, the Polar Bears were riding a postseason high. Having lost to Amherst by a definitive score of 3-0 in regular season play, Bowdoin was also very eager to turn the tide against the tournament's first seed. The Jeffs came into Saturday with fresh minds and bodies, having had a full week to get ready for the match. As a result, they were more prepared than ever to compete in the playoffs, having recently suffered a humbling loss and weathered its psychological implications.
Conservative play dominated early on, as both teams worked out their nerves and settled into the all-or-nothing tournament mindset. Soon enough, however, the cycle was broken, as Bowdoin's star senior Nick Figueiredo broke through in the 35th minute. The goal came off of a low-hit cross to the near post and was snuck cleanly past Amherst keeper Jeff Grover '09. Figueiredo's 10th goal of the year marked a Bowdoin milestone, as he broke their all-time point record of 88 points. The half ended with a 1-0 Bowdoin lead.
Amherst is no stranger to playing with a deficit, despite what its regular season record may imply. Several of the Jeffs' victories this season were come-from-behind wins. So it came as no surprise when they opened the second half with composure, confident in their ability to win despite the trailing score. Their poise was rewarded soon enough, when junior sharpshooter Nick Lynch drove a low shot into the corner. The goal was a result of senior Kevin Dolan's skillful dribbling skills, which enabled him to beat a defender and set up Lynch for an open shot.
In the remaining portion of the half, Amherst continued to pressure the Bowdoin's defense. Opportunities abounded, and not long after the equalizing goal, Jeff forward Ian Rothkopf '11 scored the go-ahead-and ultimately game-winning-goal. The striker was able to use his height to his advantage on a freekick from the corner, making contact with a ball that seemed to be sailing out of reach. With the victory, the men advanced to the championship match against a Middlebury team that had just come off a nail-biting penalty-kick win over Williams.
The final match of the tournament was played on the following day, leaving little time for rest. The game was highly anticipated, as it was a rematch of the NESCAC regular season's two top teams. Additionally, while Amherst won 3-1 in their first encounter, nobody doubted the Panthers' abilities. They boasted an identical regular season record and similarly outstanding defensive and offensive statistics. The match was a hard-fought and largely defensive battle. However, despite the Jeffs' efforts, they emerged empty-handed, as the Panthers stole the victory, 1-0.
As suggested above, both teams played solid defensive matches, with each team only producing one or two notable scoring opportunities in the first half. One such opportunity came for Amherst in the match's 16th minute. Saturday's heroes, Rothkopf and Lynch, were once again dangerous, as they connected on an opportunity that went just wide of the post. Middlebury produced a similar chance with just minutes left in the half. Although Amherst held the edge in shots 7-5, the match remained scoreless at half time for the second day in a row.
At the beginning of the second half, the Panthers looked to be the fresher of the two teams. Despite having played a double-overtime match the previous day, the Middlebury players appeared unaffected by fatigue, as their offense applied intense pressure. The Middlebury goal came in the 60th minute, as Casey Ftorek was able to put home his own rebound after it was stopped on the goal line by an Amherst defender.
Now trailing in the score, Amherst reworked its formation in an attempt to produce more offense. With more men pressuring in the box, the Jeffs created a number of opportunities, but the Middlebury keeper Brian Bush remained strong, which earned him the title of NESCAC Player of the Week. The equalizer remained elusive, and for the first time in the 2007 season, the Jeffs were held scoreless.
The men's season is not yet over. On Monday, the men were awarded an at-large bid to the Div. III NCAA Tournament. They have a first-round bye and await the winner of the match between Western New England College and Johnson & Wales University, which will be played at some point later this week. The Jeffs' first tournament match will be played this weekend. "It's going to be a great game," said Amherst junior defender Rory O'Connor. "[It's] an NCAA game at home on a Saturday night, [and a] chance to improve upon last season's disappointing end to the season. [We] couldn't ask for much more."