If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Amherst men’s soccer looks to continue last year’s winning season into the next with its eye on the program’s first NESCAC title and a third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. While graduating valuable players, including Taylor Downs ‘08 and John Kneeland ‘08, both All-NESCAC and NSCAA/Adidas All-New England First Team honorees, the Jeffs still have good odds of success due in part to the depth of this year’s squad.
“Chris Skayne ’11, Grayson Holland ’09 and Rory O’Connor ’09 are the bedrock of our defense, and it’s great to have so much experience to start the season,” explained senior goalie Jeff Grover. “Nick Lynch [’09] provides a spark on offense, and Joe Addison [’09] has some of the best service and deadly free kicks. Returning after a season-ending injury, Matt Lewis [’10] has the ability to set up countless scoring opportunities, and there’s no questioning [senior] Jake Duker’s importance to this team. He’s got a nose for the goal and a keen soccer intelligence that, I think, a lot of forwards lack.”
Head Coach Justin Serpone also does a phenomenal job in his first recruiting class as head coach, bringing in a pair of first-year players looking to challenge for a starting spot at every position. The team also welcomes junior transfer Greg Genco from Connecticut College, who was the sole sophomore on the 2007 All-NESCAC Second Team.
More important than the player talent, though, is the mindset and intensity of the team. “Last season’s success was due to the efforts of every player on the team,” said Duker. “The intensity that everyone brought to practice was the catalyst for our success.”
However, the team faces trials from the very start of the season. In their first match, the Jeffs face the Drew University Rangers on the Rangers’ home field, where they were 10-0 in 2007. The real date, though, that is probably circled in red on every player’s calendar, is September 13, when the Jeffs face their rival, the current NESCAC and NCAA champion Middlebury Panthers in the conference opener at Middlebury College.
Despite its goals, winning isn’t the only thing on this team’s mind. Last year, the men’s soccer team worked with charitable organization Friends of Jaclyn, which improves the quality of life of pediatric brain tumor patients by partnering them with collegiate athletic teams. The Jeffs met nine-year-old Michael Lanosa last fall, and a lasting bond was born. Their relationship with Lanosa has completely changed the perspective the men have on the season.
“Before I met Michael, my success as a player was black and white—what mattered were the wins, losses, goals and assists,” Lewis said. “Michael taught me about gray. He reminded me of the benefits of perseverance and of maintaining a positive outlook.”
Their success with Lanosa has also inspired Amherst’s football, field hockey and men’s lacrosse teams to become involved with Friends of Jaclyn. So look for Lanosa on the sidelines cheering on the Jeffs as they pursue another successful season.