The men’s soccer team sure knows how to please a crowd. The team put on quite a show over Family Weekend, notching a crucial 2-1 win over archrival Williams College. The win moved the Jeffs up two spots in NESCAC rankings, into third place, giving them a shot at a home game in the playoffs with just one NESCAC match, against second-ranked Trinity College, remaining in the season.
Not only was Saturday Family Weekend, but it was also Senior Day for the Jeffs. Prior to the game, Amherst recognized its eight seniors for their contributions to the team over the past four years. In the last 25 years, the Jeffs had defeated the Ephs just three times, and the seniors had already done it once with a 1-0 win last season. According to Head Coach Justin Serpone, the victories over Williams—one in Williamstown, Mass. last season and one at home on Saturday—were the perfect way to honor the seniors.
“Saturday was a fantastic way to celebrate Senior Day for our program,” said Serpone. “This senior class has so much to be proud of. To beat Williams in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 25 years is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. I am so proud of them and happy to have shared it with them.”
Fueled by the dual boosts of Family Weekend and Senior Day, the Jeffs looked dangerous early, forcing play into Williams’ territory early and often. Senior captain Jake Duker had the best opportunity for the men early, but the forward just missed the goal high over the crossbar.
Despite the Jeffs’ dominant play, Williams earned the first goal of the game, and in the most unlikely of ways. Ephs junior forward Pierre Meloty-Kapella took a hard shot that Amherst midfielder Matt Lewis ’10 tried to block. Instead, he sent it into his own goal, allowing Williams to draw first blood.
The tables turned, though, when Williams gave Amherst the tie with another own-goal. Senior midfielder Nick Lynch sent a hard cross to the frame of the goal that Williams goalkeeper Andrew Graham ’10 tried to punch away to safety. Graham’s punch, however, sent the ball off an Eph defender and back into the goal.
The Williams own-goal revitalized the Jeffs’ offensive line, and Amherst came out with a vengeance in the second half. First-year forward Jae Heo had heard about the intensity of an Amherst-Williams meeting, but nothing could have prepared him for the huge crowd that greeted the Jeffs.
“The first Williams game was definitely a nervous one,” Heo said. “It was difficult for me to realize how big of a deal it was to play Williams until I got down to the field and saw so many people who were there to support us. It was the biggest crowd that I had ever experienced. I felt pressured by the importance of the game and the notion that we had to beat Williams, but the leadership from the upperclassmen helped a lot for me to find composure for the rest of the game.”
The composure paid off, as Heo stepped up and introduced himself to the Amherst-Williams rivalry by scoring the game-winner. Senior captain defender Rory O’Connor set up the play with a long free kick from inside Amherst’s half. Heo shook off his defender and blasted a right-footed strike past Graham, scoring just 12 minutes into the second half.
The Ephs tried to retaliate, pushing deep into Amherst territory, much like the Jeffs had done to them at the start. Amherst’s defensive line had a few close calls but held strong. The Jeffs then ran out the clock, sending the ball into the corners of the Ephs’ side of the field.
The win, plus a loss by Bowdoin, sent the Jeffs up to the third seed in the league. The top four seeds of the NESCAC earn home games in the first round of the playoffs. The Jeffs now have a chance to guarantee themselves the opportunity to host a game, but one tough NESCAC game stands in their way.
“As long as we support each other and put the team’s goals first in the coming weeks, I feel confident that our best soccer is ahead of us,” Serpone said. “This is the point in the season that everyone looks forward to, and it’s nice to be able to control your own destiny. If we work hard and try our best, good things will happen.”
The men’s strong play on Saturday didn’t carry into its non-league game against Rhode Island College. RIC shook up the men Tuesday night, but the Jeffs were able to hang on to tie 1-1. Offense was slow in the first half, with both teams only taking one shot on net. In the second half, Duker broke the tie with a header off a cross by Lynch in just the fourth minute of play. However RIC equalized on a score off a corner kick with only 7:13 left in regulation. The Anchormen pressured the Jeffs, who managed to make it to overtime, but RIC definitely controlled the momentum.
Regardless, the Jeffs almost had the win in the first minute. A header by forward Ian Rothkopf ’11 from a corner kick by Lynch looked like the game winner but flew over the net. A chance came again in the 105th minute of play, when senior defender Rory O’Connor stole the ball on a throw-in and sent it to Duker, who made a diving header that went off the left post. RIC again scared the Jeffs with a last minute opportunity to win. Forward Bruno Costa ’12 beat his defender and was on a breakaway one-on-one with goalkeeper Lennard Kovacs ’12, who saved the game by knocking the ball away for his defense to clear as time expired. The Jeffs will need better play to get the win against Trinity on Friday.