“This team has so much to be proud of, as everyone gave their all this season, but for me personally, I am most proud of how selfless everyone was,” said quad-captain midfielder Natalie Ferraiolo ’09. “Everything we did or didn’t achieve was done as a team, and I think a lot of our success can be attributed to that. There was definitely a high level of maturity along with a unique bond among team members that takes a special group to achieve.”
Amherst entered its Sweet 16 match with confidence after winning its opening two games of the tourney 4-0 and 3-0. But Otterbein would prove to be a tougher opponent than Farmingdale State or Springfield. Luckily for the Jeffs, Ferriaolo managed to connect with sophomore midfielder Kyla Woodhouse, who found herself one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper and managed to slot the ball into the back of the net with just over 27 minutes remaining in the first half. The rest of the game was scoreless, with each team getting a fair number of shots but few real scoring opportunities. Woodhouse’s goal was enough to advance the Jeffs to the quarterfinal match the next day.
With poor field conditions, Amherst and William Smith did their best to play possession soccer, but neither team had a great deal of success. Still, both the Lord Jeffs and the Herons managed to scrape together some excellent scoring chances. However, as the whistle blew to indicate the end of regulation, the game was still scoreless, sending the two teams into overtime. Amherst dominated the first period of extra time, hitting the crossbar and shutting down the William Smith defense. But the Jeffs couldn’t get the much needed point. William Smith needed just three minutes of the second overtime frame to score the winning goal, ending Amherst’s 2008 campaign.
Though the last minutes of their season were disappointing, the team has much to be proud of. “This is the most talented team I’ve ever played with. There was never a practice where everyone wasn’t putting forth 100 percent. I cannot give my team enough credit for everything we achieved this year — we worked hard and fought for all of our successes,” said quad-captain Kate Moriarty ’09.
Moriarty is just one of the seniors the Jeffs will miss next year. She, along with Mary Marvel ’09 and quad-captain Kate Bentley ’09, comprised three fourths of the impressive defensive line, while quad-captains Alanna Darling ’09 and Natalie Ferraiolo ’09 controlled the game from the midfield and Stephanie Yesnik ’09 and Julia Cummings ’09 provided solid offensive play. Darling and Moriarty were both named to the All-NESCAC Second Team while Darling also made it onto the Academic All-America Second Team.
“My senior season has far exceeded my expectations,” said Moriarty. “While we didn’t go as far as we had hoped in the NCAAs, our team became very close. We learned a lot about each other and a lot about being a team. I can honestly say these girls are my family, including [Head Coach Jen Hughes and Assistant Coach Kelly Kuss], and my teammates are the best I could ask for.”
Despite the losses, the Jeffs will return some outstanding players in 2009, including newly crowned NESCAC Player of the Year Meg Murphy ’10, who led Amherst with 13 goals this season. Also returning are fellow NESCAC First Team honoree Woodhouse, who added eight goals and six assists, and rookie goalkeeper Allie Horwitz, who earned a spot on the Second Team.
“Despite barely missing the Final Four, I don’t think I could have asked for a better team and final season to my career. It was an amazing experience, and I hope we’ve set a precedent for the coming years for Amherst soccer,” said Ferraiolo.