Wesleyan scored the first goal of the game with 11:22 to play on an unassisted goal past quad-captain Matt Pietroforte ’09. However, the Jeffs struck back with a vengeance, going on a three-goal run. Midfielder J.T. Milone ’10 had two back-to-back goals within five minutes of each other. The first came with 9:26 to play off an assist from Evan Redwood ’12 in even play, then with 4:19 to play, Milone struck again on a man-up opportunity with an assist from Alex Fox ’12. Junior Tom McDonnell extended the lead to 3-1 off an assist from senior Brett Miller to end the period.
The Cardinals battled back, scoring twice early in the second. The goals would be the only ones of the frame, leading to a 3-3 tie at the half. The two teams traded goals throughout the third quarter. Wesleyan regained its early lead with a goal at the 11:52 mark, but just a minute and a half later, McDonnell scored in a second Jeffs man-up opportunity with an assist from Luke Arnold ’11. McDonnell would carry the Jeffs through the third, trading goals with Wesleyan’s John Froats. However, with the game deadlocked at five, Wesleyan’s Jon Killeen scored what would eventually become the game winner with 1:52 to play in the third frame.
While the fourth quarter remained scoreless, there was plenty of hard play. With just 51 seconds left, a Wesleyan penalty gave the Jeffs a golden opportunity to equalize in man-up play. However, Borrero made a trio of huge saves to hold on to the Cardinal victory, including a point-blank save from the deadly Milone with just 17 seconds to play.
Despite the loss, Amherst had a great game offensively and defensively, which should boost their confidence for the remainder of the season. The Jeffs outshot the Cardinals 34-20, won the ground ball battle 36-31, and went 2-4 on man-up opportunities. Winning 11 of 15 face-offs saved the Cardinals, along with 12 saves from senior Mike Borrero. Quad-captain Chris Fitzpatrick ’09 and Nick Gilligan ’09 headlined the Jeffs’ defense, which held the Cardinals well below their 10.58 goals-per-game average. Fitzpatrick scooped up a team-high five ground balls, while Gilligan drew a pair of penalties.
The team still clings to eighth place and the final NESCAC playoff spot. With two NESCAC games remaining, both against higher-ranked opponents, the Jeffs have a battle ahead of them. Especially key is their next NESCAC match against Colby College, who is just one spot ahead of Amherst. “A win against Colby would really put us in a much more secure position,” said Fitzpatrick.