Men's Soccer Invited to First-Ever NCAA Final Four
Men's Soccer Invited to First-Ever NCAA Final FourAfter a dramatic 4-2 victory in penalty kicks over NESCAC rival Middlebury in the first round, Amherst survived several snow delays in Brunswick, Maine to emerge with its first New England Championship, though the Jeffs had reached the regional final in each of its two other NCAA appearances. Junior forward Matt Diggs (Seattle, WA) posted a pair of goals off feeds from All-NESCAC Co-Captain Tim Christian (Agawam, MA) toward a 2-0 victory over host Bowdoin.
Facing a tough Plymouth State team for the regional title, the Jeffs faced a 1-0 deficit just 5:49 into the match, but a cross by Devin Talbott (Washington, DC) from the right corner of the field set up the equalizer by Co-Captain Mike Sullivan (Andover, MA) in the 13th minute. Sophomore Andy Kay (North Easton, MA) notched the go-ahead goal late in the first half off a Nate McDonald (Burnsville, MN) corner kick, but the Panthers fought back to a 2-2 tie before the break. With the game seemingly headed towards overtime, Kay scored the game-winner with just over five minutes left to play to declare Amherst New England Champions. Amherst had controlled the offense of the game, outshooting the Panthers 20-9 and earning 14 corner kicks compared to three by Plymouth State
Hosting the Northeast Region titlist Ithaca Bombers, the Jeffs fought through muddy conditions toward their 2-0 blanking of the 1996 Final Four team. An Ithaca handball set up a free kick by Ben Haley (Milford, CT) near midfield. Receiving the kick, Christian headed the ball to Diggs for his third tally of the tournament for a 1-0 lead. Rookie Stephen Squillario (Randolph, NJ) sealed the victory with a blast off a Mike Grant (Mendon, MA) feed from the right corner in the 46th minute. Amherst finished with a 9-2 edge in corner kicks.
The Jeffs face defending national champs The College of New Jersey in a semifinal matchup. The winner advances to the Championship game against the winner of host Mary Washington and top-ranked and undefeated Wheaton (IL).
No. Name G A P 11 Andy Kay '00 11 4 26 4 Tim Christian '98 8 3 19 7 Matt Diggs '99 7 5 19 9 Devin Talbott '98 5 4 14 18 Mike Sullivan '98 2 1 5 10 Gary Kegel '00 1 3 5 3 Nate McDonald '98 1 2 4 5 Brian Angelini '00E 1 2 4 15 Stephen Squillario '01 1 0 2 6 Jon George '98 0 2 2 12 Mike Grant '99 0 2 2 2 Ben Haley '99 0 1 1 Amherst Totals 37 29 103 Opponent Totals 24 19 67 Goalkeeping W L T Min Svs GA Sv% GAA ShO Kevin Larner '99 12 4 2 1703 103 23 .817 1.22 5 Stephen Tornabene '01 0 2 0 20 3 1 .750 4.50 0 Amherst Totals 12 4 2 1723 106 24 .815 1.25 5 Opponent Totals 4 12 2 1723 107 37 .743 1.93 2Current Record: 12-4-2
Last Week: NCAA New England Regional: No. 4 seed at No. 1 Bowdoin, W 2-0 No. 2 Plymouth State, W 3-2 New England Region Champs! NCAA Quarterfinal: Northeast Region Champs Ithaca, W 2-0 This Week: NCAA Final Four at Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia Fri Nov 28 The College of New Jersey, 10:00am Sat Nov 29 Championship Game, 1:00pm
Moved to Connecticut College because of excessive snow blanketing Hitchcock Field, the Jeffs dominated the offense in the first half as they pounded five shots and six corner kicks at the net. However, Mid-Atlantic Champ Elizabethtown roared out in the second half, leveling seven shots within the penalty area, including the game-winning lob just under the crossbar in the 73rd minute. Keeper Sarah Fabian (Dover, MA) made six saves in her final match, as the members of the Class of '98 conclude their collegiate soccer careers. Tri-Captains Fabian, Ellie Hickerson (Davenport, IA) and Erika Johnson (Newton, MA) lead a pack of seven seniors, including Laura Kochansky (Newton, MA), Beth Leonard (Longmeadow, MA) Shaunette Richards (Mays Landing, NJ) and Kerry Weeks (Longmeadow, MA), who have compiled a 51-9-6 record over four years, set and matched the school record for most wins in a season, and brought home four of ten Little III titles in the 20-year history of the varsity program.
In the team's fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Amherst women's soccer concluded its season in the National Quarterfinals with a 14-3 record and tying a record for most wins in a season. The Jeffs posted a 2-1 record in the post-season for the second-straight year as they advanced out of their region as Metro Champions.
Women's Soccer Concludes Season in Elite Eight
No. Name G A P
15 Kathryn Hersey '99 10 4 24
8/1 Katie Connelly '00 7 4 18
14 Ellie Hickerson '98 1 8 10
9 Shaunette Richards '98 4 1 9
4 Genny Furst '00 4 1 9
18 Erika Johnson '98 2 1 5
19 Kerry Weeks '98 1 3 5
11 Alexa Faigen '01 2 0 4
27 Laura Kochansky '98 2 0 4
24 Beth Leonard '98 1 2 4
3 Meg Riley '01 2 1 5
6 Lesley Greene '00 0 1 1
12 Janinne Noel '99 0 1 1
10 Jen Havlik '00 0 1 1
22 Lauren Eichler '01 0 1 1
Opponent Own Goals 1 0 2
Amherst Totals 37 29 103
Opponent Totals 12 9 33
Goalkeeping W L T Min Svs GA Sv% GAA ShO
Sarah Fabian '98 14 3 0 1587 118 11 .915 0.62 6
Katie Connelly '00 0 0 0 23 3 1 .750 3.91 0
Amherst Totals 14 3 0 1610 121 12 .910 0.67 6
Opponent Totals 3 14 0 1610 169 37 .820 2.07 3
Final Record: 14-3
Last Week: NCAA Quarterfinals v. Elizabethtown, L 0-1
In their fifth straight appearance in the ECAC Tournament, fourth-seeded Amherst advanced to the semifinals before falling to top-seeded and eventual champ Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Kristen Edgar (Colorado Springs, CO) had 11 kills against Gordon as the Firedogs avenged an earlier four-game loss to the Fighting Scots in the Hall of Fame Tournament. The junior followed up the next day with 27 digs against the Pioneers while Erin Greenspun (Santa Monica, CA) tallied 14 kills and 26 digs in the four-game loss.
Women's Volleyball Finishes in ECAC Semifinals
Final Record: 25-13
Last Week: ECAC Tournament, No. 4 seed
No. 5 Gordon, W 3-1
at No. 1 Smith, L 1-3