BABSON PARK, Mass. – Sophomore Fynn Hayton-Ruffner and Junior Ada Okorogheye both scored their third goals of the season to help the Amherst College men's soccer team beat non-conference opponents, the #14 Babson College Beavers, 3-1, on Tuesday at 4 p.m. on the Hartwell-Rogers Field in Babson Park, MA. 

"Babson is really, really good and it took a total team defensive effort to get a result today. I'm proud of the way we responded to the loss last weekend," said Amherst Head Coach Justin Serpone. "Niall Murphy was really important for us today, playing a couple different positions and bringing his usual terrific workrate. We've had quite a stretch to open the season with four NCAA Tournament opponents in our first six games. It certainly doesn't get any easier with Bates and Colby this coming weekend."

Today's match was the first of five away games in a row for the Mammoths. They will next take on the Bates College Bobcats in NESCAC action on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Lewiston, Maine.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Amherst opened the scoring after just seven-and-a-half minutes. Hayton-Ruffner initially slid a forwards pass along the left side through to Okorogheye, who dodged past several Babson defenders with fast, agile feet. Okorogheye powered the initial shot of the move and forced the goalkeeper to parry the ball back out into the penalty box. *

*After multiple blocked efforts, Junior Jonny Novak calmly drove the ball diagonally across to Hayton-Ruffner who finished the move into an open goal.
In Amherst's second goal two minutes after, a long ball from the Mammoths' own half reached Hayton-Ruffner, who had space to the right of goal in front of the Beavers' back line. Hayton-Ruffner passed the ball across goal to set up his teammate Okorogheye, but Babson defender Lyndon Way - running back towards goal - intercepted the pass and lost control of the ball into his own net; he scored an own goal for the Beavers and gifted Amherst a 2-0 lead.

* After being involved in the first two, Okorogheye scored one for himself in the 73rd minute. Amherst's Senior goalkeeper Bernie White took a long goal kick straight to Okorogheye, who sprinted past Babson defenders. The Amherst Junior had too much pace for the Babson defenders, and he finished his brilliant individual run by sending the ball low and through the rushing goalkeeper's legs into the middle of the goal.

* Babson's only goal of the game came from a penalty which they won when the referee deemed Novak to have pushed a Babson forward in the back inside the penalty box. Babson's Shamar Rainford placed the ball into the bottom corner - sending Amherst goalkeeper White the wrong way - to score his second goal of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst now has a 4-1-1 overall record (0-1-1 in NESCAC) for the season. 

* Up next:
 Amherst forced the Babson goalkeeper to make 7 saves; Amherst goalkeeper, Bernie White, made 3 saves.