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MSOC CC 11224
Kris Dufour
1
Connecticut Col. CONNECTI (8-2-6)
1
Amherst AMHERST (11-2-3)
Connecticut Col. CONNECTI
(8-2-6)
1
Final
1
Amherst AMHERST
(11-2-3)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Connecticut Col. CONNECTI 1 0 0 0 1
Amherst AMHERST 0 1 0 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

#8 Amherst suffer heartbreak NESCAC Tournament exit to Conn in penalties

AMHERST, MA — On Hitchcock Field on Saturday afternoon, the #8 Amherst College men's soccer team battled the Connecticut College Camels in front of a large attendance of fans in the NESCAC Tournament Quarterfinal. After 90 minutes and an additional 20 minutes of overtime, the score remained 1-1. The Camels then prevailed with a penalty shootout win with a score of 4-2.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
  • Amherst started the game strong, unleashing several shots on goal within the opening ten minutes. Yet as the first half wore on, the momentum began to swing, with Conn gaining the upper hand and eventually breaking the deadlock in the 31st minute. The Camels tested Amherst's defenses with a trio of shots on goal in a short span, before Matt Quiros-Newton finally found a way past first-year goalkeeper Trey Sheppard, who had held steady until then. Despite Amherst's best efforts to pull even, they went into halftime trailing 1-0.
  • The second half opened with less intensity, but Amherst soon took control, pressing hard against Conn's defense midway through. A relentless sequence of five successive attacks kept the Camels on the back foot, making an equalizer feel almost certain. With just 19 minutes left, first-year Jacob Dinzeo pounced on a loose ball along the left wing, sprinted toward the byline, and sent a sharp cross into the box. Although no Amherst players connected with Dinzeo's initial cross, sophomore Mohammed Nuhu picked it up on the right side and lofted a precise cross to the far post. First-year Michael Cherico soared above two defenders, delivering a powerful header into the net to level the score at 1-1. Cherico celebrated the goal with a knee slide, surrounded by teammates as the crowd erupted.
  • The closing minutes of regular time were tightly contested, with Amherst nearly finding a last-second winner through Nuhu. Both overtime periods remained fiercely competitive but offered few scoring chances, highlighted only by Sheppard's impressive full-stretch save to deny Connecticut a late opportunity. With the match still tied, the game moved to penalties.
  • Both teams scored in the first round of penalties, but Amherst senior Max Landa made an outstanding diving save on Conn's second attempt. Conn responded, securing two solid penalties while managing to block senior Jonny Novak's shot. In the decisive moment, Conn's goalkeeper Peter Silvester saved senior Ben Clark-Eden's kick with a dive to his left, and Gavin Mpiana stepped up to convert his penalty, sealing a dramatic victory for the Camels..
BY THE NUMBERS: 
  • Amherst had 16 shots (11 on goal); Conn had 14 (7 on goal).
  • Amherst collected 5 yellow cards, Conn were given 1.
UP NEXT:
  • Amherst now hold a 11-2-3 overall record (7-2-2 versus NESCAC opposition).
  • Up next: Today's result wraps up Amherst's NESCAC campaign, but their post-season does not end here. The Mammoths will eagerly await the draw for the NCAA DIII Men's Soccer Championship. The tournament begins with its first and second-round matches on the weekend of November 16-17. Amherst are looking to go one further than their Runner Up finish last year.
QUOTES - Amherst Head Coach, Justin Serpone:
  • That was a great game today. I had a feeling this morning that we were going to end up in penalties. Two good teams battling for 110 minutes. It is tough considering Conn has won 78 penalty kick shootouts in a row. 
  • Our second half showed a ton of resilience. To get that goal back and then Mo had a great shot with thirty seconds left. We didn't have our best today but I thought we showed a lot of fight. 
  • I want to shout out Joe Raymond and Aidan Curtis from today's game. Both gave us awesome minutes off the bench which was super important. 
  • We're going to make the best of the two weeks we have off. We're pretty beat up right now and can definitely use the rest. Now comes the fun part. 
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