With school back in session, the women’s basketball team got right back on track after suffering its first loss of the season to Tufts, who is currently ranked first in NESCAC standings, over interterm. The Jeffs dug their heels in and bounced back with three NESCAC wins over Bates, Trinity and, most notably, Williams this past Wednesday. The win in Williamstown marks the second for Amherst over their archrival this season and improves Amherst’s record to 16-1 overall.
Amherst men’s and women’s swim and dive both traveled to Williams on Jan. 10. Unfortunately, neither team could pull out a win. The losses drop the men to 4-1 and the women to 3-2 on their seasons.
The men suffered a hard 156-78 loss against their archrivals. Amherst’s lone diver Asher Lichtig ’16 won the 1-meter with a score of 312.67 and earned second place in the 3-meter with a 285.00. Senior captain Connor Sholtis finished first and second for the Jeffs in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyles respectively.
This year’s NFL Conference Championship weekend was more exciting than most, with a thrilling comeback by the Seahawks and an emphatic blowout by the Patriots. Unfortunately, this weekend will also be remembered by yet another controversy. During the Colts-Patriots game, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson intercepted Tom Brady and handed the ball to his equipment manager. Soon afterwards, officials noticed that the Patriots’ footballs did not seem to be properly inflated and opted to use the Colts’ footballs for the rest of the game.
The men’s ice hockey team has started 2015 on a hot streak, losing one game in the new year. Following two ties after winter break, the Jeffs rattled off three victories in a row before falling to Connecticut College 6-4, but since then they have won their past two games and maintained their momentum.
After clinching five consecutive Final Four berths from 2009-13 and winning the 2009 national championship, Amherst has added a unique accolade to their resume. With their Nov. 23 defeat of Baruch, the purple and white made history as the second team in NCAA basketball history, including both men’s and women’s programs, to win 100-straight home games. The Jeffs also passed the NCAA women’s record for most consecutive home games won, previously held by UConn.
For the second time in the last three seasons and the third time over the past five seasons, the men’s soccer team saw its season come to an end in the NCAA tournament on penalty kicks. This year, the Jeffs were unable to finish off the fifth-ranked Brandeis Judges in the NCAA third round following a 0-0 draw through two overtime periods. This came after the Jeffs’ fifth straight appearance in the Sweet 16 and Amherst’s ninth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. The Jeffs finished the 2014 season with a 14-1-6 overall record.
The men’s ice hockey team was quite busy over the Thanksgiving break as it played five games and took home victories in four out of the five. Following a loss at Trinity, the Jeffs’ offense hit its stride and scored at least five goals in the next three games, all Amherst wins, and then defeated Nazareth this past Sunday at home in a 1-0 defensive showdown.
