It’s fair to say that the 2011 baseball season did not go the way any of us expected.
Galvanized by a spirited home crowd, the women’s soccer team delighted fans with a decisive 3-0 win over Wesleyan at Homecoming this weekend. With the victory, the nationally eighth-ranked Jeffs (13-0-0, 9-0-0 NESCAC) clinched the top seed in the NESCAC tournament, thereby securing home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
The Jeffs overwhelmed Wesleyan with precise ball movement, dynamic attacking combinations and relentless pressure on defense, giving the Cardinals (8-5-0, 4-5-0 NESCAC) very little time to settle on the ball.
The football team passed the halfway point of their season on Friday by extending their winning streak to a season-long 5-0 in a triumph over Wesleyan. While Amherst has traditionally dominated the matchup between these two squads, this year’s Wesleyan team possessed a potent offense featuring star freshman running back LeDarius Drew. Drew and the rest of the Cardinal squad came ready to spoil the day for the Jeffs but fell short due to an efficient offensive performance and stifling defensive effort from the home team.
It must have seemed like 2,000 on 11 for the Wesleyan Cardinal soccer team this past Saturday.
Hundreds of rowdy Amherst fans patrolled the sideline, cheering on their beloved Jeffs and jeering their opponents, with Wesleyan goalie Adam Purdy setting the brunt of the howling.
Purdy and the Wesleyan defense, however, were able to keep the Jeffs scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of extra time, earning a 0-0 draw that won the Cardinals the Little Three regular season championship and probably the NESCAC too.
The concept of a ‘trade’ in sports has always struck me as one of the most interesting parts of the industry, a phenomenon with no direct comparison in the real world.
The Firedogs finished the Hall of Fame Invitational 2-1, defeating MIT and Brandeis before being blanked by Wellesley, leaving their record at 17-6 (4-4 NESCAC). Kristin Keeno ’13 was named to the All-Tournament Team, after her dominant role on the Amherst defense, talling 63 digs in the first match.
The Jeffs defeated the Cardinals 2-0 in Saturday’s Homecoming NESCAC matchup.
Before the game, the team honored the six senior players who will graduate from the team at the end of this season: Chrissy Cantore, Stephanie Clegg, Carly Dudzik, Rachel Lupien, Sarah McCarrick and Casey Silver.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Jeffs went to work on their 10th win, which would secure hosting rights for their NESCAC quarterfinal game next weekend.
