Around the Herd: Feb. 25 to March 3 in Athletics

Women’s Basketball

After besting Connecticut College last weekend, the women’s basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament. In the semifinals, the Mammoths, seeded No. 3, traveled to Lewiston, ME, to face Bates, seeded No. 2, on Saturday in a tough matchup, ultimately falling 68-80 to the Bobcats. 

The game featured many momentum swings, and the team battled hard throughout. Bates opened the game with a 7-0 run, but this only ignited a fire in the Mammoths. They found their rhythm midway through the first quarter, tightening up their play to tie the game at 15-15, ultimately ending the quarter with a 24-19 lead. Starting off the next frame strongly, Amherst stretched its lead to as much as eight points within the first three minutes. However, Bates responded with a run that brought the game to a 38-38 tie. Just before the end of the half, Amherst edged its way back into the lead, ending with a slight 43-40 advantage. The third quarter saw action on both ends of the court as the teams vied for the edge. Toward the end of the quarter, however, Bates grabbed a strong 62-56 lead. Amherst fought hard in the final quarter, working to cut the deficit with sharp play; however, Bates maintained their advantage and ultimately clinched a dominant 80-68 victory. Elizabeth Cain ’28 and Annie McCarthy ’26 led the Mammoths scoring with 14 points each, followed by Reagan Pahl ’27 with 12 points. Amherst dominated with defensive pressure, achieving ten steals compared to Bates’ three. The Mammoths shot a meager 37% from the field, 27% from the three-point range, and 70% from the free-throw line.

The women’s basketball team drew many fans — students, families, faculty, and friends alike — to LeFrak Gymnasium in support of their hard work. The Mammoths finished the regular season with an 18-8 overall record and reached the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament. Their work will continue in the offseason before they return for an even stronger 2026-27 season. 

Women’s Hockey

This week, the No. 5-ranked women’s ice hockey team faced Bowdoin in the quarter finals of the NESCAC tournament, winning 2-1 in an overtime thriller on Saturday.

The Mammoths recorded a dominant start against the Polar Bears, registering 25 shots on goal and controlling possession for most of the first period. Bowdoin’s closest chance in the frame came during their two power play opportunities, but goaltender Natalie Stott ’26 and Amherst’s penalty kill unit kept the Polar Bears off the board. The Mammoths had a player-advantage chance of their own, but could not convert before the end of the first twenty minutes. Halfway through the second period — after a stretch of offensive pressure — Sami Lester ’28 collected the puck from behind the net, dodged two Bowdoin defenders, and backhanded a shot into the goal. Ayla Abban ’28 and Gretchen Dann ’26 provided the assists on the goal that put Amherst ahead, 1-0. Ten minutes into the third period, the Polar Bears capitalized on another power play opportunity, sending a one-timer past the Mammoths’ defense to tie the game. Amherst responded with urgency, generating consistent offensive moments as they tried to regain the lead. Despite these chances, nothing solidified before the end of regulation play, sending the game to overtime. Less than a minute into the extra stanza, a tripping call against Bowdoin gave the Mammoths a four-on-three player advantage. Making use of the opportunity, Amherst moved the puck around the offensive-zone, drawing out Polar Bear defenders to create space in the slot. After the puck was passed from Bea Flynn ’28 and Marie-Eve Marleau ’26, Abban buried a shot from the top of the crease, marking a 2-1 victory for the Mammoths. Stott, who made 17 saves throughout the game, earned her 82nd collegiate victory, tying the NCAA Division III record for wins by a goaltender.

On Saturday, March 7, the team will face Williams in the conference championship semifinals.

Men’s Hockey

This past Saturday, the Amherst men’s hockey team travelled to Brunswick, ME, to face the 2nd-seeded Bowdoin Polar Bears, where, after a hard-fought battle, they fell 3-1, ending an otherwise fantastic 2025-26 season. 

The Polar Bears opened scoring very early in the game, notching their first goal just 1:08 into the first period despite the defensive efforts of Andrew Palena ’27. The rest of the period remained scoreless as Palena stepped up in net, recording ten saves. The next score once again belonged to Bowdoin and came with 12:26 remaining in the second period after a breakaway steal in their own end. This put the Polar Bears up 2-0 halfway through the contest. The Mammoths, however, were able to answer with one of their own not long after, capitalizing on a string of power play opportunities generated by Josh Burke ’26, Andrew Carmody ’26, and John Small ’29. With 3:12 to go in the second period, Small fired a shot blocked by a Bowdoin defender, which he fought to regain possession of, eventually finding Burke for the one-timer to improve the score to 2-1. 

The final period was one of heartbreak for the Mammoths, as just three minutes into the period, the Polar Bears snuck one more past Palena to further the gap to 3-1, a scoreline that held until the end. Despite the game concluding the way it did, ultimately ending the Mammoths’ season for good, the effort displayed by the Mammoths in the remaining period left absolutely nothing to be desired. On top of the continued efforts of Small, Carmody, and Burke, multiple Amherst skaters rose to the occasion and forced Bowdoin’s goalkeeper into making multiple difficult saves. Jacob Pohl ’27 and Caden Olenczack ’29 were among these players at the beginning of this final period, and it was especially after Amherst elected to pull Palena for the extra-man advantage that some incredible offensive fire was generated, namely by Matt Vander Vort ’27 and Ray Hou ’28. The Mammoths may have come up short, but they did not go down easy, fighting tooth and nail until the sound of the final buzzer. 

This loss, marks the end of the 2025-26 season for this group, coming up short in the quarterfinals of NESCAC play for the third year in a row. Despite the loss and departure of their graduating seniors, the future looks bright for first-year Head Coach Eddie Effinger ’12. A hard ending for the Mammoths, but nothing but blue skies lie ahead for this squad. 

Men’s Tennis

After going 16-8 in the 2024-25 season and finishing 14th, the No. 10 men’s tennis team kicked off its season this weekend, playing both Skidmore and Swarthmore. Despite shutting out Skidmore on Saturday with an impressive score of 7-0, the Mammoths fell short on Sunday against Swarthmore, falling 6-1. 

On Saturday, Amherst came out strong, winning all of their doubles and singles matches. Only dropping one set. Albert Hu ’28 delivered an impressive performance, dropping just three games and winning the fourth point necessary to secure an Amherst win. Rex Harrison ’27 also delivered an impressive comeback, rebounding after dropping the first set and winning the tiebreak 10-4 to confirm his win.

The next day, the Mammoths suffered a hard-fought loss against No. 8, Swarthmore, falling 6-1. Harrison was the lone Mammoth to clinch a singles victory. Amherst started off strong with a 6-4 doubles victory from Andreas Sillaste ’27  and Lukas Frangenberg ’29. Yet, the Mammoths lost the overall doubles point as the other two doubles matches went to Swarthmore. Harrison won his singles match for the second time this weekend, earning an impressive score of 6-2, then 7-5. Despite three of the other singles matches going to a final set, Amherst lost with a final score of 1-6. 

The Mammoths are back on the court next weekend in Brunswick, ME to play Bowdoin College on Saturday, March 7. 

Men’s Lacrosse

The No. 14 men’s lacrosse team kicked off its season at home last weekend, defeating Hamilton on Saturday by a score of 9-5. 

Last year’s 2025 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, Willie Doyle ’28, got the Mammoths on the board with time winding down in the first, tying the Continentals’ early goal and making the score 1-1. Amherst carried the momentum from Doyle’s goal into the second quarter, getting things going offensively. Right off the bat, defensive midfielder Matthew Sheinberg ’26 decided he wanted in on the scoring. Thirty-three seconds into the second, he found the back of the net off the assist from Brendan Reilly ’27. The attacker followed up his assist with a tally of his own before Bob Gross ’26 also sent one past the Continental’s keeper for three straight Amherst goals. The Mammoths’ defense held Hamilton scoreless in the second quarter. 

In the third, Bennett Chow ’26 tacked on another goal for Amherst, before Hamilton found its own rhythm, rattling off three straight to take a narrow lead heading into the final quarter. From there, the show belonged to Doyle. The midfielder scored twice in a row to open the fourth quarter, with the equalizer and go-ahead goal. Thanks in large part to Doyle’s run, Amherst’s offense got its spark back with Alex Vlacich ’26 and Max Youssefnia ’27 both adding goals of their own. With 10 minutes remaining in regulation and the Mammoths up 9-5, it was a full team effort to stifle Hamilton’s offense from regaining its footing. Gritty ground balls and tight defense held the Continentals scoreless, as the Mammoths walked away victorious, starting their season 1-0. 

Doyle paced the offense with four points on the day, while Sam Sneider ’27 registered two caused turnovers. Showcasing their versatility, Amherst recorded seven different goal scorers. The team is back in action this Saturday, when they travel to Medford, MA, to play No. 1 Tufts.

Women’s Lacrosse

The No. 13 women’s lacrosse team travelled to Clinton, NY on Saturday, where they defeated Hamilton 12-9 in their season opener. 

The Mammoths found themselves in an early 2-0 deficit before Emily Petersen ’26 buried one in the back of the net off the assist from Kate Becker ’26. Just a few minutes later, the two repeated the connection, with Becker finding Petersen to even the score 2-2. Goalkeeper and 2025 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Lily Samoska ’28 turned away four Continental shots in the first quarter alone, keeping Amherst in it early. Heading into the second quarter with possession and following a Hamilton penalty, Petersen completed her early game hat trick, finding the back of the net for Amherst’s first lead of the game. The Mammoths knew how to capitalize on the player-up, with Bridget Finley ’26 registering her first of the season during the advantage. Continuing to possess the ball well in the second, Emma Crotty ’27 and Finley each tacked on goals for the largest Mammoth lead of the game. Hamilton responded with three goals of their own before Mia Raven ’27 sent a dime assist to Bridget Darcy ’27, who put it away with just one second remaining in the first half. 

In the third quarter, Raven took the ball to cage herself, rattling off back-to-back goals. Darcy added her second of the game, this time off a Clara Sosa ’26 pass, to round out Amherst’s scoring heading into the final quarter of play. Three straight Continental goals made it a one-goal game yet again, but Sosa wasn’t going to let that stand. The senior scored the final two goals of the game, one unassisted and one of another phenomenal pass from Raven, to secure the 12-9 victory for the Mammoths. 

The defense stepped up big time: Samoska finished with eight saves on the day, while Jordan Kauftheil ’29 added four caused turnovers. Raven led the offense, registering five points, while Becker added four assists. The Mammoth draw squad of Grace Shannon ’28, Petersen, and Raven dominated the possession game, winning 17 out of 22 draw controls. 

The team returns this Saturday to host No. 2 Tufts in its first home game of the season.

Men’s Squash

The No. 14 men’s squash team traveled to Philadelphia, PA, this past weekend, for their final outing of the season, the Hoehn Cup. On Friday, they defeated No. 19 Franklin and Marshall 6-3, before losing on Saturday in the semifinal round to No. 15 Colby by the same score, and then falling to No. 16 Navy in the consolation game. With the loss, they solidified their fourth-place finish in the tournament.

In a rematch of an earlier battle this season versus Franklin and Marshall, the Mammoths dropped the first two spots. However, Joseph Toth ’27 convincingly beat his opponent 3-0 at the three spot, before victories from Gabe Yu ’27, Fares Khairy ’28, Flynn Venmore ’28, Grady Herbert ’26, William Okurowski ’26 at the lower spots secured Amherst’s victory. Toth, Khairy, and Herbert each dispatched their opponent in straight sets, with Toth only conceding 13 points total. Venmore, meanwhile, came back to win his match, rallying from losing the first two sets, before winning the final three to get the win. 

Losing their next two matchups, the Mammoths round out their season with a 12-8 overall record. With plenty of talent returning to the roster, the team is poised for a promising 2026-27 season.

Baseball

The Amherst Baseball team opened its season with a road win against Springfield College, defeating the Spirit 5-0. 

The Mammoth pitchers stole the show, with Nick Fassert ’28 and Saahi Jetti ’29 allowing a combined three hits, zero earned runs, and just two base-on-balls. Fassert started on the mound for the first three innings, striking out four batters, three of which came in the first inning alone. After the third, Jetti, the first-year, took the mound and relentlessly pummeled the strike zone. After hitting the first Springfield batter, he immediately bounced back by striking out the next three batters. He continued his hot streak in the remaining innings by notching seven more strikeouts, combining with Fassert for a whopping total of fourteen KOs on the day. For his outstanding performance, Jetti was named NESCAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week.

Offensively, Justin Orridge ’28 opened the third with a lead-off walk. Charlie LaFreniere ’27 then advanced Orridge to third with a base hit. Two outs later, Jack Darcy ’29, with his first collegiate at-bat, ripped a ball through the middle, scoring both runners with a triple and putting the Mammoths up 2-0. 

Five innings later, the Mammoths once again capitalized with runners in scoring position, starting again with Orridge hitting a single to center. Following Orridge again was LaFreniere, securing an RBI double and earning a run for pinch-runner Leo Foust ’28. Next to get on base was first-year Zander Carnahan ’29, who struck out on the third pitch, but the Springfield catcher missed the ball, giving him the opportunity to get onto first. The next play, Carnahan stole second while another first-year Carson Ames ’29 drove a double toward center field, earning him a pair of RBI, sending Carnahan and Foust round the bases and putting the mammoths up 5-0. 

The team will return Sunday, March 8, to face Ramapo College in Hartford, CT. 

Women’s Track and Field

This weekend, the women’s indoor track and field team traveled to Boston to compete in the New England Division III Indoor Championships, finishing fifth in a record-setting meet.

Piper Lentz ’26 claimed first place in the 1,000-meter with a finishing time of 2:54, registering another win in an impressive season. In the 800-meter event, Zoë Marcus ’27 finished fourth overall after crossing the finish line in 2:11. Also claiming fourth, Ava Thomas ’28 finished the 5,000-meter in 17:33. In the 60-meter hurdles, Myeh Medina ’26 finished fifth with a time of 8.93 seconds. Héloïse Hughes ’27 set an Amherst record in the 200-meter, running a 24.72 to place fourth. Also setting a new school record, Rachel Hubley ’27, Madison Rabb ’26, Halle Hanna ’26, and Camilla Lash ’27, combined to finish the 4 x 200-meter relay in 1:43, placing seventh. The 4 x 800-meter relay team composed of Audrey Seeger ’28, Marcus, Maya Levine ’28, and Lentz, also placed fifth with a 9:19 finish. The distance medley relay group of Levine, Rabb, Josie McLaughlin ’29, and Seeger took fourth overall, finishing in 12:22. On the field side, Alayah Campbell ’29 registered a mark of 5.78 meters to finish second in the long jump. These finishes earned the Mammoths 52 points at the meet, finishing behind Tufts, Williams, MIT, and Middlebury.

On Saturday, March 7, the team will run again at the Tufts National Qualifier.

Men’s Track and Field

Over the weekend, the men’s indoor track and field team won first place at the New England Division III Indoor Championships.

The Mammoths set two new school records in the sprint events; Jordan Harrison ’26 finished the 60-meter event in 6.82 seconds to earn second place overall, while Cody Pierce ’26 took third place in the 200-meter with a 21.56-second finish. Pierce also finished fifth in the 400-meter race, crossing the finish line in 48.73 seconds. In the 800-meter, Ben Davis ’26 ran a 1:52 to take fourth place. Parker Boyle ’27 delivered another first-place finish in the 1,000-meter, finishing with a time of 2:24. In the 3,000-meter, Stan Craig ’27 crossed the line in 8:22 to earn third overall. In the longest event of the meet, Carter Bengtson ’29 finished the 5,000-meter run in 14:35 to claim first place. Keason Ky ’28 placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.29 seconds. The 4 x 400-meter relay team of Harrison, LJ Maslowski ’29, Jack Stahl ’28, and Pierce took fifth place after finishing in 3:19. The distance medley relay group of Will Nagy ’26, Maslowski, Andy Krasner ’29, and Jacob Connolly ’27 also delivered, earning fourth place with a time of 10:12. On the field side, Kaleb Barrett ’27 also took fourth overall after reaching a mark of 6.94 meters in the long jump. In the triple jump event, Michael Abbey Jr. ’27 claimed first overall with a mark of 14.57 meters and set a school record (a record he set earlier this season). Also winning first, Charlie Spurrell ’26 reached a mark of 17.39 meters in the weight throw. Gavin Schmidt ’28 finished closely behind, earning second place with a mark of 17.30 meters. These strong performances earned the Mammoths 103 points at the meet, narrowly beating Tufts’ 101.5 and MIT’s 97.5 (the second- and third-place finishers, respectively). 

Next, the team will travel to Medford, MA, to compete in the Tufts National Qualifier meet.

Head of the Herd: Saahi Jetti ’29

This week, many Mammoths made their collegiate debuts. Among them was Saahi Jetti ’29. Pitching in relief against Springfield College, Jetti proceeded to throw six no-hit shutout innings. He closed out the game with 10 Ks and just 2 walks. For his excellent debut and NESCAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week accolade, Jetti earns this week’s Head of the Herd.