Around the Herd: Nov. 21 to Dec. 8 in Athletics

Men’s Soccer

In the NCAA Division III Soccer Tournament, the men’s soccer team faced the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

In the Sweet Sixteen matchup, the Mammoths came out strong against UW-Superior. In the 28th minute, Fynn Hayton-Ruffner ’25 got Amherst on the board first. Early in the second half, Mohammed Nuhu ’27 doubled the lead with a powerful volley.  Still, Superior responded quickly, eventually tying the game by the 68th minute. In the last 66 seconds of overtime, a cross from Jacob Dinzeo ’28 connected with Michael Cherico ’28, whose sharp header landed the ball in the bottom corner, sealing Amherst’s 3-2 victory.

Women’s Soccer

The women’s soccer team faced the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and Emory University in the next rounds of the NCAA Division III Soccer Tournament.

Against IIT, the Mammoths scored first in the Sweet Sixteen game; a redirection from Abby Schwartz ’25 with an assist from Precious Novidzro ’27 landed in the back of the net, late into the first. This lead was doubled when Jessica Lomo ’27 buried a rebound from a shot taken by Novidzro. In the second half, Fiona Bernet ’25 scored off a penalty kick, and the Mammoths’ won 3-0.  

The next day, Amherst faced Emory in the tournament quarterfinals. The Eagles scored first in the 38th minute after close chances from the Mammoths. Despite many attempts to find an equalizer, Emory’s goaltender kept Amherst scoreless. The 0-1 loss for the Mammoths ends a fantastic postseason run. The team finishes with a 14-2-6 record on the season.

Women’s Hockey

The women’s hockey team continued their winning streak in games against Connecticut College, Western New England University, St. Olaf College, and University of Massachusetts, Boston.

On Nov. 22, the Mammoths faced a NESCAC foe in Connecticut College on home ice. The first period was scoreless.  Cara Mancini ’27 put Amherst on the scoreboard first with a backhand goal off an assist from Marie-Eve Marleau ’26. After a power play goal from the Camels, Ayla Abban ’28 gave the Mammoths the lead again early in the third period.  Amherst never looked back and won 3-1.

In another matchup against Connecticut College the next day, a goal from Maeve Reynolds ’26 gave the Mammoths an early lead in the first. Reynolds’ breakaway later in the first led to a goal from Marleau to extend Amherst’s lead. From there, Amherst cruised to victory, winning 3-1. The next Tuesday, Nov. 26, the Mammoths continued to be dominant against Western New England, winning 2-0.

Next, on Saturday, Amherst faced St. Olaf College in the first round of the UMass Boston Codfish Bowl Tournament. Halfway into the first period, Annabel Raffin ’28 passed the puck to Flynn, who ripped it into the net. Abban scored twice in the third period (her fifth and sixth career goals) to give Amherst a 3-0 win.

In the finals, the Mammoths faced tournament host UMass Boston. An interception from Kelsey Stewart ’25 led to a goal by Marleau late in the first minutes of the game. Flynn doubled Amherst’s lead with a rebound goal later in the period. On a power play in the second period, Gretchen Dann ’26 backhanded her first goal of the season. Abban — the tournament MVP — gave the Mammoths their fourth goal in the third period of a redirected shot taken by Stewart.  In the end, Amherst claimed their 17th Codfish Bowl title with a 4-0 victory over the Beacons.

The team is undefeated with a 7-0 record and will face Norwich University next, on Jan. 5.

Men’s Hockey

The men’s hockey team faced conference foes Trinity College and Wesleyan University as well as opponents in Saint Michael’s College, SUNY Geneseo, and Babson College.

On Nov. 23, the Mammoths faced conference opponent Trinity College. With a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, the game went to overtime, although neither team found the back of the net in extra time. Even though the game is officially considered a tie, shots from Ben Kuzma ’25 and Zach Murray ’26 and saves from goalkeeper Connor Leslie ’25 earned Amherst the shootout “win.”

The next Sunday, Nov. 24, the Mammoths faced Little Three rival Wesleyan University. Amherst was the first on the scoreboard with a goal from Matt Toporowski ’25 with an additional player advantage from a delayed penalty. The Cardinals dominated the rest of the game, scoring thrice in the third period to mark a 3-1 loss for the Mammoths.

On the road, the team struggled in the first period against Saint Michael’s College. With a two-goal deficit to start the second period, Amherst responded with goals from Kuzma and Bobby Luca ’25 to tie the game. Kuzma scored again in the third after the Purple Knights regained their lead at the start of the period. Goals from Toporowski and Murray gave the Mammoths the lead and, ultimately, a 5-3 win.

This past Saturday, Amherst started strong against SUNY Geneseowith with a goal from Magnus Gadowsky ’28 — the first of his collegiate career. Tied 2-2, the game went into overtime, where the Knights were able to score, sealing a 3-2 overtime loss for Amherst.

The next day, the Mammoths found much more offensive success against Babson College. Amherst took a 1-0 lead after the first period after a goal from Kuzma assisted by Zach Jesse ’27. This momentum continued in the second as goals from Murray, Cristobal Tola ’28 — his first for Amherst — and Toporowski extended the lead to 4-0.  In the end, Amherst tacked on a few more goals and earned their first shutout of the season with a 7-0 victory.

The team will hope to continue this success as they face Middlebury College next Friday.

Women’s Squash

The women’s squash team was perfect in the start to their season as they competed against Connecticut College, Hamilton College, and William Smith College.

On Nov. 20, the Mammoths swept NESCAC rival Connecticut College in their home opener. Amherst dominated, winning not only every match but all 27 sets as well. Kristen Daniel ’28, Brigid Brandon ’28, Ella Miller ’28, and Clara Dawn ’28, at the third, fourth, fifth, and eighth spots, respectively, all won in their collegiate debuts.

Amherst continued to be perfect against Hamilton College the next Saturday, failing to lose a set.  With eight 3-0 wins and one walkover, the Mammoths bested the Continentals 9-0.

The team’s flawless performance persisted against William Smith College with yet another 9-0 victory. Lily Thomas ’26 won her first match of the season, while Dawn conceded only one point in her win at the seventh spot.

Amherst — now 27-0 in matches and 78-0 in sets — will face Dartmouth College next on Friday, Dec. 6.

Men’s Squash

The men’s squash team had a strong start to their season against Connecticut College, Hamilton College, and Hobart College.

In their season opener on Nov. 20, the Mammoths bested Connecticut College with an 8-1 win. First-years Flynn Venmore ’28, debuting at the third spot, and Fares Khairy ’28, playing at the fifth spot, won their first matches in an Amherst jersey.

The Mammoths found success again the next Saturday with another 8-1 victory, this time at Hamilton College. Amherst had five straight-set wins out of nine matches against the Continentals.

The next day, the Mammoths continued their trip, traveling to face Hobart College. Amherst won 7-2 against the Statesmen.

The undefeated team will face the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in an away game on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Men’s Cross Country

The team competed at the NCAA Championships to close their season.

Harrison Dow ’27 finished his season off by leading the charge for the Mammoths, placing 47th. Nick Edwards-Levin ’25 ran across the finish line seven seconds later, earning 58th overall. Drew Stephens ’26, Ben Kasen ’28, and Stan Craig ’27 all followed behind, clocking in at 179th, 203rd, and 226th. This event was Dow and Edwards-Levin’s second national championship appearance and the debut of Stephens, Kasen, and Craig. The team placed 20th out of the 32 teams, marking the Mammoths’ second consecutive season finishing in the top 20.

Women’s Cross Country

The team traveled to Indiana and faced off against 31 other teams at the NCAA Championships.

Capping off her dominant first collegiate season, Flora Biro ’28 finished the race in 45th for Amherst. Sylvan Wold ’25 placed next for the Mammoths, garnering 69th place in her third national championship appearance. Hannah Stephenson ’28 trailed Wold to earn 94th in her national championship debut. Claire Callon ’25 and Julia Schor ’25 rounded out the top five for Amherst, finishing at 155th and 205th. The race was Callon’s fourth national championship appearance and Schor’s third. The team placed in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive season, earning 14th place in the race this year.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team competed in three matches against Springfield College, John Jay College, and Wesleyan University.

Amherst took on Springfield College, a strong challenge for the Mammoths. Laura Mendell ’26 and Maya Cwalina ’25 kept Amherst competitive with Springfield in the first quarter, combining for nine points. The game was back-and-forth throughout the three subsequent quarters, coming down to the final plays to decide the winner. A crucial steal and layup from Annie McCarthy ’26 narrowed the score to 49-48 in Springfield’s favor. Springfield made two free throws, however, which guaranteed the win for the Lions in the last eleven seconds of the match. McCarthy led the team in points with 12, while Sylvia Liddle ’26 led with 13 rebounds and five assists. Cwalina had five team-high blocks, and Anna Tranum ’26 had three steals. Amherst fell to Springfield 51-48 in a tightly contested match.

The Mammoths’ next match was against John Jay College in New York. Amherst came out of the gates swinging, scoring 27-9 in the first quarter alone. While the following quarters were closer in scoring, John Jay College never managed to outscore or take the lead against Amherst. Kori Barach ’25 had 20 points and five steals, both game-highs. McCarthy led the team in rebounds with nine. Liddle co-led the team with seven assists with Cwalina, who had five game-high blocks. Amherst completely blew out John Jay College 88-47.

In Amherst’s first NESCAC matchup, the team faced off against Wesleyan University. The Mammoths maintained a close lead throughout the first half, scoring 34-29 in Amherst’s favor. Amherst truly took off in the third quarter, amassing an absurd 22 points to Wesleyan’s five. The fourth quarter was a slight step back for Amherst, letting Wesleyan outscore them 18-13. However, this was not a costly move for the Mammoths, who held onto their lead. Barach led the team in points and assists, scoring 27 and amassing four assists. McCarthy had a game-high 11 rebounds, and Cwalina led with six blocks. Amherst earned their first conference win, beating Wesleyan University 69-52.

The team travels to Pennsylvania this Saturday to take on Gwynedd Mercy University.

Men’s Basketball

The team played against Rhode Island College, the University of Lynchburg, and Marymount across the past two weeks.

In their match against Rhode Island College, Amherst kept the score close between the two sides in the first five minutes. The Mammoths took a significant lead, however, in the eighth minute when Vance Ryker ’25  scored four points and assisted C.J. Mitchell ’25 in three possessions. The score began to favor Amherst heavily throughout the rest of the first half, with the score 42-28 for Amherst at the half. The Mammoths maintained control of the game through the second half, thanks to offensive performances from Mitchell and Chris Hammond ’26. Mitchell led the team with 19 points and four assists, while Will Scherer ’25 led with nine rebounds and four blocks. Hammond, second in points with 16, had a game-high four steals. The game ended 79-55 in Amherst’s favor.

The Mammoths traveled to Arlington, Virginia, to compete in the Coto Tip-Off Tournament and played their semifinal match against the University of Lynchburg. The game remained a tight contest until a three-pointer by Elias Chin ’28 started Amherst’s dominant 16-2 run to finish the first half. Lynchburg never managed to get out of the hole Amherst dug for them, widening the gap between the two sides. Hammond led the team in points with 22, with 18 points coming from three-pointers. Scherer co-led the team with Hammond in rebounds with 11. Marc Garraud ’27 had eight assists, the highest for the Mammoths. Amherst steamrolled Lynchburg 76-51, moving on to the championship game.

The Mammoths played Marymount in the championship game of the Coto Tip-Off Tournament. The match was back-and-forth through the first half and eight minutes into the second. Ryker and Garraud’s offensive demonstrations kept this game close for the Mammoths, which lasted until Marymount went on a 13-point run to claim the lead. Amherst could not take back control from Marymount in the match’s final minutes. Garraud led the team in points and assists, scoring 13 points and five assists. Scherer led with nine rebounds and co-led in steals with two. Ryker finished the game with five blocks, a season-high. Marymount maintained their lead until the end, outlasting Amherst 57-45.

The basketball team plays next Thursday at Westfield State University and against Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday at LeFrak.