Around the Herd Nov. 6 to Nov. 12 in Athletics

Women’s Soccer

The team played against Tufts University and Colby College on Saturday and Sunday to try and win it all at the NESCAC tournament.

Amherst, the fourth-seeded underdog against Tufts, went into their NESCAC semifinal game on Saturday with an intent to shock the Jumbos. Patience Kum ’25 established the Mammoths’ presence in the 12th minute with a goal, assisted by Alyssa Huynh ’25. The Jumbos seemed to wake up after Kum’s goal and equalized in the 20th minute. The tense energy between the two teams continued until the first half ended. The second half picked up right from there, with eight shots taken between the two teams in the first 15 minutes. A free kick taken by Amherst delivered the ball into Tufts’ box, where Brooke Ingemi ’26 set up Sophia Haynes ’26 for the Mammoths’ second goal. Tufts tried to get an equalizer, but to no avail, thanks to Amherst’s superb defense. The team won 2-1 and proceeded to the NESCAC championship game against Colby College.

Amherst and Colby started the NESCAC championship game with high intensity, getting a collective five shots on goal in the first ten minutes of the match. Each team tested the opposing goalkeeper, and Mika Fisher ’25 made six heroic saves in the first half. The first half closed with 18 total attempts by both teams, yet neither Amherst nor Colby scored any goals. In the second half, Amherst took offensive control of the game. The Mammoths produced a daunting 14 shots to Colby’s mere six. These 14 shots forced four saves by the Colby goalie, and neither team could grab the lead in regulation time. The game then entered two overtime periods, where only Haynes and Charlotte Huang ’25 got opportunities on goal for either side. Great defensive efforts and no goals scored meant the game came down to a penalty shootout. The deciding moment came in Colby’s first penalty, as their penalty taker hit the post and missed. Abby Schwartz ’25, Ingemi, Kum, Huynh, and Precious Novidzro ’27 slotted their penalty shots into the back of the net, securing the nail-biter win for Amherst. The Mammoths secured their third consecutive NESCAC tournament title, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 regulation and overtime period.

This Saturday, the team faces off against SUNY New Paltz in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Football

The football team traveled to Williamstown last Saturday and faced off against the Ephs in their season’s final game.
Williams started the game with possession and set the tone early with a touchdown. Back-and-forth drives between the two teams filled the rest of the first quarter with a highlight play from Marek Hill ’28, who threw a 26-yard reception to Cato Legaspi ’26. The second quarter started with an Amherst fumble, leading to Williams’ second touchdown. The Mammoths went on a long run afterward, with passes from Hill to Sam Gerber ’26 and Carter Jung ’26. At the end of the drive, Amherst went for it on fourth down. Hill rushed for 10 yards, but it wasn’t enough to get the first down. Hill continued to connect with Jung in the third quarter, passing to him four times. Despite their best efforts, the Mammoths could not get any scores on the board. The game’s last score came in the fourth quarter, as Williams scored a 39-yard reception touchdown. The game’s offensive highlight was Jung, who had eight receptions for 54 yards. The defensive highlights were Luke Harmon ’26 and Ty Kazanowsky ’27, with eight and six total tackles, respectively. Amherst played a hard-fought battle until the end, but the result favored Williams, scoring 21-0. Amherst ends the season with a 2-7 record.